Devoted Christian Paul Beckman remembered 

Paul Beckman was a Christian teacher from Norwich who was murdered in Tajikistan 22 years ago this week. Those that remember him highlight his bravery and unwavering commitment to the gospel.
 

Paul was stabbed outside his home in Dushanbe on November 5 2001 at the age of 48 in what was believed to be a reprisal killing for the bombing of neighbouring Afghanistan. Paul was a member of Dereham Road Baptist Church, which has since merged with St Mary's Duke Street and become Norwich Central Baptist Church.

Paul moved to Norwich in the early 1980s to carry out postgraduate research in botany and development of drought-resistant crops. He had spent eight years in the African country Niger where he carried out research on desert crops. Paul was determined to act upon his compassion for people in developing countries and had lived in Tajikistan for four years before his death, working as an English teacher in the capital's foreign languages department of the Academy of Science. Paul returned to Norwich for a month every year to visit church friends. The shocking news of his stabbing outside of his home made headlines around the world, but nobody was brought to justice for his killing.

Norwich Central Baptist Church member Pater Barnes remembers Paul fondly, "Paul's bravery and Christian commitment was outstanding. He was a loyal man who cared deeply for other people. As a church we decided to sponsor a child in Tajikistan through the Christian charity Compassion in Paul's memory. Twenty-two years later, that child has grown up and the sponsorship moved on to other children in other countries. Very few know about the origin of the sponsorship or had the privilege of knowing Paul."

Pictured above: the front page of the Good News for Norwich 2001