Cultural Dislocation

The reasons for the large proportion of Mirpuris in the UK is historical. In the late 1950’s & early 1960’s, the Pakistani Government planned the Mangla Dam, which was to be built in the Mirpur area. They asked several thousand locals to leave the land. At that time, the British needed man-power mainly for their textile factories. Many of the Mirpuris moved to Britain and started working in factories, mostly in the so called “black country” and the area of Bradford, England. In some villages, more than half the village population moved to the UK to settle in the industrial towns. This rural, impoverished district provided cheap, unskilled labour for Britain in the 60’s and 70’s.

Most immigrants were from subsistence farming communities and had had little or no schooling. They made a huge cultural and geographical leap to settle in the UK. The profound cultural dislocation experienced by the Mirpuris is hard to imagine. Most Mirpuris speak Pothowari, a language related to Punjabi. The prominent clans among them include Rajputs (Janjua), Sudhans, Khokhars, Gakkhars, Awans, Jats, etc.

Imported Marginalisation

One of the things they brought with them was the perception of a long history of dispossession and marginalisation. The partition of India brought terrible bloodshed along with the division of Kashmir between Pakistan and India. (This was the issue cited until very recently as the most pressing political priority in the UK by the majority of British Muslims). Three of the suicide bombers of the London underground bombings in the summer of 2005 were originally from this region of Pakistan.

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The Mirpuris are still a very unreached people group. There are only a handful of known believers among them in Britain. Some of them have experienced much persecution and suffering. The home of one believing family was even set on fire fairly recently.

Please Pray:

* Pray that more British Christians would see the need to reach out to the Mirpuris, and that many more would get involved in praying for them. Pray also that Christian workers from around the world would be willing to come and minister among them.

* Pray for the few cross-cultural workers that are ministering among them, that they would have wisdom to know how to effectively reach them. And, that they would see a spiritual breakthrough among them soon.

* Pray for the few Mirpuri believers, that they would be protected, and that they would be able and willing to share the Gospel with their family and friends with cultural sensitivity and insight. Pray also for the establishment of fellowships of Mirpuri Muslim background believers.

Video: Homeless Portraits

Homeless Portraits from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

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Azad Kashmiris Ties to the UK

Many used their compensation money to buy tickets to go to the United Kingdom, and these immigrants form a significant part of the Pakistani community in the UK (United Kingdom of Great Britain). Ties between the Azad Kashmiri community in the UK and their homeland remain strong. The present town of New Mirpur was built largely with finances sent back to Kashmir from family members in the UK.

Among those who went to the UK were two young people from one family who saw their lives changed radically and unexpectedly by God's intervention. Their father had set up a stall in a local market. One day, a Christian left his Bible on the stall. The father took it back to his home.

For several years, one of the girls in the family had been longing for freedom from her vicious and aggressive personality. She hated the way she treated her family, but could do nothing about it. Her desire for inner purity was profound. She longed for a new life. When the Bible came into her home, she took it to her room and opened it.

Azad Kashmiris Desire for quality of life

In her very first experience of reading the Bible her eyes fell on the following passage: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44).

It was a perfect description of the quality of life she desired. Some years later, when she heard the gospel preached and responded to Christ, she found in Him the ability to live out what she had read. Her sister was soon converted, and God is working in the lives of other family members.

Prayer Guide for the Azad Kashmiris

* There are probably many thousands of Azad Kashmiris who long to be right with God. Most of them would not even dream that it is possible to enter into a heavenly kingdom. Pray for them that they might discover this hidden treasure (Matthew 13:45-46).

* Pray that God will continue to send labourers into the Kashmiri community who can share the Good News of the kingdom of God.

* Pray that the intimate knowledge of God through Christ Jesus will go back to Azad Kashmir through the very strong family and cultural ties upheld by the community, and that those who come to faith will be strengthened to stand firm in the face of the pressures which those ties bring to bear (Acts 8:26-40).

* In recent times the government of Pakistan has decided to raise the level of the Mangla Dam and Lake another 10 metres to increase water reserves and hydroelectric capacity. At least another 44,000 people will be displaced. Pray that they may receive just compensation, and that God will meet them in the changes and in their distress.

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