The name "Punjabi" is used to describe both those who speak Punjabi, and those who inhabit the Punjab region in India and Pakistan. Punjabi is an Indo-European language that is divided into six main dialects. It is primarily spoken in the major regions of India and Pakistan. In general, Punjabis in Pakistan are Muslim and those in India are either Hindu or Sikh. In general, those who migrated from Pakistan speak Western Punjabi, and they're Muslim. They are the dominant group in Pakistan.
Western Punjabis and other Pakistanis in Norway. About two-thirds of them are from Kharian, Punjab. They are most likely to be found in Oslo.
Most Western Punjabis were young men who came to Norway in the 1970s as unskilled guest workers. Norwegian law changed in 1976 to restrict immigration from Pakistan. However, it allowed Punjabi family members to join these men and settle down.
Less than half of the Western Punjabi women in Norway are employed compared with over 60% of Norwegian women. That is because of their conservative Muslim culture. The second generation of Western Punjabis are caught between the conservative culture of their parents and the liberal one of the Scandinavian majority. They sometimes face job discrimination. As time progresses, fewer Western Punjabis have been getting their spouses from Pakistan.
Politically, Western Punjabis do not vote for any particular political party. Only a few have entered politics as a career. Some have carved out music careers in Norway. Increasingly, the second generation is obtaining higher education so they can have careers in medicine, law, and engineering.
Western Punjabis in Norway are Sunni Muslims who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.
The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.
In most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.
Western Punjabis in Norway need to saving power of Jesus Christ, the only Savior. As it stands, they depend on their ability to obey the teachings of the Koran and the goodwill of Allah.
Pray that God intervenes in their lives and helps them understand his value and worth in our lives.
Pray that their hearts soften up to know more and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Pray for God to soften their hearts and to know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
Pray for a soon coming movement to Christ among Western Punjabi-speaking Muslims that will overflow to other Muslim communities in Norway.
Scripture Prayers for the Punjabi, Western in Norway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegians_with_Pakistani_background
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
