Alexander the New Martyr

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Celebrated today, Alexander the New Martyr is from a suburb of
Salonika. His home church is here:

http://www.thessaloniki4all.gr/main.php?category=1&lang=en&mnimeio=20

There is no life of him online in English, but I will provide the
basics here. He was martyred in 1784. He spent the majority of his
adult life, after converting to Islam from Orthodoxy, as a Dervish
after taking the Hadj to Mecca. He assumed the garb and turban of a
Dervish, although his life does not mention which kind of Dervish,
[there being larger sects of both Nakshibandi and Bektashi in Salonika
at his time] and preached Islam in most major Ottoman cities and towns
as a wanderer. About a decade before his death, he realized he was
still a Christian at heart and still he kept on preaching, but this
time preaching kindness, gentleness and love. He went before a judge
in Smyrna and declared he was a Christian, through off his dervish
robes and turban, and after a certain amount of persistence in this,
was jailed. He was finally beheaded for the Faith, it being the
punishment for apostasy from Islam after a declaration of faith in
Islam.

[unknown]

Post by ++
There is no life of him online in English, but I will provide the

http://www.abbamoses.com/

He is there for today.

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Post by unknown

Post by ++
There is no life of him online in English, but I will provide the

http://www.abbamoses.com/
He is there for today.

So, why didn't you post hwat was there? By the way, the proper URL is
http://www.abbamoses.com/months/may.html

Holy New Martyr Alexander of Thessalonica (1794)
He was born in Thessalonica and, though baptised a Christian, he
accepted Islam as a young man, eventually becoming a Sufi (one of a
mystical sect among the Muslims). But in time he began to repent, and
concluded that martyrdom was the only way for him to cleanse himself
from the stain of his denial of Christ. Having repented, he presented
himself to the Turks dressed as a Christian. He was thrown into prison
and tortured, but in response to every enticement, threat or torment,
he would only say 'I was born a Christian, and as a Christian I shall
die.' Finally he was sentenced to death, which Alexander joyfully
accepted as a sign of God's forgiveness. He was slain by the sword in
Smyrna in 1794.