Somalis first came to Finland as asylum seekers in the 1990s, some coming from Russia. Somalis are one of the largest immigrant groups in Finland. They came to Finland as it is nearby. As time went on more and more asylum seekers began to come to Finland. They speak Somali and Finnish.

More Somali asylum seekers have come to Finland through family unification.

It has been hard for Somalis to find work in Finland. There has been friction between the Somalis and the local Finnish. This prevents employers from hiring Somalis.

There are few Somali businesses in Finland, and they have hired Somalis. Others find employment through Somali language work and others have short term work. Many seek better education to help them find better employment.

The Somali people 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.

What Are Their Needs?

Pray for a movement of Jesus to heal and strengthen Somali communities in Finland.

Pray for a "Book of Acts" type of movement to Christ among the Somalis that will spread to Somalia.

Pray for the Somali people to understand and embrace that Jesus wants to bless their families and neighborhoods.

Pray for Holy Spirit anointed believers from the Somali people to change their society from within.

Pray for a movement in which the Holy Spirit leads and empowers disciples to make more disciples.

Scripture Prayers for the Somali in Finland.