Pray for Kuwait Praying for Kuwait's Destiny - Interceding for Kuwait's People - news and views from Kuwait for Kuwait Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 19 5054

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Muslim Kurds in Canada 2007-09-26 17:10:46 Day 16 for 28th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Kurds have been coming to the United States and Canada from Turkey, Iraq and Iran for decades. Thousands of Kurds fled Iraq during and subsequent to Saddam Hussein’s mass killings of Kurds through chemical and conventional warfare. Those who have gone to Canada as refugees are survivors. Over 90% of the Kurds in Hamilton, Canada are from a Muslim background, but have shed their identity as Muslims. A few have even become anti-Muslim. Although still believers in God, they tend to be suspicious of any religion. In recent years some local Christians have made efforts to proclaim Christ among Ontario’s Kurds. These believers desire to establish a movement of Kurdish house churches. They really want to help Kurds discover Christ and to live their new found faith in a fully Kurdish manner. In 2006, two Kurdish brothers professed faith in Christ. The family of these brothers is open to the Gospel, but not ready to ma ...

The Mirpuris in Britain 2007-09-25 17:10:31 Day 15 for 27th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Mirpuris (people originating from the Mirpur district in Pakistani Kashmir), form about 70% of the British Pakistani population of about 747,000. The percentage is even higher in northern cities and towns. For example, in Bradford, an industrial town in Northwest England, it is estimated that roughly three quarters of the population are from Mirpur. One of the things the Mirpuri brought with them was the perception of a long history of dispossession and marginalisation. The partition of India brought terrible bloodshed along with the division of Kashmir between Pakistan and India. (This was the issue cited until very recently as the most pressing political priority in the UK by the majority of British Muslims). Three of the suicide bombers of the London underground bombings in the summer of 2005 were originally from this region of Pakistan. The Mirpuris are still a very unreached people group. There are only a handful of k ...

Questions and Answers About Islam in Modern Georgia 2007-09-24 17:10:04 Day 14 for 26th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Q. The Republic of Georgia was one of the first countries to become Christian. How did it get to be 10% Muslim? A. Georgia has been conquered by Muslim empires several times. Tbilisi (the capital) was conquered by Arabs in the 8th century and a Muslim community remained. From the 16th century, Ottoman Turks and Iranian Safavids (Persians) controlled much of Georgia. Migrants, later known as Tatars, also decided to make the region their home. Q. Didn’t the Soviet era abolish Islam? A. No, For example, Islamic law (Shari’a) and administration were abolished in 1926 but by 1930 a compromise was reached allowing Muslims certain freedoms. During the Second World War the Soviets set up Muslim Religious Boards to manage Muslims throughout the region. Some Muslims were deported (depending on ethnicity) and the deportation actually continued into late in the 20th century. It is still a political issue. Q. How can we pray for th ...

Foreign workers in Taiwan 2007-09-23 16:20:11 Day 13 for 25th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Taiwan Population: 22,858,872 (July 2007 est.) Foreign workers: 336,985 Indonesian: 79,650 (23.6%) Filipino: 91,995 (27.3%) Thai: 93,673 (27.8%) Vietnamese: 71,618 (21.2%) In 1949, some 20,000 Muslims, mostly soldiers and civil servants, fled mainland China with the Kuomintang (non-communist government) to Taiwan. Two mosques were built in the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung to meet the needs of the Muslim community. In 1989, the Taiwanese government recruited foreign workers to solve the labour shortage problems. Since then the use of foreign workers has become a major source of cheap labour in Taiwan. No statistics are available concerning the number of Muslim foreign workers in Taiwan, but it is probable that a high percentage of Indonesians are Muslims. They have not only contributed to the Taiwanese economy but they have also shared their food, customs, traditions and beliefs with the Taiwanese. Three of the newer mosq ...

The Hiding Place of Afghanistan 2007-09-22 16:20:40 Day 12 for 24th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 In 1865, two new, Pashtun believers risked their lives to go to the most inaccessible of Afghan provinces. Their message was in Nuristan greeted with enthusiasm and the Nuristanis extended an invitation to teachers of the Good News to return and share more. Tragically, no one managed to come. 30 years later the Amir of Kabul invaded Nuristan, converting the people to Islam at the point of a sword. For more than 20 years, a desire to reach out to Nuristan has been growing. There is a vision to see whole feuding communities transformed by the power of God’s message of grace, love and forgiveness. Practical development projects are in great need. Problems of accessibility have frequently impeded attempts of outsiders to visit the area but there is a sense that God’s time is coming for the Nuristanis. The challenge is great, but our God is much greater. Please pray for: * Access for workers; the gospel of forgiveness to ...

Strategic Silk Road in China 2007-09-21 16:20:31 Day 11 for 23rd September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 A key staging post on the ancient Silk Road, the city of Kashgar sits on the westernmost end of the Taklamakan Desert and is arguably the cultural and religious centre of Uyghur culture. Kashgar is known for being a hotbed for conservative Islam and Uyghur nationalist and separatist sentiment. There is considerable tension between the Chinese rulers and the Uyghur population. With a population of around 1 million (70% Uyghurs, 30% Chinese and growing), the Kashgar district is a microcosm for the rest of Xinjiang with conservative Muslim and ‘modern’ atheist values clashing head-on. Kashgar is a strategic city. It boasts one of the largest weekly bazaars in Central Asia with tens of thousands of people – almost entirely Muslims – coming to trade from the surrounding countryside, and neighbouring Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan & Tadjikistan. Prayer Points * May God break down the demonic principalities and powers. Fear an ...

Northern Afghanistan - Focus: Balkh and Mazari Sharif cities 2007-09-20 16:20:22 Day 10 for 22th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Between May and July 1997 the Taliban unsuccessfully attempted to take Mazari, leading to approximately 2,500 Taliban soldiers being massacred. But in August 1998 the Taliban returned prompting a six-day killing frenzy of Hazaras and other local people. Even now eye-witnesses are moved with emotion telling how the dead and dying lay for weeks in the streets. Today Mazari Sharif, as the forth-largest city in Afghanistan, is getting new streets, supermarkets and internet cafes. However there are only small numbers of Christians. Only 20 minutes away by car, to the west of Mazari, lies the famous town of Balkh previously known as Bactria. This city was part of the Persian empire. Later the city became a centre for Buddhism and finally, when the Arabs took control in the 8th century. From its former glory Balkh retains only its citadel and a few other ruins. The new city, called Wazirabad, has a population of 70,000 people con ...

Life in Mongolia is Hard - Focus: The Muslim Kazakhs 2007-09-19 16:20:17 Day 09 for 21st September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 The Kazakh culture differs in several ways from the Mongol culture. Traditionally the Mongolian Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims whereas the rest of the population are associated with Tibetan Buddhism. In daily life, Islam actually only plays a minor part in the lives of most Mongolian Kazakhs. Places of Islamic worship only sprang up a few years ago in the villages and settlements. Some of these were paid for by foreign Islamic organisations. Kazakh nomads have roamed the mountains and valleys of western Mongolia with their herds since the 19th century. The area has many peaks ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 meters. After the founding of the Mongolian People’s Republic in 1924 many of them left their semi-nomadic lifestyle and began settling down in the western Mongolian highlands. Today the Kazakhs in the province of Bayan-Olgii number around 4% of the total Mongol population (about 110,000 people). Since the 1990’s 3 ...

Poorest, least literate and Muslim - the Dongxiang of China 2007-09-18 16:20:17 Day 08 for 20th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Chinese government statistics show that the Dongxiang are among the poorest and least literate of China’s 56 ethnic minorities. Many of them have only had slightly over one year of schooling. Most Dongxiang children find it difficult to learn Chinese. Some international aide agencies have been spurred to act in collaboration with the Chinese government to begin bringing a solution to this problem. The Dongxiang’s “three treasures”, apricots, melons and other fruits, enjoy good reputation throughout China. There are possibly 200 Christians among the Dongxiang, however most of them are not organised in house groups or churches. There are village mosques and Muslim burial vaults and at the center of Islam in China, the Dongxiang has a reputation for being particularly devout. Prayer Requests: * Ask God to send Chinese Christians to live and announce the Gospel among the Dongxiang people. May there be oppo ...

Miracles in Tunisia, North Africa 2007-09-17 16:21:04 Day 07 for 19 September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Tunisia makes its mark by staying out of the international news. Nestled between Algeria and Libya on the southern Mediterranean coast, security and unity are the hallmarks of this country of 10 million. Having had only two presidents in the past 50 years, Tunisia is marked by political stability and prosperity. It is also a country of mixed cultural values. It is relatively easy to talk with Tunisians about the Gospel, though many do not show interest in spiritual things. Some who have experienced healing and deliverance in the name of Christ acknowledge that Jesus has changed their lives, yet still do not commit their lives to him. Others profess faith and then do not commit themselves. There are shining examples of committed individual disciples, but few truly indigenous house churches although a small, national church exists. Prayer points: * Pray for unity and trust among local believers. * Pray for healthy marri ...

Shifting Sands in Qatar 2007-09-16 16:09:19 Day 06 for 18th September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 We can give thanks for much that has happened in Qatar since we last prayed for it through “30 Days” in 1998. For example, in May 2005 representatives of several Christian churches signed an agreement with the Government of Qatar for a 50-year lease on a large piece of property in the capital of Doha. Also the new constitution explicitly provides for freedom of worship, association and public assembly, though there are some restrictions. Qatar may be best known around the world today as the home of Al-Jazeera, the controversial Arabic-language satellite television news channel. Oil was discovered in Qatar in 1939. Today Qatar is highly influenced by the Wahhabi, who believe their role as a movement is to restore Islam from what they perceive to be innovations, superstitions, deviances, heresies and idolatries. It is a Sunni movement very opposed to Shi’a tendencies. Prayer Requests: * The Al-Thani fami ...

Kuwait’s Destiny 2007-09-15 16:04:16 WHY SHOULD WE PRAY FOR KUWAIT? Day 05 - for September 17, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 A hundred years ago, Christians came to Kuwait and helped the people through medical services. Positive Christian contributions to Kuwaiti society continue today. In addition, the Kuwaiti government not only allows Christianity to flourish, but also provides meeting facilities for Christian worship. Many Christians in Kuwait believe that the Lord has called them to be a lighthouse to the surrounding nations. Some pastors say the Lord reminds them to be a Bethlehem – where salvation came to the world. The pastors are not just concerned with their local congregation, but instead are looking for the godly transformation and blessing of Kuwait. They regularly meet together. Prayer points: * Many Kuwaitis are seeking the Lord, mainly through watching satellite television. Local Christians need to be able to disciple, train and equip those who are discovering Christ. May they become imitators of ...

Coptic Christians and Muslims in Egypt 2007-09-14 16:55:51 - Focus Area: The Nile Delta Region Day 04 - for September 16, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 The Nile Delta is a fertile farming region that extends from the northern edge of Cairo to the Mediterranean Sea. The three major cities marking the limits of the Nile Delta region, but not included in it, are Cairo, Alexandria, and Port Said. The people of the Delta range from the poor, rural and uneducated to the wealthy and urban who have advanced degrees from Western universities. There are several universities in the Delta, but the overall literacy rate is low. Despite urbanisation, the vast majority of Egyptians in the Delta are farmers. Egypt is one of the world’s top rice producers, almost all of which is grown in the Delta. The overwhelming majority of the people in the Delta are Muslims. However there is a significant minority (about 3%) who identify with the Coptic Church, which traces its origins to Mark the Evangelist, the writer of the Gospel. A tiny minority of Chris ...

Results of Prayer for Saudi Arabia 2007-09-13 16:13:30 Day 03 for 15 September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Christians have been praying for Saudi Arabia for years and as a result, some openness has been recorded. For example, in October 2005, King and Prime Minister Abdullah, in his first TV appearance, publicly stated “people are free to practice their faith in the privacy of their homes”. On the one hand we have some cracks in the armor of Saudi Arabia itself, but on the other hand there is a huge work continuing outside Saudi’s borders to not just promote Islam, but to “see the West converted to Islam and integrated into the global Umma (all Muslims in the world viewed as one community)”. Prayer requests: * Pray for the capital city of Riyadh. Although not all of Riyadh’s 4.5 million inhabitants actually pray five times per day, a high percentage are regular in their prayers. May they all have an increased hunger to know the living God and to be in real communication with Him (Jeremiah 31:34 and John 17:3). * A ...

Youth in Beirut, Lebanon 2007-09-12 16:09:24 How Young Men Prepare for Prayer in Beirut, Lebanon Day 02 for 14 September, coinciding with Ramadan 2007 / 1428 Outside, the muezzin finishes his call to prayer over the loud speaker. Instead of going to the mosque, a young man decides to pray at home. But first he does the ritual cleansing. In his cramped bathroom he begins by declaring his intention to cleanse himself and pray by saying “Bismillah” (In the name of God). He then washes his hands up to the wrists, three times. He rinses out his mouth with water three times and cleans his nostrils by sniffing water into them, three times. He proceeds to wash his whole face three times with both hands from the top of his forehead to the bottom of his chin and from ear to ear. Finally he washes his arms three times up to the elbow and ends by washing his ears and both feet. Then the young man remembers the previous night. He was near the bars of Gemmayzeh, an eastern Beirut “Christian” neighbourhood. So many pret ...