World View: Mauritania

In west Africa, bordering the Sahara Desert is the country of Mauritania. This is a barren place, with more than three quarters of the land mass covered by desert or semi-desert. Starting in the 1960’s, at the same time as the nation gained independence from France, the desert started spreading closer to the coast.

Mauritania is a poor country, with 20% of the population living on less than $1.25 a day. A large portion of the population is illiterate. Secular education is not heavily stressed by the government. There has been very little development of the nation over the years.

There is a hidden beauty to this land. It is home to several World Heritage caravan towns, and the world’s longest railroad. It is a popular destination for Eco-tourists because of the subtle beauty of the vast sand dune fields. Almost all of its coastline is untouched by development.

The country is almost entirely Muslim, with only about 0.12% claiming to be Christian. The government has taken great measures to keep the Christians and Muslims separated. It is illegal to pass out non-Islamic literature, as is the evangelism of Muslims. It is illegal for a Muslim person to even enter the house of a non-Muslim. Confessing Christ carries with it a death penalty.

In 2009 an American aid worker was arrested and put to death because they thought he was talking to people about Christ. A woman was beaten and tied up in her home for several months by her family because she got saved.

As the desert tries to take over the land, the lies of Islam are trying to take over the hearts of the people of Mauritania. The difference is that Islam can’t win. Even though they face threats by the government, there are a handful of Christians that continue to meet in secret to study and worship God. We need to lift up these few in prayer. Though our prayer, these few can change a nation.