Successful mission to the Masai in Kenya

We have told you many remarkable stories about Pastor Mustafa, who coordinates Bibles for Mideast in Central Africa. During a recent prayer and fasting session, our pastor sensed a divine call from the Lord to go to Masai Mara in Kenya and share the gospel.

Masai Mara is a large national game reserve in Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti in Tanzania and about 140 miles from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. The Masai tribe of around 50,000 people is one of the largest in Kenya. Polygamy and female genital mutilation are both traditional Masai practices.

Pastor Mustafa had visited the region several years ago, impacting one man and one of his wives in particular. The couple had been especially moved by the testimony of Lydia*—someone else we have shared a number of dramatic stories about—and were eager for the pastor to return.  

Lydia, the 14-year-old daughter of a missionary with Bibles for Mideast, had undergone forced and brutal female genital mutilation (FGM) back in 2017. Every girl between 10 and 14 years of age is forced to undergo the brutal practice, and many die—including Lydia—because of it.  

You can read the remarkable three-part account of her dying and being resurrected here:
URGENT CALL TO PRAYER for young Christian victim of female genital mutilation;
Doctors confirm death of young Lydia … BUT GOD!;
Jesus and Salvation in Lydia’s West African Town.]

When young Lydia heard of the planned mission trip, Holy Spirit prophesied through her that the team were to go courageously, for they would “face many mental and physical challenges from the people. But don’t get upset,” she continued, “several people will genuinely respond to the gospel message and be saved.” And she joined the five-member team!

Upon Pastor Mustafa and the team’s arrival in Masai Mara, the whole village was preparing for an FGM ceremony for several young women. Preparations involved evening gatherings for dance, singing and other cultural activities. Pastor Mustafa took advantage of their gathering to share the gospel and his own testimony of leaving Islam for the saving, freeing truth of Jesus Christ.

Lydia also shared her experience of FGM, death, and coming back to life by the touch of the Lord Jesus Christ (Doctors confirm death of young Lydia … BUT GOD!).

She explained graphically and effectively how they must leave the barbaric practice and turn to Jesus instead.  She then instructed them how to receive Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior.

The people listening--the young men especially—began shouting angrily at her to stop speaking about Jesus and against FGM. Grabbing thorny sticks from the nearby fence, they beat and sent the missionaries running. When the team finally found a safe place to rest, they spent the night in fervent prayer.

As night fell and the team prayed, Holy Spirit fell mightily on the whole village. No one could sleep;  many saw visions of Jesus Christ.

The villagers knew Pastor Mustafa and the team had to be praying somewhere not too far away, and once they located them, begged for forgiveness. Plans for the FGM ceremony were shut down and heaven opened wide as everyone accepted the Lord as their savior.

Pastor Mustafa and the team spent five more days with them, fellowshipping and instructing them further in the precious faith. Please pray for these villagers and the whole Masai tribe.
_______________________
*name changed for security reasons

UN Petition from Muslim women seeking ban on female genital mutilation (FGM)

A group of Muslim women belonging to the Dawoodi Bohra community in India, who underwent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), have launched a petition to the UN seeking support to abolish the practice. According to the World Health Organisation, between 100 million and 140 million females across the world are thought to be living with the consequences of FGM.

The online petition, aimed at rooting out this ancient practice, was launched by an advocacy group known as 'Speak Out on FGM' on Change.org on Thursday ahead of International Human Rights Day being observed on Saturday, December 10, 2016.

In December 2014, Joice George, a Member of Parliament, asked a question in Lok Sabha. He wanted to know if the incidence of FGM had been reported in the country and whether the government had taken any preventive steps to curb this practice. The answer to both these questions was that there was no official information on the incidence of FGM.

The reality is quite contrary to this official government response. A fairly large community of Bohras—numbering around 2 million—practise FGM. The reason that no incident has been reported is perhaps because FGM happens to a child of seven and is shrouded in complete secrecy.

Its knowledge is restricted to the mother, grandmother or aunt who take the child for the procedure. The child is deceived to begin with about the fact that she will be circumcised/cut. The pain and physical and emotional trauma are such that in most cases the girls never utters a word about this to anyone. That leaves us with the mother and grandmother who are the perpetrators of this act—and there is no reason they would ever report this to the government or any official for that matter.

For hundreds of years this practice continued under a shroud of secrecy and silence, and no one outside of the Bohra community even knew of its existence.

All this has now changed. Women from within the community have now begun to speak up. In 2011, a young lady, Tasneem, launched a petition on change.org addressed to the Bohra clergy–asking for an end to FGM in the community. This petition received over 5,000 signatures, but the Bohra clergy did not pay any heed.

The online petition was submitted to the wing of the United Nations dealing with the welfare of women and children, a senior associate with the group said. The group launched a similar petition in December last year, which has received over 80,000 responses so far and was submitted to Union Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi.

"Our main objective to make everyone aware at least of this age-old practice being observed in our country for the last 1,400 years, which in not only shameful but is unconstitutional and utterly violates human rights," said Masooma Ranalvi, a 50-year-old working woman from Delhi.

"I have no hesitation in admitting that I was subjected to FGM at a very young age, but I have ensured that my daughter, who is now 22, does not undergo this brutality," said Ranalvi, adding even today over 80 percent of the Bohra girls are subjected to this hurtful tradition.

A senior associate of the group from Pune Shabnam Poonawala said, "Though this is practiced in the US and Canada too, but their respective governments have brought laws to curb this evil. But unfortunately, no one speaks about this here, forget bringing a law for it."

In December 2012, the UN General Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution on banning FGM. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies FGM as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

The WHO defines FGM—sometimes called female circumcision—as all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to their genital organs for non-medical reasons.

Recounting her ordeal that she underwent at a tender age, a survivor from Mumbai said, "I was very young, around seven years of age. I was subjected to FGM in Mumbai in unhygienic conditions and in a clandestine manner. The shock, the physical and psychological trauma of that day is still fresh in my mind.It's good that thousands of survivors are joining this campaign not only from India, but also from the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, other African countries, Middle East, France and 

Survivors maintain the aim of FGM was to curb the natural sex drive in women. They claimed FGM has nothing to do with religion and is more of a cultural practice.

On October 24, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that "Muslim women also have to be protected and be given equal rights as per the Constitution of India."