Kevin DeYoung on Patriotism and the Church

There are approximately 25 nationalities in the church where I'm an elder. Every Friday (we worship in a Muslim country) is a little vision of Revelation chapter 7:9-12.

Last year there was a young man from the US who was doing a semester internship in Dubai and attending out church. He had never had an extended experience outside the US and God was teaching him some important things about his heart for the ALL the nations.

One Friday after the service he said, "It's amazing to experience this church... You don't pray for the troops (like my church back home). But if you did, who's troops would you pray for?!"

Along that theme, Kevin DeYoung, a US pastor, author, and blogger writes on Memorial Day celebrations and the church...

We (Americans) should pray for service men and women in our congregations. We should pray for the President. We should pray for the just cause to triumph over the evil one. We are not moral relativists. We do not believe just because all people are sinners and all nations are sinful that no person or no nation can be more righteous or more wicked than another. God may be on America’s side in some (not all) her endeavors.

But please think twice before putting on a Star Spangled gala in church this Sunday. I love to hear the national anthem and “God Bless America” and “My Country, Tis of Thee,” but not in church where the nations gather to worship the King of all peoples. I love to see the presentation of colors and salute our veterans, but these would be better at the Memorial Day parade or during a time of remembrance at the cemetery. Earthly worship should reflect the on-going worship in heaven. And while there are many Americans singing glorious songs to Jesus there, they are not singing songs about the glories of America. We must hold to the traditions of the Apostles in our worship, not the traditions of American history. The church should not ask of her people what is not required in Scripture. So how can we ask the Koreans and Chinese and Mexicans and South Africans in our churches to pledge allegiance to a flag that is not theirs? Are we gathered under the banner of Christ or another banner? Is the church of Jesus Christ–our Jewish Lord and Savior–for those draped in the red, white, and blue or for those washed in the blood of the Lamb?

In some parts of the church, every hint of patriotism makes you a jingoistic idolater. You are allowed to love every country except your own. But in other parts of the church, true religion blends too comfortably into civil religion. You are allowed to worship in our services as long as you love America as much as we do. I don’t claim to have arrived at the golden mean, but I imagine many churches could stand to think more carefully about their theology of God and country. Churches should be glad to have their members celebrate Memorial Day with gusto this Monday. We should be less sanguine about celebrating it with pomp and circumstance on Sunday.

You can read the rest of his post here.

(ht: Justin Taylor)

HRH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum Visits the American School of Dubai

My wife works half time as a nurse at the same school my kids attend here in Dubai: The American School of Dubai. It's the oldest American curriculum school in Dubai and they just moved to a brand new campus in Al Barsha. The campus is spectacular.

Today Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum visited (one day notice) to tour the new facility. Flags were handed out to all the students and the day was spent getting ready for his arrival and then in welcoming him.

When we arrived 9 years ago I saw Sheikh Mohammad driving down the road or on the beach several times during the first couple years.

Then as Dubai exploded in growth and Sheikh Mohammad became the countries Vice President, rather than Dubai Crown Prince, he became less prominently seen in public.

Here's a picture my wife snapped with her phone camera this afternoon.

Iranian Government Unveils Islamic Ministry Approved Haircuts

As reported in the UK Telegraph, the Iranian government unveiled Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.  People without these "approved" haircuts risk arrest and barber shops offering "un-Islamic" haircuts risk being shut down.

"The proposed styles are inspired by Iranians' complexion, culture and religion, and Islamic law," said Jaleh Khodayar, who is in charge of a Modesty and Veil Festival later this month at which the guide will be promoted.

First 'official' gurdwara in Dubai - Chandigarh - City - The Times of India

First 'official' gurdwara in Dubai - Chandigarh - City - The Times of India

This Sikh temple has been under construction about 200 meters from the church we attended up until planting Redeemer Church in February. They've been working on it for over 2 years I would say. I think it's pretty progressive for the country to allow this temple to be built. And it's kind of interesting that it's been given space right next to the church compound in Jebel Ali where there are about 12 churches meeting each week.

Some might be upset about it but I hope it provides an opportunity to engage some new Sikh neighbors in conversation about who is God and what is true about the world, people, and our eternal destiny.


By the way, I (hope) think this might have been a misquote?... "Sikhs don’t worship idols like in Islam and once authorities were convinced that setting up a gurdwara was not anti-Islamic, things quickly started falling in place. My dream is to make Guru Nanak Durbar the best, second only to the Golden Temple in Amritsar," adds Kandhari."

Email Campaign to Protest the UK's Rejection of Zakir Naik

An interesting development has come about as a result of the UK's rejection of Dr. Zakir Naik to enter the UK for a Muslim event in Sheffield.  An email is circulating here in the UAE with this message:

Women of Saudi Arabia

Very interesting video today on the women of Saudi Arabia.  The women of Dubai/UAE have many more freedoms and yet the video is instructive about some of the basic aspects of the lives of women in the Gulf.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Disturbing Article on Marital Reconciliation Methods

This article published on November 9, 2009 is titled Official Stresses Need for Marital Reconciliation in the GulfNews states this near the end.

According to Sharia, a husband is counselled to adopt a civilised and productive method and to be responsible and patient before divorcing.

"We call that ... the gradual edifying reconciliation method … whenever a husband notices a bizarre behaviour from his wife, he can advise her, then avoid sleeping with her in one room and if that doesn't work out then he can whip her gently in a manner that makes her understand the situation.

Is this standard interpretation of Sharia Law?

UN to Fund "Safeguarding" of UAE Cultural Practices

Here's our country's UN dues at work...

Cultural Practices to be Assisted by U.N.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The United Nations launched an initiative in the United Arab Emirates to prevent the death of age-old cultural practices, a press release reported.

Thursday, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage listed 76 traditions from around the world on the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Included were the tango, religious processions and fertility dances.

...The practices in need of urgent safeguarding are eligible for funding to ensure their survival.

Among these are Latvian female drone singing, a collective fishing rite in Mali, three Mongolian practices and a Belarus Christmas ritual.

Do you think Abu Dhabi really needs UNESCO funding to help with this?  (See this chart on the value of various sovereign wealth funds in the world... guess whose is at the top and valued at 50% more than #2)

And what are the cultural practices that are going to be "safeguarded"?

I'm in favor of preserving heritage for future generations to learn from them.  I'm not sure this is the best way to do it.

Picture of "Night of Power" In Mecca

Very cool photo.

Gulf News: Value of Prayers Increases in Final Week of Ramadhan

This article in the GulfNews paper highlights the importance of the last 10 days of Ramadhan for all Muslims. I suggest you read the whole (short) article but here are a few interesting quotes:

Article Link

"...The last 10 days of Ramadan have been chosen by Allah to be the peak of self-control, worship and abstinence...Muslims should spend the last 10 days at the mosque if they can possibly do so. This should not come at the cost of slacking on household, marital or work duties. They should spend time reading the Quran, praying with fellow Muslims and refraining from saying any bad or hurtful words to anyone."


"The purpose is to emerge from Ramadan with a cleansed spirit."


"Ramadan is the month that people will be closer to Allah and the rewards are doubled."


"Laylat Al Qadr is a celebration of when Allah bestowed the Quran to the people during that period in Ramadan. This makes devotion in Ramadan equivalent to a thousand months of worship."

Entire article below:

Read more »

It's a Party Weekend in Dubai

Somehow the party commitments piled up this weekend in this multi-national, multi-cultural 'wonderland' that is Dubai.  First we'll be at a Filipino 18year old Debutante Party.  Next, it's a stop over at an Indonesian (late) Christmas party, and we'll cap it off with a Romanian Pig Roast.

All should be fun with friends from around the world... stay tuned for insights and pictures :)



First, pictures from the 18 year old Filipino Debutante Party... I was one of few people there over the age of 30. :)



18 young men (including myself) each brought a rose and danced briefly with the honored girl. I was asked while there... first time in a while I've danced with an 18 year old girl.



Guess what her favorite color is :)



Next on to the Indonesian Christmas party... hundreds were there.







Can't remember what the soup was called but it was fantastic!



And lastly, the Romanian pig roast. I only got a picture of the (poor) pig. But it was fun being with "frisbee" friends that evening.

2008-09 Global Village - Dubai Part 2; Obama Inauguration Special

Here a few more shots from Global Village in Dubai. And to cap it off you'll see below some photos of Obama and family. That huge poster and t-shirt were in the Kenya pavilion. They are tremendously proud of the Kenyan ancestry of Obama!

And regardless of your political "stripes", the inauguration of the first minority President of the USA is an amazing event. I'm praying for him and I hope you do too.

2008-09 Global Village - Dubai

We enjoyed visiting Global Village in early January. It's like a "world's fair" of sorts. Hope you enjoy the pictures as well.



Lots of Landcruisers in the parking lot as we arrived.



The Yemen pavilion is one of our favorites. Lots of silver jewelry...



... and khanjars...



And Yemeni honey (about 15 different booths for that including some honey labeled "for married only". I think it's supposed to have "viagra-like" qualities. :)



I love the Indian shoe shops.





More pictures in the next few days!

Arif's Quranic Talisman

From 2008-10-12 Dubai Beach Volleyball Etc

I bought a new car recently. The 1983 Mercedes was just having to go to the repair shop far too many times PER MONTH! So I found a 6 month old Altima in the classifieds and purchased it from a guy named Arif.

Arif was a fascinating guy. Very "Dubai". I couldn't seem to place his national identity through his facial features or his accent. When I asked I didn't feel so bad for not figuring it out. His parents are Pakistani. He was born in Tanzania and grew up there for half his life. They later moved to Sweden where he got citizenship and grew up through adolescence. They now live in Dubai and were about to move back to Sweden (I guess it was too much good weather here :). Pakistani, Tanzanian, Swedish, Dubai resident. Very "Dubai".

While I sat next to him as we were waiting to transfer the car registration I noticed this little container on his arm (pictured above). I asked him about it. He said that it contained Quranic verses and was constructed by an Islamic Sheikh from Australia. The family evidently follows the teachings of this Sheikh in particular. When I asked it what function it served he told me that he had recently received it as a wedding gift. It would prevent other family members from getting jealous of your life and possessions (maybe your wife too?) by preventing them from even seeing those things in your life. I guess the thought is that it almost makes them "invisible".

Comments or thoughts on this from readers?

One Commenter's Ideas on Islamic Dawah (Sharing the Islamic Faith)

A frequent commenter, LDU, recently posted his thoughts on Dawah - the Arabic/Islamic word for Muslims calling those outside Islam to become Muslims.  I thought you might like to read what he had to say...

The concept of Dawah is very different to the Christian understanding of preaching or sending missionaries and Christian funded aid in war zones and what have you.

Although Dawah does cover verbal discussions that only comprises a very tiny part of it. Being a good Muslim citizen and fulfilling your civic duties is Dawah; a lady wearing a hijab is Dawah and likewise a man with a prayer cap and a beard is performing Dawah; being good to co-workers and being hospitable is also Dawah.

Allah instruct's Muslims to propogate Islam - that is no secret. The Quran mentions explicitly to let the entire globe know of Islam. I can do that by wearing a prayer cap in Iceland. Allah hasn't set a fixed definition for what Dawah is nor has he set out an exhaustive list - therefore it ends up being a merits based approach and not a "one size fits all". No Muslim caliph sent an army to Indonesia. Indonesia became Muslim because of the honest trade techniques (Dawah in itself) of the Muslim traders who travelled there.

In my opinion its not a matter of inviting people to the truth. Its more of an issue of not intimidating people by preaching. If people are genuinely interested in my faith, I'd be happy to discuss it with them and answer their queries. But would i stand near a train station and hand out DVD's or would I buy airtime on national television? No.

Anyone's else's thoughts on LDU's ideas about Dawah?  Do his ideas line up with yours?

Another Neighborhood Encounter

I wrote in the last post about meeting the three guys from the mosque. Well, I was walking the dog with my wife one night last week. On the other side of the street, three men in dishdashas approached. I handed the dog leash to my wife and crossed over to greet them with a traditional Arabic greeting.

They seemed genuinely stunned and pleased. They introduced themselves and said they live in the neighborhood. Then one of the men said "That was noble of you to come and introduce yourself... many people are scared of us 'guys in white' (a reference to being a Gulf Arab person in a white dishdasha)."

It seems that many expats are reluctant to make friends with 'locals' here for one reason or another. Sometimes I think they just don't see them as people they COULD get to know. Other times I do think they're genuinely afraid because of rumors they've heard about locals not being friendly.

On the contrary, I've found locals to be extremely friendly and open to friendship. If you're an expat here in Dubai or the UAE, what's been your experience? Or, if you're a local, what's been your experience with expats?

"Door to Door" Call to Prayer

I had a interesting experience earlier this week. The doorbell rang about 7pm and I went to the gate to answer it. Three men in dishdashas were standing there. Two were older with long beards. One was younger; no beard. They asked me if I was Muslim. I replied that I was a "...Christian, a follower of Jesus". They apologized for some reason and then asked me if my neighbor was a Muslim. I replied that both on either side of me were Muslims.

When I inquired in a friendly way what they were doing they told me they were going from house to house trying to get the Muslims to pray with them. I told them I'd like to come see them at the mosque sometime and talk about faith. They welcomed me.

I think these gentlemen weren't thinking of trying to convince me of the truth of Islam but were working to get self-proclaimed Muslims to come and pray regularly at the mosque as it's required in Islam. And I've met many observant Muslims who see their role as trying to "energize" or motivate "lapsed" Muslims.

I'm glad for the introductions to these men and hope to get down to the mosque sometime in the next month.

Crossing the Street in Alexandria, Egypt

It's a real adventure crossing the street in Alexandria, Egypt. I was there back in August. Here's a close-up view of what it's like to risk your life just trying to get to the other side!

From 2008-9-2 MENA - Alexandria Egypt

Missing a Good Friend: Bassam Zawadi

A good friend of mine moved from Dubai over a month ago and I'm really missing him. Bassam Zawadi is a Muslim apologist and a good friend. Work took him back to Riyadh and I'm really missing our almost weekly dinners and discussions at Chili's. ;) To honor Bassam I want to point you to video of debates he did with a Christian apologist this summer in the U.S. I confess that I've not had time to watch them all. And you must know that I disagree with Bassam on many things including the divinity of Jesus and the authority of the Christian scriptures. And I have argued against him on many occasions.

Still, Bassam is a person of good character, he's helped me understand Islam, and I would urge you to check out his work. Here is his website.

Below are the first two videos posted on youtube... there are more but I'm sure you'll find them.

GulfNews Report on Speeding Bus Drivers

The GulfNews featured a report on construction labor bus drivers and the racing they engage in while transporting workers to and from work. They did some semi-undercover video to show what it's like riding in one of these buses and they've interviewed some workers.

I (like all Dubai drivers) pass these buses every day on the roads. It's hard to tell if and when they're racing each other. They are imposing vehicles and they're almost almost always packed to the "brim" with workers. You'll notice the the buses have speedometers that go to 100 kilometers per hour. The speed limit on the faster roads is 100 km/hr and up to 120 km/hr. Cars are supposed to go this fast but I often see cars passing me going at least 150 to 170 km/hr. I think these cars are the biggest danger on the roads.

One other issue. The government should penalize the companies for drivers who break the law. Unfortunately, I think it's usually the drivers themselves that get the full punishment and the companies go free. The companies need to be the ones that 'police' their own drivers. (Maybe they should check out the signs in the post office that I posted below :)