Day Twenty Three: Men in Somalia

Men in Somalia

Hard realities for Muslim men and families

Total Somali population: 9,119,000 (July 2007 est.)

Somalia has suffered from a complicated civil war for over 20 years. Traditionally, Somali men were the providers of their families basic needs. However, when the war erupted there were several hundred thousand deaths. Thousands more were maimed or exiled. Over the past decade, more than half a million people fled the war – many of them men. This has devastated the family structure and left many families fatherless. The involvement in fighting, the trauma and the life in refugee camps have destroyed the vitality, vision and hope of Somali men.

Some men have found a way to escape from the harsh realities of Somali life. Khat (Catha Edulis) is an evergreen shrub that grows in the highlands of Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. Chewing the leaves of khat has a stimulating, narcotic effect, and like most drugs, khat is addictive and must be consumed daily. The majority of Somali men are addicted to khat, which has a huge influence on their life in Somali society. Men buy their khat at the market and then in the afternoon and evening, they meet with friends, drink tea and chew khat. Kept awake by the drug, men often come home late. Many children grow up seeing little of their fathers. The women are left responsible for the household chores, raising the children and providing for the family. Khat chewers suffer from various health problems, yet those who really suffer the most are their families. Men often spend most of their money on khat, yet their families go hungry.

Prayer starters:

* Pray that the bondage of khat would be broken. Social pressure encouraging men to chew is huge. Strength, wisdom and courage are needed to break this national addiction.

* Pray for wives and children to know how to cope with the absence of men.

* Pray that Somali society will experience God’s healing of families and come to know true fatherhood and the Father in Heaven.

About Khat

Somali: Jaad, also known as qat, qaat, quat, gat, chat, chad, chaad and miraa, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Khat contains the alkaloid called cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant which causes excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria. In 1980 the World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence, and the plant has been targeted by anti-drug organizations. It is a controlled / illegal substance in many countries, while being allowed or tolerated in others.

Both of khat’s major active ingredients — cathine and cathinone — are phenylalkylamines, meaning they are in the same class of chemicals as amphetamines. In fact, cathinone and cathine have a very similar molecular structure to amphetamine.

Researchers estimate that families spend an average of 17% of their income on khat, the real figure probably much more. The larger economic problems come from the time and resources used to both produce khat and consume it.

Life in Somalia

Traditionally 90% of the Somali population lived a nomadic pastoralist life (this has fallen to about 60% at present). Groups of men travelled through the desert with their camels and livestock. While traveling, they had to endure the hot sun, walk for months across vast distances and protect their animals from wild beasts. Somali men often possess great courage and boldness. Being a warrior has traditionally been one of their greatest ideals. It is in this setting that the Somali oral culture developed. Somali men are known for being poets and storytellers and they love to debate. These cultural aspects continue to be highly valued even in the growing urban centers.

Day Twenty Two: Nagpur, the center of India

Nagpur, India

The City of Snakes

The central Indian city of Nagpur (whose name means ‘City of Snakes’) has a population of over three million people. Nagpur lies on major north-south and east-west transportation routes. The city is at the geographic centre of India. While the majority of its inhabitants are Hindu, there is a sizeable Muslim minority of approximately 7.1% (215,000). Nominal followers of Jesus number around 5%, although practicing believers are much less numerous. In the region outside Nagpur city there are even less believers among the many Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and others. The governing political party in the area has a clear agenda to keep India as a Hindu nation and reject “foreign and Western” influences making life hard for the local followers of Jesus.

It is a commonly held misconception in the region that followers of Jesus bribe downtrodden Muslims and Hindus to accept Christ in return for material benefit or social advantage. Therefore actions by local believers motivated by love for Jesus Christ and one’s fellowman are often misunderstood, presenting barriers for the Good News and discipleship. Often, those who do come to Christ are pressured into returning to Islam by various social, economic, emotional and even physical pressures. Yet even in this hostile environment, Jesus is calling Muslims from Nagpur to Himself.

Muslims usually speak Urdu and Marathi while Hindus and other speak Hindi and Marathi. Between 2004 – 2006, several newer translations utilising some “Muslim-style” terminology have been published. These have helped Muslims to understand, accept and obey God’s word. Nevertheless Bibles are not widely distributed nor are they easily accessible to the Muslim community. The “Jesus” film also exists but there are distribution problems. As far as we know, there is no group of believers that regularly reaches out to the Muslims in this city with the Gospel in an organised way.

Prayer starters:

* Pray for local believers to enter into their role as those who are part of God’s plan to bless all nations, tribes and tongues (Gen. 22:18 and Galatians 3:16,29).

* Pray for the effective distribution of these new translations of the Bible.

* Pray for the local believers who face real persecution due to the prejudices and misunderstandings.

* Pray for believers to be trained in how to proclaim the Messiah with wisdom and understanding in the Muslim community.

Muslims do not believe …

Muslims do not believe that it is possible to know God as in John 17:3. (They only believe that they can know about Him.) Small numbers of Muslims called Sufis believe in a mystical union with God. However, this group is often seen as heretical by many Muslims.

There are possibly 145 million Muslims in India. God loves them all. India has more Muslims than all the following countries combined: Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Egypt.

“The vast Ganges plains of North India contain the greatest concentration of unevangelized people in the world. North India will probably be the touchstone of our success or failure in completing world evangelization in our generation.” – Patrick Johnstone

Day Twenty One: Islam and Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan

Islam in Dearborn, Michigan

Ford, Muslims and mosques in Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn is the hometown of Henry Ford and the world headquarters of the Ford Motor Company. Many years ago Muslim immigrants to the United States (US) were drawn to the relatively high-paying jobs associated with the auto industry in the area.

Dearborn, Michigan now has the largest single concentration of Arab Muslims in North America. There are 32,000 Arab Muslims from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq living in East Dearborn, making up almost 1/3 of the population. In some districts it is common to see store signs and billboards written in Arabic. The Islamic Centre of America in Dearborn, a Shi’a mosque frequented mostly by Lebanese Muslims, is the largest mosque in the US. The Centre’s attractive website has several good photos: http://www.icofa.com/.

Mosques and Islamic Centres play an important role in the life of American Muslims. They are places of refuge and of rest; places where a Muslim can experience the Islamic community and learn about Islam. Many Muslims feel safer and more relaxed within the centres which are somewhat isolated from outside influences. Dearborn is one of the few places in the US where one can actually hear the call to prayer publicly over a loudspeaker.

There have been a number of efforts to make Christ better known to Muslims in Dearborn. However, many believers say that in general, it can sometimes be even harder to discuss believing in Jesus with Muslims in Dearborn than elsewhere. Muslims in Michigan have a fortress mentality manifested in community pressure to conform to Muslim ideals.

Prayer starters:

* Pray that the Muslims in Dearborn will respond to the Gospel message they have heard (Acts 28:26-28).

* Pray for the Arabic speaking Muslim background believers who live in the area. May they have God’s grace in the Yemeni, Iraqi and Lebanese neighborhoods to start new communities of believers.

* Pray for the new adult male believers in the Messiah to openly profess their faith in the context of their families, as well as in the larger Muslim communities. Their influence and authority in the home and society will pave the way for the Gospel to be heard and obeyed by others.

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From Thief to Giver

Ali (not his real name) was a man with a very hard heart. In the past he would ride trains and befriend people. When they fell asleep, he would steal their belongings, jump off the train and sell the things. He tried Islam but it did not change him. When his sister-in-law became a Christian he persecuted her. Later, however, he acknowledged Jesus as Lord and he is now one of the main leaders of the church! The transformation in his life has been nothing less than incredible! He is one of the most humble and loving men we know. This is especially seen in how he cares for his wife and daughters!

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Thoughts that disturb …

* Muslims often believe that the Bible has been altered and corrupted. They will deny its authority because they see it as not being authentic.

* Muslims believe the Holy Trinity implies a belief in three gods. Many Muslims believe that the Christian Trinity is made up of the Father, Mary (the virgin) and the Son (Jesus).

* They believe it is blasphemy to affirm the divinity of Jesus and to give Him the title “Son of God”. Many believe this implies that God had sexual relations with Mary and that a son was born physically through the union. (This idea is also unacceptable for Christians.)

Day Twenty: Murshidabad, India

Murshidabad, India

The land of the Nawabs

Murshidabad District is a district of West Bengal in eastern India. When India became independent on the 15th of August 1947, Murshidabad, on the basis of the fact that Muslims were a majority, was part of (East) Pakistan for two days. Thereafter it became part of India on the basis of the final award of the Radcliffe Commission.

Spread across both sides of the Bhagirathi (Hooghly) River, a main tributary of the Ganges, Murshidabad district was the seat of Muslim power in the Bengal region after 1704. The greatness of Muslim rule is still visible in the museum of Hazar Duari (the Palace of a Thousand Doors), the Imambara, the Katra Mosque and a number of other monuments. This land was once famous for its Nawab dynasties (Muslim Moghol provencial governors). However, it has largely been forgotten in recent times. With its rich history of artisans and strong agricultural crops this district provides skilled workers to a number of trades across India. Murshidabad’ industries include ivory-carving, as well as silver and gold embroidery, silk-weaving and fine crafts.

Unfortunately the region is also now known for its numerous problems, including cases of human trafficking, child labour, severe poverty and local political assassinations. It has largely missed out on the foreign influence and development that have been present in other parts of West Bengal.

There are approximately six million people in Murshidabad district with almost 90% of these people living in rural villages. While the majority of the population of West Bengal is Hindu, Murshidabad is 64% Muslim (3.8 million people). The number of Muslims in Murshidabad district rival that of the entire populations of nations like Albania and Lebanon. There is less than one full time minister for every million Muslims in this district.

Prayer starters:

* Pray that God will reveal Himself to the young and old Bengali Muslims in Murshidabad (Acts 2:16-21).

*Pray that Muslim background believers will be called, equipped and motivated to witness and teach the Way of Christ in unity with other believers (Matthew 28:20).

* May the Messiah’s glory be revealed in the land of the Nawab dynasties.

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God is active in Murshidabad

Although there are only a handful of believers, their witness has already brought many Muslims to life changing faith. Many believers are now experiencing severe persecution in the transparency of village life, where nothing is hidden. On a recent trip one believer visited a Bengali Muslim family known to him through a common acquaintance. This family expressed interest in the Gospel and made a joint decision to follow the Messiah. There are many families like this one among the Bengali Muslims residing in the area, but many never have had an opportunity to hear the Gospel in their own language.

Day Nineteen: Indonesia’s Minangkabau People

Indonesia’s Minangkabau Peoples

 

Lina’s fear of evil

Lina is a young Minangkabau woman from a large family, all of whom are proud of their culture and religion. They do everything that Islam requires of them, but they are also involved in other traditional practices. Instead of going to a doctor when someone is sick, they will often visit a dukun (a traditional healer). Lina especially believes that evil spirits are everywhere and she is very interested in all things supernatural.

Because of these beliefs, she is often tense and is afraid of almost everything. Even sudden loud noises make her jump, and she sleeps with a light on at night. Muslim’s say, “Bismillah i-rahman-ir-rahim (in the name of God, most Gracious, most Merciful)” before they eat; Lina says it before practically every bite of food she takes.

This life of fear even affects Lina’s attitude toward her religion: she sees God as a faraway figure and she tries to do all her religious duties not out of a desire to be faithful and obedient, but because she is afraid of going to hell when she dies. She seems resigned to the idea that she will never be in paradise, because her good deeds never seem to be enough to outweigh her sins.

Even though Lina has had many conversations with some followers of Jesus about the forgiveness of sins through Isa Almasih (Jesus the Messiah), she is still too afraid to even consider the possibility that it is actually truth. Unfortunately she only believes that Jesus is simply a prophet, and that He cannot protect her from evil spirits. Millions of other Minangkabau have never had the opportunity to learn about Jesus.

The Minangkabau, numbering about 8,659,000, are the fourth largest ethnic group in Indonesia and exercise significant influence in the country. While some Minangkabau are scattered across the country on various islands, they originate from the province of West Sumatra.

Prayer starters:

* Pray that the Holy Spirit will open the hearts of the Minangkabau to the truth that only Jesus can bring salvation, and that He can free them from a life of fear.

* Pray that Minangkabau people, including Lina and her family, will no longer look to the dukuns to solve their problems but rather they will look to Jesus for help and healing.

* Pray that whole families of the Minangkabau will come to a trusting reliance on Jesus.

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Folk islam

In many countries popular “Folk Islamic” practices are often even more important than orthodox Islam in the daily life of millions of Muslims. Orthodox Islam does not usually have a real expectancy that Allah will actually intervene in difficult situations. He is basically inaccessible. Therefore many people search out Muslim holy men for help. In some countries the tombs of various Muslim holy men are reputed to be places of blessing where people can also seek help. Various things including talismans and the “Hand of Fatima” are often used against the “Evil Eye” and evil spirits.