Demak Mosque in the Northern coast of Java, Indonesia The Indonesian island of Java with a population of 124 million people is the most populous island in the world. Over 90% of inhabitants of the island are Muslims (Almost 10% of the Muslim population worldwide). The very first Muslim kingdom on the island of Java was founded in 1511 at Demak, about 24 km east of Semarang in Central Java. It was from... [Read more]
A page from the bible in Urdu 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. Cultural Dislocation ... [Read more]
A Vision to Reach Muslims in Nuristan, Afghanistan Population : Estimates are from 100,000 to 300,000 The most inaccessible of Afghan provinces, Nuristan forms the backbone of the Hindu Kush mountain range in north-east Afghanistan. 5,500m snow-capped mountain peaks are linked by deep valleys where stone, mud and wood houses compete for space on the mountain slopes. Nuristan (formerly Kafirstan) was... [Read more]
The Uyghurs of Xinjiang, China A Different Focus on the Uyghurs of Kashgar, Xinjiang We featured material about the Uyghurs two years ago in "30 Days". However, we want to encourage you to pray again with a somewhat different focus this year. The Uyghurs are a Turkic people group dwelling in ancient oasis cities ringing the Taklamakan Desert of what is now Xinjiang, China. A population of 10 million,... [Read more]
Balkh and Mazari Sharif, Afghanistan - Focus: Balkh and Mazari Sharif cities Balkh province in northern Afghanistan lies on the borders of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan. The 1.6 million population of the province are dominated by Uzbeks and Tadjiks although there are significant Hazara and Pashtun minorities. Mazari, which means "noble shrine," is the provincial capital with some 240,000... [Read more]
The Dongxiang of China Population: estimate 514,000 (Year 2000 census) Religion: Sunni Muslims Fourth Largest The Dongxiang people is the 4th largest of China’s 10 Muslim peoples. Literally, Dongxiang means “eastern villages” hinting that the Dongxiang came from further west. In fact it is thought that they originally came from the Sarta people of Central Asia. Between the 12th and 13th century,... [Read more]
Kuwait's destiny Kuwait is a very small nation compared to the other surrounded countries; Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The whole world heard about Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion of the country in 1990. Kuwait’s oil wealth has attracted people from many parts of the globe and now half of its 2.5 million people are non-nationals! About 85% of the population is Muslim (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%); the other... [Read more]
Nile Delta, Egypt - Focus Area: The Nile Delta Region 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. Referred to simply as the Delta, the region consists of the area surrounding the branches of the Nile... [Read more]
Beirut, Lebanon Imagine a young Muslim man looking down on his shattered neighbourhood from his fifth floor apartment in Southern Beirut. The Israelis had certainly left their mark on South Beirut. The young man's mind goes back to the air raid sirens and the failing bombs. Life has not been easy since the shop where he worked had been obliterated by a huge bomb. Not having regular work the young... [Read more]
Algiers, Algeria Capital of Algeria, North Africa The following is a fictional story based on real events. Rachid loved to look out across the white buildings of Central Algiers. They reflected the dazzling sunlight back toward him perched on his fourth floor balcony near the Main Post Office. Rachid strained to see a ship arriving from the Mediterranean Sea just beyond the harbour. To the south he... [Read more]
