Praying for Muslims: Ramadan - Week 3Andy Freeman - 17 Jul 2014

Each week during the season of Ramadan we’re posting an article to help you reflect on this global religious event.  

Did you know that Muslim believers are in a majority in around 49 countries globally right now. The population of believers is always hard to gauge but 1.6 billion wouldn’t be far off. This religion is a big part of the world, and I suspect, you have noticed it’s a big part of the news. Not many headlines or bulletins go by now without a mention of Islam.

I wonder whether the stereotypes cloud our thinking on this? 

Here are some reasons we should be praying for people of the Muslim faith right now:

•    In the Middle East it is not simply a question of the West at war with anti-Western ideals, or of Israel facing opposition from all around it. Tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims increase daily and affect many countries in the region. Imagine different strands of Christianity literally at war with each other. A battle of ideologies is taking place in many Islamic nations and huge numbers of people are suffering.

•    When you hear about violence committed concerning religion you can be forgiven for imaging that it is one religion against another but that’s not often so. Terrorist attacks in the Middle East usually claim more Muslim lives than Western or other nationality. In Nigeria, Boko Haram have attacked just as many Mosques as they have Churches in their violent campaign in that nation.  

•    In so many of these conflict situations it is ordinary people who suffer. In 2010 the UNHCR estimated that of the global refugee figures of around 15 million people, 70% were Muslim. Imagine that.  

•    In Islam there are differing views on ethical issues. We often hear the extremes but how about remembering the incredibly heroic voices such as Pakistani teenage education campaigner Malala Yousafzai. How many other heroes and heroines don’t get the media attention and aren’t heard?  

We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced
Malala Yousafza

Today we’d like to set you a little challenge. Would you use the remainder of Ramadan to fast and to pray for peace in the Muslim world. Pray for some of the issues mentioned above and for others you know. Take some time to research. If you can, take a short fast as part of your prayers.  

Violence never again!
War never again!
Terrorism never again!
In God's name,
may all religions bring upon earth
justice and peace,
forgiveness, life and love!

Prayer by late Pope John Paul II

All images are used by permission in accordance with commons copyright license terms: Feature image is a derivative of the images 'Palestine_Jerusalem-Geopoint_Right_of_Return_Abu_NK20263', by gnuckx, 'in a calm noon of Ramadan', by ছায়াশিকারী (double-A Apu) and 'Piercing The Crowd' by Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho