Arab, Jordanian in Denmark

Introduction / History

The country of Jordan is mostly covered with desert which can support only a few Bedouin nomads. Thus the majority of its people have settled in the northern highlands, where greater rainfall can support agriculture. The capital, Amman, is the largest city, and offers almost all Western conveniences, products, restaurants, and services.

Jordan is at the crossroads of the Middle East and has served to connect Asia, Africa, and Europe as a conduit for trade and communications from ancient times until now.

In 1920, Jordan was established under the name Transjordan as a British mandate, and Abdullah I was made king. Jordan was granted independence from the British in 1946, when the name of the country was officially changed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. King Hussein ruled from 1953 until his death in February of 1999. His eldest son, King Abdullah II assumed the throne.

In 1948, thousands of Palestinians were displaced from their homelands and became refugees in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Jordan lost the West Bank, which resulted in the displacement of large numbers of these refugees into Jordan, on the east side of the Jordan River. Today more than half of the total population of Jordan is Palestinian, many as refugees.

Where Are they Located?

The Jordanian Arabs are also sometimes called Levant Arabs because of the region they come from. In simplest terms, the Levant includes Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Israel. They have far less Berber influence than Arabs from North Africa, and they are not as devoted to rigid Islam as those from the Arabian Peninsula. All Arab peoples understand Egyptian Arabic, since it is the one they are most likely to hear through media.

Jordanians who now live in Denmark are most likely to be found in Copenhagen.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Jordanian Arabs believe in getting a good education. They are probably more prosperous than other Arabic speaking peoples who came to Denmark as refugees. The Palestinians who have left to make their living in other parts of the world have often done well economically.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Jordanians who go to Denmark are almost always Sunni Muslim, though there are some Druze and traditional Christians among them. Jordanian Muslims have had to accommodate members of other faiths more than people in most other parts of the Arab World. In Denmark, Arab Muslims are a minority in a land that is marginally Christian with a strong secular slant.

What Are Their Needs?

The Muslim Jordanians need a spiritual hunger that will lead them to seek and find the Savior. As it stands, they are depending on the Koran and the laws within it to guide them.

Prayer Points

Pray that Jordanian Arabs will grow in spiritual hunger, and be satisfied when they encounter Christ.
Pray for believers to actively seek to reach Muslim Arabs in Denmark for Him.
Pray for an Arabic language disciple making movement to emerge in Denmark.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to birth a cascading discipleship movement among the Arabs in Europe for God's glory.

Text Source:   Keith Carey