Christian Students and Islam

In the June prayer guide that many of you are just receiving, you will see an entry on two brothers in Egypt. The limited space of the prayer guide did not have room for their full story. These Egyptian brothers have been facing challenges to their faith for years. They were forced to take Islamic Religion exams at school in order to receive a promotion to the next class. One brother wrote on his exam, “I am a Christian.” The other wrote, “My religion is Christianity.” Even when they were forced to retake the exam again, they wrote the same messages.

You will also see in the June prayer guide the story of Christian university students in Iraq who were attacked while going to school. Violence against Christians in their city had become so great that they were forced to live in villages outside the city and to commute to school. When a roadside bomb and a car bomb targeted three of their buses, students were severely injured and one died. Over 1,000 students and about 100 faculty and staff used buses to commute into the city, but now the transportation project for students has been canceled. How are they going to complete their education?

Christian students in other Islamic countries likewise face challenges. In Brunei, Christians are required to teach Islam in their schools. In the Maldives, Islamic education is mandatory, and parents are forbidden from teaching their children about their own faith. In Pakistan, Christian students who try to substitute ethics classes for Islamic education often lack textbooks and qualified teachers.

If you are or were a student, consider the challenges that your fellow Christian students in Islamic countries face—and pray for them. Pray that they will be courageous and faithful as they seek to learn and to follow Christ.