Pray for Suriname

“Come in, come in!” Sarah called to her neighbours! Sweets were passed around and “Blessed Eid” greetings were exchanged. Children showed their new toys to their friends while the teenagers prepared to go to the celebrations in the city square and food preparations continued for the street party that would take place later. The celebration of Eid in Suriname is for everyone in this small nation which values its multi-ethnic community.

The smallest independent nation in South America also has the highest proportion of Muslims of any country in the Americas. Muslims in Suriname fit into a diverse, multicultural nation which speaks 14 unique languages.

About half of the population of 600,000 are Christian. The rest are a mix of folk religions, Islam, Hinduism, agnostics and others. Muslims make up about only 15% of the population but are a significant cultural presence. Eid ul-Fitr is a national public holiday here, and people from other faith traditions often join in the celebrations. This friendly tolerance, however, does occur alongside conflict and tension between the many minority groups in the nation.

Many of the Muslims in Suriname are descendants of indentured labourers from South Asia and Indonesia who arrived in the 1800’s to replace African slaves in the British colonies. Muslim culture in Suriname mostly reflects the culture from these regions. But there are also groups of Muslims from Afganistan and parts of Africa.

How to Pray

• Pray for peace among the people of Suriname, where a diverse population can create division and conflict between its different groups.
• Pray for Muslims in Suriname to come to faith in Jesus.
• Pray for Christians in Suriname to be a good witness to the grace of God and the love of Jesus.