Many Jawa Pesisir Lor view traditional Javanese culture as backward and are proud of what they consider to be their more modern world-view and stronger Islamic commitment. The vast majority of them are Sunni Muslims though there are also some Sufis among them.
In Bradford, an industrial town in Northwest England, it is estimated that roughly three quarters of the population are from Mirpur, Pakistani Kashmir. They made a huge cultural and geographical leap to settle in the UK. Most Mirpuris speak Pothowari, a language related to Punjabi.
Eastern Nuristan, a hiding place for the Taliban and al-Qaeda, is subject to frequent attacks, both on locals and on foreigners seeking to work among the Muslims of Afghanistan. The challenge is great, but our God is much greater.
The Uyghurs are a Turkic people group dwelling in ancient oasis cities ringing the Taklamakan Desert of what is now Xinjiang, China. Kashgar is known for being a hotbed for conservative Islam and Uyghur nationalist and separatist sentiment. Kashgar is a strategic city.
In Balkh today there is no known Christian witness. Pray for the people of Mazari Sharif, especially the Hazara, who continue to live with the consequences of trauma of the late 1990's.
Dongxiang means “eastern villages” hinting that the Dongxiang came from further west of China. There are possibly 200 Christians among the Dongxiang. The Dongxiang's "three treasures", apricots, melons and other fruits, enjoy good reputation throughout China.
Many Christians in Kuwait believe that the Lord has called them to be a lighthouse showing the way to God to the surrounding nations. Some pastors say the Lord reminds them to be a Bethlehem – where salvation came to the world.
The overwhelming majority of the people in the Delta are Muslims. However there is a significant minority, roughly three percent, who identify with the Coptic Church, which traces its origins to Mark the Evangelist, the writer of the Gospel. A tiny minority of Christians in the Delta are Evangelicals.
A young man in Beirut remembers the previous night. He was near the bars of Gemmayzeh, an eastern Beirut "Christian" neighbourhood. So many pretty young women were there. The young Muslim had really desired to enter a bar himself, however he had no money. His anger rose a he thought of the conflict with Israel and conflicts with Christians. No job, little money. No peace.
All over the world Muslims are called to prayer five times per day. In many cities it is possible to hear the call from dozens of local mosques at once. In the early morning the phrase "Prayer is better than sleep" is added to the call.
