Germany: Funeral for Cameroonian killed fighting for ISIS held

The ultimate act of forgiveness: Christian church in Germany holds Islamic funeral for teenage immigrant who was killed fighting for ISIS after becoming a Muslim and running away to Syria

-Florent Prince N. was born in Cameroon and raised a Christian in Hamburg

-But he converted to Islam and became radicalised before travelling to Syria

-Teenager died after joining ISIS and church in Hamburg staged a funeral

-Pastor defends move saying: ‘Even such a man has relatives who mourn’

A Christian church in Germany has held a funeral for a teenage immigrant who was killed fighting for ISIS after becoming a Muslim and running away to Syria.

The 17-year-old, named as Florent Prince N., was born in Cameroon and raised as a Christian in Hamburg before converting to Islam and becoming radicalised.

Now, a year after his death in Syria, the church he once attended – St. Pauli in Hamburg – has held a controversial service in memory of the militant.

According to Breitbart, the service was organised by Sieghard Wilm, pastor of the protestant church.

While still a Christian, Florent was said to be active in the St. Pauli Church community.

But the website reports that he converted to Islam in his early teens and soon became radicalised.

He travelled to Syria in May last year and died after sending an audio message to Germany saying he was disillusioned with ISIS.

The funeral service has sparked controversy in Germany with some questioning the decision to hold a memorial for someone who had left the country to join a terror organisation.
But Mr Wilm told the German website SHZ.de: ‘We cannot deny this is a difficult situation.

‘I can tell you as a pastor at St. Pauli, that I have also laid to rest more killers. A man remains a man. Even a person who has offended against someone. Even such a man has relatives who mourn him.’
Florent’s mother was still a Christian, prompting moves to hold the service at St Pauli, Breitbart reports.

The pastor said he had observed Florent’s behaviour when he became radicalised and changed his name to Bilal. But he soon lost contact with the teenager and saw that he had ‘been estranged from me and his former social environment’.

Mr Wilm said the funeral would act as a ‘safe place’ for the family to grieve and that the service would help with ‘learning and respect among religions’.