Sophie and I have been in Zanzibar for 3 days, mostly resting and taking time to process what we have experienced in Africa so far.We are staying at a tiny hotel near Nungwi at the northern tip if the island. We pretty much have the beach (and hotel) to ourselves. The water is the most brilliant turquoise, it's the stuff of travel magazines. I almost feel guilty being here...
but being in Zanzibar certainly is an education! I have never been in a predominantly muslim country before, certainly not during Ramadhan!
I was talking with a young guy named Hassan yesterday, he loved that I knew it was Ramadhan and that after he prayed he would feast. I almost cried as he enthusiastically ran off to pray. He seemed to love it, and I thought how much he would love Jesus if he ever had the chance to meet him. It made me wonder how many people in Zanzibar have actually heard the news.
We were told today that the muslims want Zanzibar to become a seperate country to Tanzania, because Tanzania has too many Christians. Black Christians here are persecuted for not observing Ramadhan and have insults hurled at them from the street.
Off the hotel strip on the beach and into the village the same poverty exists as elsewhere in Africa. It's amazing that this tiny island has so much money pouring through it and yet so little going to the people.
No comments:
Post a Comment