They reside in India, Pakistan, the Middle East, East Africa and the Western Indian state of Gujarat. In India the Dawoodi Bohras are recognisable by their dress: men wear beards and white gold-rimmed caps with long white kurtas, and women wear colourful, embroidered two-piece bhurkas.

Concentrated in India

Surat, in Gujarat State, India is typically known as the capital city for Dawoodi Bohras. Situated on the banks of river Tapi, the ancient port city of Surat is renowned for its fine silks, exquisite brocades, and spice trade. Surat was one of the most prosperous cities of India in the 17th and 18th centuries. The East India Company established its first warehouses in Surat in 1612. The word “Bohra” is derived from the Gujarati “vohorvu,” meaning “to trade.” Most Bohras are merchants in different arena of business.

About the City of Surat

The state of Gujarat has faced natural calamities such as droughts, cyclones, floods and earthquakes in the last decade. Surat was greatly affected by the earthquake and flood that destroyed so much of Gujarat, and has experienced communal riots several times. Surat is a volatile city -- tensions between Hindus and Muslims are known to flare frequently in this area. Riots take place on the slightest pretext, properties are destroyed, and lives are taken without any qualms or pretense. Still, Surat is also called the fastest growing city in India.

The Bohras University

Surat is a very significant city to the Dawoodi Bohras since it is where all the religious workers for the Bohras are training for ministry. There is a well known Bohras university specifically equipped for this purpose in Surat. Top students come from all over the com-munity and it is an honour to be selected and trained in this university. The Bohras community is set apart, isolated and unreached for the Gospel. For a few years a team has been praying and asking the Lord for people to be released to reach out to the Bohras and the Muslims of Surat. At the moment very little work is being done to proclaim the Messiah among the Bohras and the Muslims of Surat. Surat is a city badly in need of the light of the Gospel. May peacemakers sow a harvest of righteousness among the Muslims of Surat.

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Prayer Starters:

• Worship the Lord our provider, Jehovah Jireh (Gen. 22:14). Pray against the spirit of materialism that permeates the lives of Bohras. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself as the Perfect Provider.
• Pray that God would move supernaturally among the Bohras in Surat. Pray that they would receive dreams and visions of the Living God.
• Ask the Lord of the harvest for more workers to come and live amongst the Bohras in Surat. Pray for wisdom for the leaders. Pray that the right people would join the work.
• Pray for an attitude of humility among the Bohras.
• Pray that the Prince of Peace would calm the tensions between Muslims and Hindus in Gujarat. Both will need to learn the way of peace.
• Pray for new business approach to the community.

Listen to the Podcast - DAY 15 - Praying for the Bohras in India

Video: Surat in Gujarat, India (Surat's Industrial Rise (4:25)

Surat's Industrial Rise from kevin sieff on Vimeo.

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The Annual Muslim Mourning on Muharam Festival

The annual Muslim Mourning on Muharam festival is famous along with the self-flagellation by the devout -- many families originally belonging to the district of Balrampur in India return each year to celebrate with their relatives. There are mosques in every village in this district, but no churches to be found. The Muslims and Hindus of Balrampur live in relative harmony and friendship.

The "Mourning of Muharram" is an important festive period of mourning in Shia Islam, taking place in Muharram which is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is interesting that a Shia Hadith (traditional saying of the prophet Muhammad) says, "Once when he happened to pass by Karbala (a holy city for Shiite Muslims), Isa (Jesus) sat down and began to weep. His disciples who were observing him, followed suit and began weeping too, but not comprehending the reason for this behaviour, they asked him: "O' Spirit of God! What is it that makes you weep?" Isa (Jesus) said: "Do you know what land this is?" The disciples replied: "No." He then said: "This is the land on which the son of the Prophet Muhammad shall be killed."

Flooding in Balrampur, India

The district of Balrampur is located in northern India in the state of Uttar Pradesh, adjoining Nepal. The three main towns found in the district are Balrampur, Utraula, and Tulsipur (see all on Wikipedia). The main river flowing through the district, the Rapti, is notorious for annual flooding, bringing much hardship to the people living on its banks. Less than 10 per cent of the population have large land holdings while 90 per cent are subsistence farmers with small land holdings, or agricultural labourers. The majority of inhabitants are illiterate. Presently, the land is unable to sustain the population and many people migrate to other cities in India such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur.

The Needs in Balrampur, India

Few workers are focusing their efforts on the Islamic community and unfortunately the efforts are not sufficient for this largely unreached area. The main languages spoken in Balrampur are rustic dialects of Hindi known as Dehati and Urdu. It is estimated that over 40 per cent of the district is Muslim, and possibly 60 per cent is Hindu, with very few Messianic believers.

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Prayer Starters:

• Pray that God will send well equipped believers who can speak the local languages to work in Balrampur.
• Pray that God will open hearts to receive the Gospel, especially in the major towns listed above and in the numerous villages.
• Pray for the seekers currently enrolled in the Bible correspondence course. Some students have indicated that they are ready to believe in the Messiah.
• Pray for the safety of the believers, as well as the safety of future disciples.

Listen to the Podcast - DAY 10 - Reaching India's Unreached in Balrampur, India

Video: Sights and Sounds of North India (3:51)

2011 - North India from Jean-Charles Vanderlinden on Vimeo.

(Attribution: Photo thanks to Muhammadhani

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The Awans have a strong martial tradition and are renowned for their bravery. They were among those the British considered to be ‘martial races’ (a designation created by officials of British India to describe peoples that were thought to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle and to possess qualities such as courage, loyalty, self-sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, and fighting tenacity).

The British recruited heavily from these ‘martial races’ for service in the colonial army, and they formed part of the core Muslim group recruited during the First and Second World Wars.

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Prayer Starters:

• Proclaim that the Lord is the Lord of Hosts (armies) over the Awan and that they should obey Him (Ps. 103:19-22). Pray for liberation from the chains of the enemy.
• Ask God to reveal Himself to the Awan through dreams, visions and other manifestations (Ps. 103:2-3).
• Pray for labourers to proclaim the Messiah among the Awan.

(Article based on material from Frontiers.)

Listen to the Podcast - DAY 09 - Awan Peoples of India

Video: Joyce Meyer in India (2:42)

India: 2010 from Joyce Meyer Ministries on Vimeo.

Islamic ideas about Jesus

• Jesus was conceived miraculously by God in the womb of the virgin Mary.
• Jesus is only a prophet, he is not divine (not the Son of God, not God in the flesh).
• Muslims even believe that Jesus even spoke as an infant saying that he was a prophet.
• According to Islam Jesus was actually a good Muslim and he taught an earlier form of Islam to the Jewish people. One can find a Muslim account of the life of Jesus in the so called “Gospel of Barnabas.” This document was probably come to be in its present form in the 14th - 16th centuries AD. It may have even been written at that time.
• 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, he will be buried in Medina and be judged like all men at the Last Judgement.
• Jesus is not the Judge of mankind.

What God Says

Jesus, the Messiah, resurrected from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth ... has released us from our sins by His blood. (Revelation 1:5)

(Attribution: Photo of Taj Mahal via Wikipedia)

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Only in India! Where else can you find over 400 different Muslim people groups, based on occupation, geographical location or shade of Islamic believe?

Only in India!

India is Accessible

Yet even with these facts considered, many Christians around the world seem to ignore or give scant attention to, the needs of this huge group of Indian Muslims.

We can also say that the Muslims of India are perhaps the largest accessible Muslim population in the world. This is due in part to India's pluralistic framework and secular constitution. Opportunities for open Christian witness abound and there are open doors for many kinds of Christian ministry.

Islam was introduced to India by conquest and grew through the successful efforts of Muslim missionaries and high birth rates. Today India is the second largest Muslim nation in the world.

Hour of Opportunity in India

Some of the largest Muslim people groups in India include the Bengalis, the Biharis, Jat, Pathan, Julaha, Shaikh, Rajput, Kashmiri, Ansari and the Labbais.

Having read this article, so far, we could conclude that there must be hundreds, if not thousands, of Christians sharing the love of Christ regularly with their Muslim neighbours in India, right? WRONG!

Alas, as of this date there are perhaps not more than 150 workers (including both Indians and expatriates) in full time witness to Muslims. There are some very encouraging developments happening, however, with more unity between churches and organisations reaching Muslims in India. There are also continued reports of Muslim leaders receiving visions and dreams of Jesus!

It is the hour of opportunity for the Muslims of India - may we not miss it!

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Prayer for the Muslims in India:

* Pray for the religious freedom in India to continue. It is under threat from certain groups in the nation.

* Pray that the Muslims of India would each have an opportunity to hear, and see, the Gospel in a culturally relevant way.

* Pray for the many large indigenous Indian Missions organisations, that they will "tithe" some of their people for Muslim work.

* Pray for continuing and new training initiatives to train workers and church planters for Muslim ministry.

Background on India (World Factbook)

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto Indian lands about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century.

By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947.

The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife. In January 2011, India assumed a nonpermanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term.

Economy of India

India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India's output with less than one third of its labor force. About three-fifths of the work force is in agriculture. The economy has posted an average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1996, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 8.5% GDP growth in 2006, significantly expanding manufacturing. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers.

Languages of India

English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language.

Statistics on India

Population: 1,189,172,906 (July 2011 est.) World rank #2

Age Structure:
0-14 years: 29.7% (male 187,450,635/female 165,415,758)
15-64 years: 64.9% (male 398,757,331/female 372,719,379)
65 years and over: 5.5% (male 30,831,190/female 33,998,613)

Life expectancy at birth: 66.8 years. World rank #161

Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%

Religions: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1%

Languages: Hindi / English / many more ... see note above

Literacy: 61% -- Male 73.4%, Female 47.8%

School life expectancy: 10 years

India's amazing diversity ...Video

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Zanskar Valley Lost to the World

Zanskar is one of the most remote regions in the world with no roads or airports. The only routes to Zanskar is by organised walking treks which lead over high and dangerous passes which are only open for certain times of the year. During winter the only access route to Padam is to travel along the frozen Zanskar river where the ice freezes so thick that it becomes a highway known as "the Chador Road". The best time to travel is between early July and September.

Hidden in this remote region among a strongly Buddhist people are the Muslims of Zanskar. The regions total population of 10,000 people have strong spiritual and cultural links to Tibet.

Padam of the Zanskar Valley

The capital, and largest village, of Zanskar is Padam. Situated on a relatively flat plain along the Zanskar river, Padam is a village of traditional mud and stone houses where yaks roam freely in the market place. There is a school, a small shop, postal and telegraph services. It is in Padam that Zanskar's Muslims live.

The Muslims of the Zanskar valley are thought to be descendants of men who came with Zorawar Singh from Kishtwar in his expedition to conquer the Ladakh valley and Tibet. As a reward for their loyalty the victorious Zorawar Singh granted his followers land in Zanskar. These early Muslims spoke both Kashmiri and their own native dialect. Known for their sharp wit and aggressive nature they tended to dominate the milder Tibetan people of the region. They married local Tibetan woman who were then forced to convert to Islam. As a result, the Muslim population increased rapidly and now forms a sizeable proportion of the population. Some observers believe that today's Muslims in Padam have not fully integrated into the local society because of their antagonistic nature.

Praise Report from Zanskar Valley, India

Interestingly, butter is one of the most highly valued items in Zanskar. It is used for fuel for lamps and cooking, as a salve for wounds and is an important dietary fat for the people of this bitter cold region. Tea made with butter and salt is drunk continuously throughout the day. The butter from Yaks has the highest fat content and is preferred. When visiting a home in Zanskar a gift of butter is best!

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Prayer for the Muslims in Zanskar, India:

* Pray that the Muslims of Zanskar will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel in a culturally relevant way.

* Ask God to send Christian workers into the Zanskar valley who will be willing to face the physical and spiritual challenges to present Jesus Christ to these hidden people (Isaiah 13:2).

* Let us believe in faith that the world's highest populated valley will soon sing out praise and worship to the true and living God (Psalm 95:1-4).

Sights and Sounds of Zanskar: Video

Zanskar from Ajay Verma on Vimeo.

About the Photo: Description: Zanskarie women near Phirste-la area, Zanskar. Author Entomolo. The file is under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license.

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"O my creator, I plead before you, implore you time and time again. In the next incarnation don't make me a girl child. In hell instead let me wane." (An Eastern UP Folk song quoted by Quratulain Hyder in Chaar Novalettes). "Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert . . . And he said, 'You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael (God hears), for the Lord has heard of your misery.' She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'" Genesis 16:6b, 7a, 11, 13

Zubeida in India

Zubeida was married at the age of 14, left by her husband at 23, and is now the mother and sole supporter of her son and two daughters. She works hard as a domestic helper but barely makes enough money to feed her children, let alone pay for their education. While Zubeida labours, her eldest daughter, seven years old, looks after the younger two as they play in a park near to her employer's house. Soon the children will need to find work themselves though, to help supplement the family's income. Stories like Zubeida's are familiar throughout the subcontinent and especially among the Muslim population. More than half of the world's poor and needy are Muslim and the majority of these are women and children. Divorce or abandonment, especially among the poor, is not uncommon. Frequently the wife is left caring for the children with no financial compensation and little income generating ability.

60 Million Muslim women in India

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Often these women are neither educated, nor able to provide their children with education. Of the estimated 60 million Muslim women in India, almost 2/3 are illiterate. In the north Indian state of Haryana, the illiteracy rate among Muslim women is a staggering 98%. A lack of education often leaves women ignorant of legal and social resources available to them. Though we are overwhelmed, God is not daunted by the great need. Christ came to preach Good News to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, to release the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour (Lk. 4:18, 19). Do we pray and act according to this truth?

Prayer for the Muslim Women in India:

* Pray that many Muslim women of India would come to testify along with Hagar, "I have now seen the One who sees me".

* Pray for Indian believers to rise to the challenge of reaching Muslim communities with wisdom and understanding.

* Pray for Christian families working in Muslim communities that they might model righteous family values.

* Pray for literacy advocates working among Muslim women and for easy-to-understand Bible translations to be made available for women and young people.

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Muslims first entered India's Maharashtra State in the eighth century. There are now nearly 10 million Muslims in Maharashtra (out of a total population of 95 million). Muslims in Maharashtra speak mainly Urdu or its Deccani Urdu form and/or Marathi (the language of Maharashtra).

Maharashtra's capital city, Mumbai (Bombay), is projected to become the largest city in the world by 2025 (its present population is 17.5 million). It has numerous Muslim communities from both branches of Islam - about one-third are Shiite Muslim and two-thirds are Sunni Muslim. Just three hours southeast of Mumbai by car is the city of Pune. Called the "Oxford of India", Pune has over 200 colleges and universities, attracting many Muslim students from all over Asia and the Middle East.

Barring those in trading communities, most Muslims in Maharashtra are poor artisans or landless labourers. There has been and still is considerable migration to industrial towns in search of jobs. Many practices among Muslims in Maharashtra are similar to Hindu customs - some even offer vows to Hindu deities. Hindus and Muslims participate in each other's festivals.

Testimony among the Ansari of Maharashtra State, India

One of the more recent works of God among Muslims in Maharashtra has been among the rural working class Ansari Muslims. The Ansari are one of the largest groups of Muslims in India, and are generally Sunni Muslims. Just a few years ago there were no known churches among the Ansari, but God has been working among them in various places in India, including in Maharashtra. In the past two years over 80 churches have been started among the Ansari Muslims!

Illustrative Story from Maharashtra State, India

Here is one recent illustrative story. After finishing a seemingly unsuccessful tract distribution many kilometres from their home, some evangelists found that someone had let the air out of their bicycle tyres. The men felt even more depressed and began the long walk home. Two men followed them for quite some distance. The evangelists thought they were going to be persecuted by them so they kept on walking - a bit faster. Finally the two men ran up to the evangelists. They confessed that they had let the air out of the bicycle tires, and proceeded to pump them up again. Then they invited the evangelists to their homes. By the end of the day, 55 people had gathered for prayer! Now, a church has formed and meets regularly in that town.

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Prayer for the Muslims in Maharashtra, India:

* Pray that the Muslims who have believed in Christ will grow strong in their faith and that God will use their testimonies to bring others to faith in Christ.

* Pray that converts may have the grace to withstand the pressure from their families and community as a result of shifting their loyalty from Islam to Jesus.

* Pray that financial support would become available, especially for Indian Christians who want to be involved in evangelising Muslims.

* Pray for labourers to reach out to the Muslim college students.

* Praise God for those organisations that are evangelising Maharashtra's Muslim people. Pray that many more may join them in the work.

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Backward means forward for God in Bihari State

Biharis are in great need in so many areas. More than half of the population live below the poverty line and Muslims are among the poorest due to their status in society. Poverty is a constant reality in Bihar, found in the shame of a father who cannot provide for his family; the suffering of a woman falling sick; the constant hunger of a malnourished child, all this fuels the lifelong struggle for survival.

Few Christian workers want to go here, as it is considered by many as the "most backward state of India" with a high rate of illiteracy and underdevelopment. Schools and health clinics are scarce, roads are bad, and crime and corruption flourishes. The Indian Church is culturally very distant from the Muslim communities.

God's plan for Bihari State, India

Till now the forces of greed, exploitation, illiteracy, violence and malnutrition have combined to oppress the people. The one thing that can bring a lasting change to this situation is the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since India has a secular constitution guaranteeing freedom and propagation of religion, the greatest barriers to evangelism to Muslims are in the area of communication and cultural relevance. When the Gospel is presented to Muslims in a way they can understand, they are often eager to listen. Many are looking for spiritual power and Jesus is the answer. Muslims of Bihar are not very orthodox in their beliefs and they are open to new ideas, which provides a wonderful opportunity for Christians reaching out to Muslims.

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God is already beginning to bring this plan into place, for the first time an Indian mission recently commissioned 30 new staff specifically to reach the Muslims of Bihar. Other groups are also forging similar plans. Though to date there are only a handful of converts, God has not forgotten these people, pray for the Gospel to go forth - resulting in changed lives and changed communities.

Pray for the Muslims in Bihari, India:

* Pray for those who are working among the Muslims of Bihar, for their spiritual life, health and family.

* Pray for the physical needs of the Bihari people; education, health care and jobs.

* Pray for a harvest, for culturally relevant fellowships to grow from within the Muslim communities with a strong emphasis on discipleship.

* Pray for the Holy Spirit to move in signs, wonders and healing among Muslims, demonstrating the saving and delivering power of Jesus Christ.

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Bangalore Industry

There are multinational companies and numerous universities and colleges in Bangalore. The city is a major centre for Indian Information Technology (IT) companies. Muslims working for these companies and studying in the educational institutions mix with people of other religions and communities, exposing them to new ways of thinking. Many Muslims also send their children to Christian schools that teach the Bible. Some Christian teachers even give Bibles to their Muslim students and discuss the book with them.

The economic status of Bangalore's Muslims ranges from very wealthy to very poor. Some Muslims are chairmen and directors of multinational companies, while others are beggars trying to scrape together a meager living. Many Muslims are involved in commerce; whole districts are dominated by Muslim-run businesses.

Survey in Bangalore

Recently, a survey was conducted in a Muslim-dominated area. Most of the Muslims who were interviewed had never heard the gospel. One question the survey asked was "What do you know about Jesus (Isa)?" The majority said that they knew nothing about Him; others gave the following views of Jesus:

"He is a prophet. His mother is Mary."
"Jesus is a good person. His teaching is helpful and right."
"They are all one. Jesus is related to Allah."
"He is the same as Allah to the Muslims."
"Only Christians can understand that Jesus died for them."
"No idea about Christ. Only seen Christ on TV."
"Holy man."
"Jesus is not the Son of God."

Another survey indicated that less than 10 per cent of Bangalore's Muslims have a significant knowledge of the Qur'an and practise religious activities regularly. Almost half considered themselves to be 'liberal thinkers' and were not strict about prayer or fasting.

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Bangalore is home to many churches and to the headquarters of more than 200 missionary organisations. Nevertheless, the Muslims in the city remain unreached with the gospel. Some initiatives to reach Bangalore's Muslims exist, but not nearly enough to impact the whole Muslim community. Christians in the city often hesitate to reach out to their Muslim neighbours because of fear. Indian law allows freedom of religion, making it possible to proclaim the gospel openly and sensitively to the Muslim community.

Prayer for India:

* Pray that Bangalore's cosmopolitan atmosphere will create opportunities for proclaiming the gospel.

* Pray that God will reveal Himself to Muslims in ways that they will not be able to deny that Jesus is their King and Saviour (John 20:26-29).

* Pray for God to give Christians clear, loving, and compassionate strategies that will have an impact on the whole Muslim community.

* Pray for Bangalore's Christians to know God's attitudes toward Muslims as they reach out to neighbours, colleagues and fellow students.

* Pray that God will raise up visionary leaders to lead the way in reaching the Muslims of Bangalore.

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  When we originally prayed for Zanskar in our 30-Days of Prayer for the...

The Kunjra People

The Kunjra people live in the Indian state of Bihar, which is one of the most caste-conscious states among Sunni Muslims. Religiously, the Sunni caste system is significantly different from the Hindu caste system. The Muslim caste system not only assigns social status based on birth, it also generally restricts a person to a traditional occupation or role. Within this caste system, the Kunjra are, in general, of a lower caste and have historically been fruit and vegetable sellers or farmers. They are also mostly illiterate. They are a significantly large group and prefer to marry among themselves.

From what can be discerned, there are no known believers among the Kunjra. They have not rejected the Gospel; they simply have never heard it. Very little is known about the Kunjra people, so prayer will be critical in bringing the Good News of the Messiah to them.
(This information was supplied by Frontiers)

Prayer Starters:

• Pray for more information to be learned about the Kunjra and the other peoples in the list.
• Ask God for committed workers to live among the Kunjra and the other groups to share the love of Christ with them.
• Ask the Lord to raise up prayer teams for these peoples.

May your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you! (Ps 67:2-3)

Video: Indian Muslims lag behind in education TV report (5:38)

Muslims lagging behind in education in India from Aamer Trambu, Reporter @ Press TV on Vimeo.

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