A young Christian convert was severely beaten by her Muslim father after leaving Islam to follow Christ, according to the Morning Star.

Namusisi Birye reportedly converted to Christianity at an evangelistic event but news of her decision reached her father before she was home. When she entered the house, her father began attacking her, intending to beat her to death.

"My father had a wooden stick and started beating me as I entered the house," she said. "As my mother was about to beat me also, the local council chairman, who was on his way to his home in Buluba, arrived and rescued me. Soon some neighbors who are Christians also arrived."

Birye's screams brought several neighbours and church leaders to the scene but Birye's mother and father insisted she must die.

"Our daughter must be killed according to Islam, because she has become apostate," her father told those who came to her aid, acoording to her pastor. "She can never be our daughter again."

They were pursuaded not to kill her but only disown her and local council chairman, Mutaana Paul, agreed to accept Birye into his home temporarily.

"I then decided to take the girl to my house, and she is now recuperating after being disowned by her parents," he said.

"As long as the parents do not raise any further complaints, I will continue helping the girl with the hope that some good Samaritans will be touched to help her."

The evangelistic event was interrupted by a group of furious Muslims after a man who appeared to be a Muslim leader went to the front to be prayed for become a Christian. The whereabouts of the man are unknown and local Christians have warned that he could be in severe danger.

The violence comes in a string of attacks against Christian converts in eastern Uganda. On October 19 the wife of a Christian convert was killed, a month after his brother was killed for the same reason.