Pray for Bosniaks

During a meal in the living room of a Muslim family in central Bosnia, someone asks five-year-old Namik why his father does not pray in the mosque like others. The little boy replies, innocently, that he doesn ́t go to the mosque because his dad is a Christian. This causes an uproar with many questions being asked of Namik’s father. They are outraged but also intrigued by Namik’s faith.

Bosniaks are an unreached ethnic group living in the southeastern part of Europe whose members identify themselves with Bosnia and Herzegovina as their ethnic state. Ethnic cleansing during the last war has changed their ethnic structure and geographic distribution. Of the 3 million Bosniaks, about 1 million live outside Bosnia and Herzegovina; the largest number is found in the Sandzak region of Montenegro and Serbia, particularly in the city of Novi Pazar in Serbia. Many have also settled in countries such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States, with more are arriving every year.

Even though in Serbia most people are orthodox Christians, the Bosniaks hardly know anything about the Gospel. Most Bosniaks are Sunni Muslims, although Sufism has historically played an important role among them. Only about 0.03% are evangelical Christians. For many Bosniaks, Islamic identity has more to do with cultural roots than religious beliefs. They see Islam as the foundation of their culture.

How to Pray

• Pray for healing of the wounds inflicted by the war in the 1990s and for reconciliation with other ethnic groups in the region.
• Pray that Bosniaks who work and live in Western Europe and know Jesus, will have a concern for the area.
• Pray that God would soften the hearts of Bosniaks toward Christians so that they would be receptive to the Gospel.