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.

Shi'a Mosque

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.

Making Christ Known

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.

Flag of the USA

Map of the USA

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.

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!

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.)

Video: Muslims in Dearborn

Dearborn, Arab Capital of America, history and info about Islamic Center in Dearborn [3:26]

Related Posts

• Muslims in New York City (18)
  Search your own heart concerning September 11th. Has the event made yo...
• Islam in The United States of America (USA), background (15)
  Amazingly, there is no definitive estimate for the number of Muslims i...
• Statistics on Muslims in the United States of America (USA) (23)
  The first official mosque was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1934. Tod...
• Somalis in the USA Dream of Peace (2)
  Almost all Somalis in America are refugees from their own civil war. A...
• Canada – About Muslims in Toronto (2)
  Greater Toronto, probably the most multicultural city on earth, is now...

Immigration Rate x 4

Canada’s immigration rate is growing 4 times as fast as the birth rate and well over half of all new immigrants land in Toronto. Three of the city’s most densely populated high-rise apartment clusters, Thorncliffe Park, Crescent Town and Dixon Park, are overwhelmingly Muslim. Comprised of people from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia, each square kilometre of these neighbourhoods, has as many as 20,000 people stacked on each other. The local schools scramble to find space for the children of the newcomers. One public school now has over 1900 students from Kindergarten to grade 5. Funds have been released for an unprecedented second school, dedicated entirely to 30 kindergarten classes! In the 2006 census the largest demographic group was children aged 0-4 years old.

The Neighbourhood

These neighbourhoods have been formed by low rent housing, strong family ties, halal shops and the hope for a prosperous future. For many families the pressures are intense. Shocking advertising campaigns assault their sense of propriety, their kids seem to live in a different world after only a few months of adaptation, the winters are long and employment poses a huge challenge. Many from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India are foreign trained professionals. Those from Afghanistan or Somalia are usually seeking refuge from the effects of long bloody conflicts. Many have huge gaps in their education, because of the years lost as they literally fled for their lives. For all, opportunities are few and the barriers to work and provision are many. The frustrations of bringing up a large family in a new land are profound. (For more information see www.torontomuslims.com)

Seeing Jesus

Flag of Canada

Map of Canada

When deciding to come to Canada, few, if any, of Toronto’s Muslims would have been thinking about the increased opportunities to meet or to follow Jesus Christ. In recent years, some believers have been able to proclaim to their friends the hope that they have in the Messiah. In many cases Muslims are invited for the first time to enter a Christian home. During their visits stereotypes and perceptions are either hardened or melted away. As Muslims start to see Jesus, some turn away, others are strongly attracted to him! For Muslims and Christians living alongside each other, there exists a huge potential for mutual respect, appreciation, reconciliation and love to flow between the two communities.

Prayer Starters for Toronto

• Pray that through the sharing of their lives and the Word of God, that the Messiah would be honoured by believers who are seeking to proclaim the Good News among Toronto’s Muslims. (1 Cor 1:23-24)
• Pray that Canada’s Muslims would find jobs, peace and a sense of belonging in their new country.
• Pray that Toronto’s Muslims who are discovering the living Messiah would become a source of life and inspiration for their fellow countrymen in Canada and in their homelands.

Video: Toronto Church Planting Ideas (1:08)

Toronto Church Planting promo from Shaun Hypes Survive Studios on Vimeo. North America Missions Board

Related Posts

• Understanding Muslims in Canada (14)
  Immigrants to Canada in the past were predominantly from Europe while ...
• Muslim Kurds in Canada (45)
  Kurds have been coming to Canada from Turkey, Iraq and Iran for decade...
• Islam in Dearborn, Michigan (184)
  Mosques and Islamic Centres play an important role in the life of Amer...
• Muslims in New York City (18)
  Search your own heart concerning September 11th. Has the event made yo...
• Islam in The United States of America (USA), background (15)
  Amazingly, there is no definitive estimate for the number of Muslims i...

In the summer of 2010 the whole world had its eyes directed toward New York City in the USA. A new mosque was being proposed just two blocks away from the “September 11th Ground Zero” site in lower Manhattan.

Surprises

Suddenly the entire planet knew that there were Muslims in New York City. Most Americans also discovered to their surprise that there are possibly 600,000 Muslims in New York City as well as over 100 mosques. In 1970 there were fewer than ten mosques. One mosque, located four blocks from “Ground Zero,” even lost several of its members in the famous terrorist attack in 2001.

The Call

Flag of the USA

Map of the USA

No matter what people may think and feel about Muslims building a mosque near the “Ground Zero” site, we as believers are all called to pray for the accomplishing of God’s purposes among the Muslims of the city of New York. He is certainly calling many Muslims into His eternal Kingdom. Jesus’ blood was shed for them. Let’s pray for Muslims in the New York City area.

Prayer Starters:

• Search your own heart concerning September 11th. Has the event made you bitter, prejudiced and angry toward Muslims in general because of this attack? (Hebrews 12:15)
• Pray for the families who have lost loved ones in the September 11th attacks. Pray that they will be able to make peace with the past and be ready to move forward with the rest of their lives, leaving any bitterness behind. God is the only one who can bring help to the families who suffered these losses.
• Pray for members of the Muslim community in New York that have suffered prejudice and abuse simply for being Muslims as a result of the attacks.
• Remember that there is a spiritual battle in the heavens for the salvation of the many Muslims in the city who are still very much in the hands of the enemy. They need deliverance from the guilt and shame of sin, from the power of death and from fear of the evil one. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Proclaim Hebrews 2:14 over the city.
• Pray for Muslims in the New York area to discover the truth about the Messiah, Jesus through friendships with believers, through supernatural intervention, and traditional radio, television, internet, books, tracts, DVDs and the Bible.
• Many new workers are needed. Believers from all New York are needed to proclaim the Good News in the Muslim community.

Listen to the Podcast - DAY 07 - Muslims in New York City

Video: Rally Against Ground Zero Mosque (6:43)

(NOTE: We at "30-Days" do not take sides on this issue but embed the following video we feel helps explain the need for prayer, especially for non-Americans.)

Related Posts

• Islam in Dearborn, Michigan (184)
  Mosques and Islamic Centres play an important role in the life of Amer...
• Islam in The United States of America (USA), background (15)
  Amazingly, there is no definitive estimate for the number of Muslims i...
• Statistics on Muslims in the United States of America (USA) (23)
  The first official mosque was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1934. Tod...
• Somalis in the USA Dream of Peace (2)
  Almost all Somalis in America are refugees from their own civil war. A...
• Canada – About Muslims in Toronto (2)
  Greater Toronto, probably the most multicultural city on earth, is now...

Amazingly, there is no definitive estimate for the number of Muslims in the United States of America.

There are many estimates, ranging from about two million to possibly seven million (1 or 2 per cent of the US population), but there is little reliable data. Undoubtedly, however, there are large numbers of Muslims in some parts of the US! In 2001 there were more than 1,200 mosques in the US; that figure is now possibly 1,500 or more. According to a Hartford Institute study, Muslims in the US come from many backgrounds. Only about 25 per cent are Arab, 30 per cent are Afro-American and 33 per cent are South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi). The remaining 12 per cent are from various other backgrounds.[1]

Changes to the USA

The largest numbers of mosques are found in California, New York, New Jersey and Michigan. It is not surprising these days to find mosques in medium-sized towns (populations of 25,000) in rural America - something that did not exist 25 years ago. In 2004, Dearborn (population 100,000 and near Detroit) in Michigan state became the home of North America's largest Islamic centre (at a cost of US$12,000,000 and comprising 11,000m2 or 120,000 square feet of space).
There are over 30 mosques in the Detroit area.

A few years ago the restaurant chain McDonalds made national headlines in the US by serving a halal form of their famous chicken McNuggets in Dearborn. Halal meat products are killed and prepared according to traditional Muslim ceremony ("In the name of Allah"). McDonalds even extended its practice of selling halal McNuggets into some other restaurants in the area. While this has not become an absolute national trend, it is a testimony to the Muslim presence in the USA.

San Francisco, USA

According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle (10 September 2004), in the San Francisco area there are at least 200,000 Muslims. This includes about 12,000 Afghans, 32,000 Iranians and 6,000 Pakistanis. The number of Muslims in the area has "boomed" in the past 20 years. This boom has transformed areas in the South Bay and East Bay, where restaurants, bookstores and other establishments have sprung up. So many Muslim-oriented restaurants and food establishments have opened that, in 1999, a Bay Area Muslim engineer and entrepreneur began a website, zabihah.com, as a guide.[2]

Attitudes in the USA

The tragedy on 11 September 2001 and the following Afghan and Iraq wars have certainly shaped American attitudes towards Muslims in general. However, at the same time Muslims have started to live in small-town America, which is opening doors for close contact and relationships.

Flag of the USA

Map of the USA

Pray for the Muslims in the USA:

* Pray for Christians in the USA to have increased understanding of Muslims and Islam. Christians must be the first to fight stereotypes and Islamophobia. Attitudes need to be in line with scriptural values concerning "our neighbours".

* Christians in the US need to be prepared to share their faith with Muslims in a patient and non-aggressive manner. Pray for training programmes. Cultural and personal sensitivity is very important.

* Pray that God will raise up church-planters who can create ethnically-orientated church communities in regions where Muslims form a high percentage of the population. Some denominations have already taken up the challenge.

* Pray that churches and church leaders will seek the wisdom needed to help converted Muslims become integrated into typical American churches: the cultural differences are strong.

References

1 "Faith Communities Today", coordinated by Hartford Seminary's Hartford Institute for Religious Research

2 Jonathan Curiel, "Muslims find Bay Area leans toward tolerance", San Francisco Chronicle (10 September 2004). Website: www.sfgate.com

Background on the USA (World Factbook)

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War and the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Economy of United States of America

The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. The rise in GDP in 2004-06 was supported by substantial gains in labor productivity. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The merchandise trade deficit reached a record $750 billion in 2006. In November 2010, in an attempt to keep interest rates from rising and snuffing out the nascent recovery, the US Federal Reserve Bank (The Fed) announced that it would purchase $600 billion worth of US Government bonds by June 2011.

Statistics on United States of America

Population: 313,232,044 (July 2011 est.) World Rank #3

Life Expectancy at Birth: 78.37 years. World Rank #50

Ethnic groups: white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61%

Note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic

Religions: Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4%

Languages: English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)
Note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii

Literacy: 99%

School Life Expectancy: 16 years

"My visit to the Mosque during Ramadan" - video

Described while driving home from Chicago, Bill explains his visit to a mosque.

Related Posts

• Islam in Dearborn, Michigan (184)
  Mosques and Islamic Centres play an important role in the life of Amer...
• Muslims in New York City (18)
  Search your own heart concerning September 11th. Has the event made yo...
• Understanding Muslims in Canada (14)
  Immigrants to Canada in the past were predominantly from Europe while ...
• Statistics on Muslims in the United States of America (USA) (23)
  The first official mosque was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1934. Tod...
• Somalis in the USA Dream of Peace (2)
  Almost all Somalis in America are refugees from their own civil war. A...

Canada has a strong Muslim presence

There is a strong Muslim presence in most of Canada's major cities and metropolitan Toronto, Canada's largest city, is home to 250,000 Muslims. The Muslim university in Toronto is very active in challenging Christianity. Mosques are scattered throughout the area along with two major Muslim bookstores. Three Muslim television programs are aired weekly along with numerous radio programs. Some small towns also have large Muslim populations. Lac La Biche, Alberta and its surrounding area has 10,000 people of which about 700 are Muslims, almost all Lebanese.

Muslims coming to Canada face many hardships. The harsh Canadian winter is disheartening to those who come from warmer climates. Often the adult immigrants are well educated, however, many times their degrees are not recognised. Muslim women often find themselves isolated in a society that does not know how to understand and accept them.

God is calling Canadians to minister to Muslim newcomers. A young University student befriended a young Muslim newcomer on a bus. She was a 16 year old bride of an arranged marriage, who was extremely lonely and desperate for friendship. The two women became friends and after two years the student introduced her to Jesus. The young bride is now a mature Christian who ministers to forty Muslim ladies on a regular basis.

Flag of Canada

Map of Canada

God is moving in Canada

Christians from Muslim backgrounds are being used by God to reach their own people on Canadian soil. A Lebanese Arabic Church has been established among the large Lebanese community in Montreal. There are also more than 25 Arabic Christian ministries in Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Edmonton, but most are small struggling groups. The most responsive Muslim people to the Gospel in Canada are Iranians. A young Iranian, imprisoned on six different occasions in his home country, faithfully ministers to the Iranian people of his city. More than forty Iranians were baptized in Vancouver and Toronto.

Pray about the Muslims in Canada:

* The vast majority of Canadian Muslims still have had little opportunity to hear the Gospel in a manner that is sensitive to their cultures. Pray that believers will rise to the challenge, building friendships with people from different cultural and ethnic groups.

* Pray for God's anointing on Christians to befriend Muslims in Canada. Since 9/11 Muslims are often ostracized by all communities making contact with them very difficult. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead Muslims to Christian businesses, schools and homes so they can hear the Gospel.

* People are attracted by the life of God manifested in and through His people. May the life of Jesus be evident to Muslims through the lives of Canadian Christians from all origins.

Background on Canada (World Factbook)

A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services after a decade of budget cuts. Canada also faces questions about integrity in government following revelations regarding a corruption scandal in the federal government that has helped revive the fortunes of separatists in predominantly francophone Quebec.

Economy of Canada

As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion-dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. Canada is the US' largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power.

Statistics on Canada

Population: 34,030,589 (July 2011 est.) World Rank #37

Life Expectancy at Birth: 81.38 years. World Rank #12

Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%

Religions: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16%

Languages: English (official) 58.8%, French (official) 21.6%, other 19.6%

Literacy: 99%

School Life Expectancy: 17 years

Persecution in Canada - GodTube Video

This documentary details persecution that is directed toward Christians in Canada.

Related Posts

• Canada – About Muslims in Toronto (2)
  Greater Toronto, probably the most multicultural city on earth, is now...
• Islam in The United States of America (USA), background (15)
  Amazingly, there is no definitive estimate for the number of Muslims i...
• Muslim Kurds in Canada (45)
  Kurds have been coming to Canada from Turkey, Iraq and Iran for decade...
• Shifting Sands in Qatar (3)
  Since we last prayed for Qatar through "30 Days" in 1998 much has happ...
• Muslim growth in Sydney, Australia (6)
  “I was a member of this Islamic Association in Australia before I came...

First Mosque in America

The first official mosque was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1934. Today, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) based in Washington DC, there are more than 1,209 known mosques throughout America. The majority of mosques were established since the 1980's with a 25% increase in the number of mosques in the past 8 years. In addition to these there are hundreds of Islamic cultural centres and schools.

There are large communities of Muslims in almost every large city. Ethnically diverse, the largest community of Muslims come from South Asia (33%) followed by African-Americans (30%). Arab Muslims make up 25% of the Muslim population. While Islam is rapidly growing in every ethnic class, the highest number of Muslim converts are from the African-American community (64%). The second highest number of converts are white Americans (27%).

Muslim Visibility in America

One of the most active recruiting grounds for Islam in the USA is in university campuses where many groups have well funded and organised student programs. Key organisations such as CAIR, the Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Students Association of USA, provide religious training, education, and support to Muslim communities and campuses throughout the country.

Since the events of 11 September 2001 and the attacks in New York and Washington, the Muslim community has become increasingly visible. The Arab-American community of Brooklyn, New York, held a candlelight march near the World Trade Centre site. Soon after, Muslim leaders attended a formal gathering in the White House in Washington for the first time in history. There have also been increased attacks against America's Muslims with thousands of incidences of threats, vandalism and violence reported. Civil rights activists believe that Muslims are now more vulnerable and suffer from religious prejudice. Many American Muslims want to remove the misunderstanding and suspicion that surrounds Islam. They are trying hard to convince to others that from their perspective at least there is no place in Islam for those who resort to violent acts of terrorism.

Flag of the USA

Map of the USA

Pray for the Muslims in the USA:

* Pray that the Church in America would awaken to the challenge of interceding and reaching out to American Muslims.

* Pray for Muslims in universities to grow in spiritual hunger to know God personally and to call out to Him through Jesus.

* Pray for those Muslims whose lives have been effected by the terrorist attacks of 11 September, that they would know God through the witness of true Christians.

* Pray for the conversion of the leaders of Muslim organisations and mosques.

Related Posts

• Islam in Dearborn, Michigan (184)
  Mosques and Islamic Centres play an important role in the life of Amer...
• Muslims in New York City (18)
  Search your own heart concerning September 11th. Has the event made yo...
• Islam in The United States of America (USA), background (15)
  Amazingly, there is no definitive estimate for the number of Muslims i...
• Somalis in the USA Dream of Peace (2)
  Almost all Somalis in America are refugees from their own civil war. A...
• Canada – About Muslims in Toronto (2)
  Greater Toronto, probably the most multicultural city on earth, is now...

Almost all Somalis in America are refugees from their own civil war. All face complex issues regarding their future and their commitment to Islam. They tend to settle in cities where they have been welcomed. Often they live in tight knit communities that emphasise adherence to Islam and are not generally open to other beliefs. However, they are still known for warm hospitality and deep friendship. Many first generation immigrant Somalis (age 35 and older) dream of returning to a restored, peaceful Somalia. Second and third generation immigrant Somalis (age 34 and younger) face a tremendous identity struggle.

Flag of the USA

Map of the USA

Minnesota is home to between 30,000 and 70,000 Somalis. The vast majority work hard at learning English and adapting while trying to earn enough money to support themselves, as well as their families back in Somalia. Since December 2007, six Somali young men have been murdered by other Somalis as a result of tensions in the community. This violence expresses the tremendous pain and challenges that come from living in a new culture. Christians in the region are increasingly aware of their need to love and serve their Somali neighbours.

Prayer Starters:

• Pray that God would give true “shalom” peace to Somalia and its people around the world.
• Pray that God would open the eyes of Somalis in the States to see the surpassing value of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44-46).
• Pray for the Christians, churches and ministries in the USA who are becoming friends with the Somalis.

Muslim ideas about Jesus

Jesus was conceived miraculously by God in the womb of Mary.

Jesus is only a prophet, he is not divine.

Jesus was actually a good Muslim and he taught an earlier form of Islam to the Jewish people.

Jesus did not die on the cross. He went directly to heaven.

Jesus will come again one day, he will marry, he will have children. He will correct the errors which Christians have said about him. He will die and be judged like all men at the Last Judgement.

Related Posts

• Islam in Dearborn, Michigan (184)
  Mosques and Islamic Centres play an important role in the life of Amer...
• Muslims in New York City (18)
  Search your own heart concerning September 11th. Has the event made yo...
• Islam in The United States of America (USA), background (15)
  Amazingly, there is no definitive estimate for the number of Muslims i...
• Statistics on Muslims in the United States of America (USA) (23)
  The first official mosque was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1934. Tod...
• Canada – About Muslims in Toronto (2)
  Greater Toronto, probably the most multicultural city on earth, is now...

Identity Crisis

Over 90% of the Kurds in Hamilton are from a Muslim background (although some are communist or atheist and a few are Zoroastrian). Today, many of the Kurds in Canada 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.

Pizza Anyone?

In Hamilton, Kurds have specialised in the pizza business. They operate and work long hours in small pizza shops that are open seven days a week. The Kurdish refugees and immigrants love the freedom they have found in Canada to be Kurdish, to gather freely and to speak their language. However many are drying up spiritually and becoming materialistic. Kurdish children in Canada are growing up between two worlds. With English as their most familiar language, they're more comfortable in Canada than back "home" in Kurdistan. In Hamilton the Kurdish community runs a Kurdish language school for their own children in order to maintain their cultural and language roots.

Flag of Canada

Map of Canada

Reaching Out

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 make a commitment. Unfortunately this seems to be a repeated pattern.

Prayer Requests:

* Pray that Canadian believers can show their Kurdish friends how to follow Christ. May the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified as Kurds, find the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

* Pray that God will send dreams and visions in order that the Kurdish community will see their spiritual need and God's provision through Jesus.

* Pray that Kurds will want to understand more of God's story through the Bible and Christian films.

Related Posts

• Canada – About Muslims in Toronto (2)
  Greater Toronto, probably the most multicultural city on earth, is now...
• Understanding Muslims in Canada (14)
  Immigrants to Canada in the past were predominantly from Europe while ...
• Islam in Dearborn, Michigan (184)
  Mosques and Islamic Centres play an important role in the life of Amer...
• Muslims in New York City (18)
  Search your own heart concerning September 11th. Has the event made yo...
• Iraq Muslims – Insights into… (10)
  Iraq's population represents a wide spectrum of religious and ethnic g...