In The Land of Blue Burqas

I've read a handful of books on the subject of Islam, women, and the Middle East.  And I enjoyed each one for a particular reason.

In INFIDEL, a memoir by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the sheer danger of posing a threat to Islam was reinforced.  Jeanette Windle's Christian fiction, VEILED FREEDOM, brought to my attention the socio-economic windfall that results when a struggling nation is flooded by ex-patriates, security personnel and NGO's that demand certain ammenities--everyday Afghans suddenly can afford less and less and poverty and bribes increase.  Khaled Housseini's THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS transported me to the dusty streets of Kabul, and immersed me in a relational landscape unlike any I've ever experienced.

However, after reading all of these, my thoughts would automatically drift to ponder how faith in Christ would sound to an Afghan.  And how would one go about sharing gospel truth in such a place?  IN THE LAND OF BLUE BURQAS by Kate McCord answers these questions in such a simple yet profound way.   

The author writes under a pseudonym and changes non-essential details to protect herself and the identity of her Afghan friends.  A native of Pennsylvania, she lived in Afghanistan for over 5 years as an NGO worker, and her example was exemplary.  Her choice of living arrangements, the manner in which she conducted her organization and employed local Afghans, the respect she showed for their culture in her dress and conduct--all were remarkable.  Not only that, but she learned the Dari language (in 1 year) and was intentional about sharing the truth of Jesus in her everyday conversations, aware of the constant threat to her safety, but with cultural sensitivity and great discernment. 

I found it a very uplifting book.  One that achieved that fine balance of relaying hard truth, asking difficult questions, maintaining an attitude of respect, and showcasing precious glimmers of hope and faith.  The gospel of grace and love evident on every page.

Here are a few quotes from the conclusion chapter to whet your appetite.  (The earlier chapters chronicle conversations centered around a particular scriptural truth.)

"Many Afghans are hungry for change.  They've seen the outcomes of their faith and the practices that define them.  They've wondered how such a religious, God-obeying nation could decend into more than thirty years of war and self-destruction.  They long for something better.  The problem is that even Afghans don't know where to start.  Even Afghans struggle to find the way of peace for their suffering families, communities, and nation...
The way of hope is the way of Jesus.  His teachings show us the path.  His stories make sense of the senseless.  I've watched Afghans listen to the stories and words of Jesus and find wisdom, beauty, and truth in them.  I've watched some Afghans appropriate those teachings into their own lives and reframe their own stories with beautiful outcomes.  The barrier, of course, is that the way of Jesus is not the way of Afghanistan.  The teachings of Jesus challenge virtually every aspect of the culture, and many Afghans object vehemently to that kind of influence, regardless of its benefits."

"We read of the struggles of Afghan women and shudder.  We pray for their deliverance and give money for programs to help them.  There are laws designed to protect women in Afghanistan, but they're not enforced.  Afghans don't accept those laws, regardless of the government's insistence.  Until men and women view one another as precious children of the God they worship, there will be little improvement.  Until men learn to love their wives as Christ loves His church--to walk with them and talk with them, to sacrifice themselves for them--there cannot be health in that most fundamental human relationship.
As long as Afghans understand God as a judge who only loves the obedient, they will never genuinely love one another.  They'll never free one another to become the unique individuals God has created them to be.  They'll certainly never love the unrelated neighbor or the non-Muslim stranger.
As long as Afghans hero-worship a warrior king who defined submission and required it at the edge of a sword, there cannot be peace in their country.  As long as Afghans understand forgiveness as an option and retribution as a norm, the escalation of violence will continue."

"[The Afghans] helped me understand the teachings of Jesus more completely.  The culture of Afghanistan today is much more similar to the first-century Judea of Jesus' day than my own Western culture is.  The teachings and stories of the New Testament map almost exactly.  The mullahs of today are more like the ancient Scribes and Pharisees than our pastors or priests.  Sharia law is closer to the Law of Moses than the guiding principles Jesus taught us to understand and apply in the context of our ever-evolving culture.  The agrarian society of Afghanistan, with its farmers and shepherds, grasps the stories of lost sheep and scattered seed far better than out post-industrial world."

The only critique I will offer about this book is that at times it had a staccato feel, was repetitious, and would have benefitted from some editing.  All in all, it is a book not to be missed.  Its insights are brave and profound, and extremely relevant today.