I don't "comment" much on the Internet -- nor do I read many "comments" (although I read a few this week).
I commented on an intriguing Presidential Prayer Team article (yay PPT!) this week regarding Arabic and Muslims in America. I consider it an important issue, so I felt like I should share here as well...
~~~~~
I appreciate your article, Gigi. I have lived in the Middle East for more than four years, and can speak a bit of Arabic. I agree that "one nation under Allah" sounds a bit off, especially since "Allah" is a personal name of God in Islam, whereas "God" in English can be personal for Christians or generic for Christians and non-Christians. But in fact, Christian Arabs and Christian Middle Easterners actually pray to "Allah" as well. It can be a generic word for "God" in Arabic, too. I imagine my many Muslim and Christian Middle Eastern friends can confirm and better explain this.
But my main concern is Islamophobia. Your prayer points maybe touched on this. One of American Christendom's greatest tragedies thus far in the 21st century is a lack of love for Muslims -- be they our neighbors or our enemies (Jesus calls us to pray for both) -- or a lack of passion for seeing Muslims come to Christ. Oh, that we would pray for them, reach out to them, and call upon King Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew, Yesuua in Arabic) to grant them the same grace, mercy, faith, hope, love, and eternal life and relationship with Him that He has given us!
I commented on an intriguing Presidential Prayer Team article (yay PPT!) this week regarding Arabic and Muslims in America. I consider it an important issue, so I felt like I should share here as well...
~~~~~
I appreciate your article, Gigi. I have lived in the Middle East for more than four years, and can speak a bit of Arabic. I agree that "one nation under Allah" sounds a bit off, especially since "Allah" is a personal name of God in Islam, whereas "God" in English can be personal for Christians or generic for Christians and non-Christians. But in fact, Christian Arabs and Christian Middle Easterners actually pray to "Allah" as well. It can be a generic word for "God" in Arabic, too. I imagine my many Muslim and Christian Middle Eastern friends can confirm and better explain this.
But my main concern is Islamophobia. Your prayer points maybe touched on this. One of American Christendom's greatest tragedies thus far in the 21st century is a lack of love for Muslims -- be they our neighbors or our enemies (Jesus calls us to pray for both) -- or a lack of passion for seeing Muslims come to Christ. Oh, that we would pray for them, reach out to them, and call upon King Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew, Yesuua in Arabic) to grant them the same grace, mercy, faith, hope, love, and eternal life and relationship with Him that He has given us!
