Aceh more than Indonesia's most fundamentalist Muslim province

Indonesia

This northernmost province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra attracted worldwide attention following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in December 2004. Throughout Aceh province, entire coastal towns and villages were wiped out, with more than 220,000 dead and thousands more left homeless and without employment. Certainly this terrible event will forever bring spiritual and social changes to Aceh province. One should not say the earthquake and tsunami were "judgment" from God (as do many Muslims). The natural geological forces involved in this type of event are well known.

Happily relief aid has poured into Aceh province from all over the world, but it will clearly take many years of hard work and social adjustment before things will return to normal. One positive result though has been that the prolonged armed conflict involving the Indonesian security forces and the Aceh rebel movement - a conflict which caused tens of thousands of deaths - has at least temporarily stopped. Numerous aid workers have flown in from many countries to areas formerly inaccessible because of the war.

Veranda to Mecca or "Aceh Nanggroe Darussalem"

The province has long been called the "Veranda to Mecca" because of its strict adherence to Islamic law, not unlike the Arabic city of Mecca itself. Before air travel, Indonesian seafaring pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia often stopped at Banda Aceh (Aceh harbour) before continuing their pilgrimage, making this province a "gateway" to the Muslim "Holy Land".

A few years ago the province became the only region of Indonesia where Islamic sharia law was officially in effect. The Acehnese (current estimated population 3.5 million) have striven for independence for many centuries, including during the Dutch colonial era. Since the introduction of sharia law, many local churches have been closed down. Like in post-war Afghanistan, so much has to be done in this stronghold of Islam to win over the hearts of the people.

Resources

The province is rich in resources such as oil and wood products; there are other resources that have never been tapped. Let us pray that sustainable development will take place in Aceh. Respect needs to be given to the Acehnese desire that decadent Western moral values be kept from infiltrating and polluting their society. May the gospel of Jesus the Messiah (Isa Almasih) be proclaimed and demonstrated in a relevant, non-threatening and culturally sensitive manner. The Acehnese need such an approach so that they may eventually come to the Prince of Peace, who has long wanted to embrace them and grant them His divine protection.

Since the downfall of former Indonesian President Suharto, Aceh has been much more than just Indonesia's most fundamentalist Muslim province. As the country's only province under Islamic sharia law, it has been an inspiration to the extremist movements that are attacking Christian villages on the islands of Ambon and Sulawesi. It has equally been a safe haven for the Taliban-style training of Indonesia's own insurgency.

Prayer guide for Aceh, Indonesia:

* Pray that Aceh province benefits from long-term recovery efforts, including the rebuilding of lives, infrastructure and social organisation.

* Pray that Muslims see the love and concern of Christians through the relief efforts (Matt 5:16).

* Pray that the imperishable hope of Christ reaches Indonesia's people even through the present crisis (1 Cor 13:13).

* Pray for God to open doors for the gospel to be communicated despite opposition (1 Cor 16:9).

Background, map and statistics on Indonesia can be found here.

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