In the Land of Blue Burqas
“I lived in Afghanistan for five years. I learned the rules – I had to.”
Riveting and fast paced, In the Land of Blue Burqas depicts sharing the love and truth of Christ with women living in Afghanistan, which has been called "the world's most dangerous country in which to be born a woman."
These stories are honest and true. The harsh reality of their lives is not sugar-coated, and that adds to the impact of this book. Through storytelling, the author shows how people who don't know Christ come to see Him, His truth, and His beauty. The stories provide insight into how a Jesus-follower brought Jesus' teachings of the Kingdom of God to Afghanistan. They reveal the splendor of Christ, the desire of human hearts, and that precious instance where the two meet.
All of the names ofthose involved—including Kate's—plus the locations have been changed to protect the participants.
From the Back Cover
“I lived in Afghanistan for five years. I learned the rules – I had to.”
The gray-bearded and black-bearded men in the back of the rickshaw eyed me. The gray-bearded man asked me, “Are you a Muslim?”
For him, the word Muslim had a very clear definition. He did not just mean, “Are you submitted to God?” To which I could have said, “Yes, of course.” He meant something much more precise: “Do you submit to the laws of the Prophet Muhammad as recorded in the Holy Quran and Hadith and as taught by the mullahs?” Whatever true response I could give would not be welcome.
Still, I could give a true response. I answered the gray-beaded man’s question softly without arrogance or apology. “No, I am not a Muslim. I am a follower of the Honorable Jesus Messiah.”
The black-bearded man scowled, brows furrowed. He leaned too close to my face and glared directly into my averted eyes. His words came out as a command, short and abrupt: “You should become a Muslim. It would be better for you in this life and the next.”
Top Highlights
“The next man to speak was an Afghan. His perspective was completely different. What he said stuck with me forever. He said, ‘You came here to work and to do projects. You did them very well. That was your work. But you also fed our widows and our orphans. You didn’t have to. You went out when it was hot after you worked all day and delivered food to our neighbors who were hungry. You went out when it was cold and delivered blankets to our poor relatives. You fed our widows and our orphans. Thank you.’” (source)
“My Afghan women friends immediately saw the woman’s shame. No woman in Afghanistan can arrange her own marriage. The woman at the well had been used by five men, and the last didn’t even have the decency to marry her. The woman’s question about where she should worship made sense.” (source)
“To me, Jesus is simply astoundingly beautiful. The more I know Him, the more I want to know Him. The more I learn to be like Him, the more I understand that being like Him is good for me and good for the world around me.” (source)
“Afghans don’t suffer from the mass starvation that sometimes sweeps through parts of Africa, but malnutrition and hunger are rampant. Many families lack fuel to stay warm against the bitter winter cold. Internal refugees surge from one part of the country to another, depending on who’s at war with whom. Medical care is improving but still limited in access and quality.” (source)
“Until Afghans change their way of thinking—the stories they tell about themselves, their neighbors, and their God—they will not change their country.” (source)
"The true and riveting story of a woman who spends five years in Afghan villages talking to the natives about her faith in Jesus, while being pressured to convert to Islam. The writing is powerful, the narrative is intriguing, and the author compellingly lifts up Jesus at every turn. An excellent introduction into the Muslim world and the mindset that marks it. Inspiring and educational."
-Outreach Magazine, March/April 2013
Product Details
- Title : In the Land of Blue Burqas
- Author: McCord, Kate
- Publisher: Moody Publishers
- Publication Date: 2012
- ISBN: 9780802482297