No freedom of expression at the university · Open Doors

It is not often that we are able to share stories from Brunei, as Christians represent only 12% of the total population in this small Asian country of more than 445,000 inhabitants. Many of these believers find it extremely difficult to live their faith openly; Talking about their God could quickly put a target on their back.

This challenge is even greater for young people in places like universities. Being a Muslim country, Christian students are sometimes the only believers in their school who differ from the majority religion. Many find it difficult to make friends unless they conform to the patterns and lifestyles of their fellow Muslims.

Young Lina* has shared with us an idea of ​​what it means to be a university student who follows Jesus in Brunei, and why we need to pray for our entire Brunei family.

“Leave that book at home!”

Lina remembers how scared she was when her friends cornered her and started yelling at her. He was at the hostel where she was staying while studying when they suddenly approached her, visibly angry.

All because of the book he was carrying in his hands.

“They asked me why I brought a Bible to school,” Lina remembers. “They were my friends. She was very scared, I was afraid of offending them, of making a mistake; “She had never seen them so angry.”

She grew up in a Christian home in Brunei and, until she moved away to go to university, never thought that being Christian would offend her peers. Our local collaborators met her for the first time at a youth camp they organized for believers in this area of ​​Asia in order to help young Christians like her grow, mature and remain firm in her faith. In recent years, they claim that have observed an increase in the number of young people who decide to follow Jesus despite the fact that their peers daily demand that they abandon their faith and convert to Islam. After meeting Lina, our collaborators were inspired by her vulnerability and strength.

«They asked me why I brought a Bible to school. “They were my friends, but I had never seen them so angry.”

This young Christian is grateful to be able to share her story, hoping that it will help her brothers around the world like us understand what life is like for Christians in Brunei and the daily pressures they face in a hostile culture. to his faith.

In this small nation on the island of Borneo, being a Christian is not a crime. There are several churches, and believers can participate in various church activities within their walls. But the growing implementation of sharia (Islamic law) to both Muslims and non-Muslims aims to make the country a fully Islamic place, and makes it increasingly difficult for Christians to live in a culture hostile to their faith. There is always the possibility that believers will offend or be accused of spreading the gospel to the country’s Muslims. Therefore, believers in Brunei always have to exercise caution.

At a time when most college students in other countries are discovering who they are and learning to express their individual identity and beliefs authentically, Lina and most Christian students like her are forced to hide who they are anymore. look for clandestine ways to develop your faith.

A young woman without freedom of expression

At university, Lina must wear a hijab like all students. It is one of the rules that she must comply with.

“All women should wear the hijab, regardless of their religion,” she explains. “Although my roommates know that I am a Christian, they also force me to dress like them.”

Outside of college, you are allowed to wear whatever you want, but again, life would be extremely difficult if you chose to look different. “Peer pressure is real,” denounces Lina. “So I wear my hijab even when I’m outside the hostel too.”

He has even gone so far as to hide his cross necklace. “If they see it, they will accuse me of spreading the Gospel,” she says, adding that Bibles are prohibited in the hostel because the majority of students and teachers are Muslims.

“Although my roommates know that I am a Christian, they also force me to dress like them.”

To avoid further conflict, he has stopped posting Bible verses and sermons he likes on his social media, aware that it could cause a rift in his relationships with his friends.

Like the more than 360 million persecuted Christians around the world who face daily pressure and discrimination for their faith, Lina continues to follow Christ in less visible ways.

Now, instead of opening the Bible on his lap, he uses the app on his phone to read the Gospel. He draws less attention and allows you to grow in his faith.

“No one can stop me from looking at the phone,” he says. “It’s too risky to carry a physical Bible.”

*Names changed for security reasons.