[2024 Ramadan] Day2 Light of the gentiles that will bring the nations back to the Lord, Hui people

The Hui are the second largest ethnic minority in China, with a population of about 11 million and 96% of the population believes in Islam and the evangelization rate is only 0.01%, and they are China's largest Muslim population. About 1400 years ago, Muslim diplomats, merchants, and soldiers from Arab and Persian, immigrated to China along the Silk Road, where they settled by marrying Han women in China at the time or adopting Han children. They are scattered throughout China, mainly in the 'Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the northwestern part of China.Their main language is Chinese, and their faiths and customs are based on Islamic traditions and teaching. In addition, descendants of Arab and Persian merchants are excellent in business, and many ethnic groups across China run restaurants called "Cheongjin Restaurant" where Muslims can eat. Over the years, the appearance and language of the Hui have all changed like Han Chinese. The Hui are not Arabs, Persians, or Chinese, but are treated as marginal peoples and strangers in China, so they are looking for their identity in Islam.

However, since China's Religious Affairs Ordinance, which began in February 2018, the Chinese government has been pushing for the Chineseization of religion, so Islam, which the Hui believe in, is also greatly affected. The government is trying to transform the mosque into a Chinese style and turn the Islamic faith of the Hui into a patriotism towards the Chinese government. Even a report by the RFA, an American short-wave station, reported that Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, northwestern China, are being held in camps under the name, "re-education facilities" and are living disastrous life. The RFA explains that more than 100,000 people are already held in the camp. Amid this situation where the Islamic identity of the Hui is threatened, Some of them are protesting against the Chinese government and trying to strengthen their faith in Islam and some are conforming under religious persecution and losing their Islamic identity.

In the midst of this situation, through the 2024 Ramadan, the Hui people once again unite as an Islamic identity and pray to Allah. The faithful Hui people fasts and prays five times a day. Girls participate in the Ramadan fast from the age of 9 and boys from the age of 12, and many college students also participate in the fast. At school, students are conscious of each other and don't show up at the school cafeteria during the fasting period. But most people dot not have the belief that you can go to heaven by fasting and prayers. Since they are Hui people, they keep Ramadan by following their identity, without any special affection towards Islam. Not because they know their problems will be solved through prayers, or have a strong desire to meet Allah, but because it is the regulation of the Islam community.

College students learn atheism, Communist Party, and Marxism from elementary school, and although their Islamic faith has weakened internally, they blindly observe and follow Islamic rules which have become a habit since childhood. The government also minimizes visa issuance after the COVID-19 outbreak in 2019, implemented strong border control policies, and travelling between regions in China has also been restricted. As a result, ethnic minorities have become more isolated and cautious of outsiders.

Given these situations, the door to the gospel seems to be getting narrower for the Hui, God is faithfully working among to Hui people! Recently, the Hui Christian sisters came to worship and started praying for the people of Maghreb. Also, God is raising the remnants of the Hui people, through people like sisters M, who met Jesus in their dreams and confessed that they will preach the gospel to their own people. When the global churches pray together, through the remnants, he will raise the Hui churches, and use them as the light of Gentiles to shine towards all nations.

So that their identity as a nation does not get shaken, they blindly pray to false god without any love. We desire for God’s heart toward to pitiful Hui people to be poured upon the Global churches. When the global church prays with its holy hand up towards Hui people, only Jesus will be upon the Hui people as the true hope and saviour!

[Today’s Prayer]

1. God's heart to be poured among the global churches, as he pities those who pray blindly without any affection toward a false God, in the moment of a crisis in which the identity of the nation is shaken, during Ramadan in 2024, as the global church prays with its holy hand up towards Hui people, only Jesus will be upon the Hui people as the true hope and saviour!

2. During 2024 Ramadan, we desire for the gospel to be witnessed to the Hui people. Through the Han Chinese churches in China and faithful churches, allow the gospel to be witnessed by the Hui people whose identity is shaky and desperate, and allow many Hui souls to come back to the Lord!

3. Even though they are a minority, pour out your Holy Spirit to the churches of Hui as they confess Jesus, and allow them to boldly rise up! Allow them to overcome the fear of government persecution and the thought of betraying their country, and allow them to rise as a nation that shines as the light of Gentiles, who will witness the truth of Jesus Christ to their own people and towards the nations!