Loving Muslims Through Prayer | www.30-days.net » These tags are specific to the 30-Days Muslim prayer focus booklet http://www.30-days.net/muslims 107 Muslim countries, people groups and cities we pray for Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:07:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Islam in Dearborn, Michigan http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/islam-in-dearborn-michigan/ http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/islam-in-dearborn-michigan/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:48:01 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/muslims/?p=613 Ford, Muslims and mosques in Dearborn, Michigan

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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.

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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]

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/islam-in-dearborn-michigan/feed/ 184 Muslims in New York City http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/muslims-in-new-york-city/ http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/muslims-in-new-york-city/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:01:09 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/muslims/?p=2290 ny-wtc-memorial-30-days-netGod is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
(Acts 17:31)

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

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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.)

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/muslims-in-new-york-city/feed/ 18 Islam in The United States of America (USA), background http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-islam/ http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-islam/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:09:58 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-islam/ Understanding Islam in the USA - Statistics or lack thereof

muslims-in-usa-30-days-netAmazingly, 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.

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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.

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-islam/feed/ 15 Statistics on Muslims in the United States of America (USA) http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-muslims/ http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-muslims/#comments Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:14:14 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-muslims/ dearborn-mosque-michigan
For many years the Muslim community in America had been a small minority but today it is one of the fastest growing religions in the country. Muslims first came to America in the 1860's from Syria and Lebanon. Today it is estimated that there are between 6 to 7 million Muslims in America, roughly 2% of the entire population. (Image from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dearborn_Mosque)

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.

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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.

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]]> http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-muslims/feed/ 23 Somalis in the USA Dream of Peace http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-somalis/ http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/america-north/usa-somalis/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:02:27 +0000 TDI http://www.30-days.net/?p=1042 somali-minnesota-30-days-netSince 1991, hundreds of thousands of Somalis have died in their own brutal civil war. Millions have fled their homes seeking refuge in neighbouring countries and around the world. Tens of thousands now live in cities like Rome, Stockholm, London and Seattle, as well as in smaller communities, such as a town of 3,000 in rural America with about 300 Somalis. Some live in large public housing complexes while others know life in sprawling suburbs.

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.

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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.

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