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St Francis Magazine Vol 9, No 4 | August 2013
remarkable opinion shift about Christianity. The initial confusion of many visitors as to NL’s
religious identity by misidentifying it as Muslim shows a profound lack of prior knowledge as to the
actual content of the Christian faith.
9.2 Unintended encouragement from a Somali Muslim journalist
Two years ago, a Somali Christian colleague shared an article he read on a Somali news website 42 .
It was entitled “The Christians are using the Internet to attract Somalis.” Translated into English, it
reads: “While I was searching on Google, my eyes were drawn to an advertisement saying Arrin
Cajiib ah ayaa dhacay (An amazing event happened), and again I’ve seen another one that says
Amiirka Nolosha Cusub waa kuma (Who is the Prince of the New Life). All these advertisements are
bringing you to a website named Nolosha Cusub which spreads the Christian religion. These men are
trying to take advantage of technology so they may attract Somali Muslims by using eye-catching
ads, and through social network sites such as Facebook and YouTube. However, the most surprising
thing is that these ads for this site can even be seen on Somali news websites. It is unfortunate to
spread another religion through websites owned by Muslims. This can take place because the
Somali websites are using a Google advertising known as AdSense. But, they can still choose certain
ads to be prohibited from appearing on their sites. It seems that Christians have had a great success
using internet, and that is why you can find that Nolosha Cusub is the top-ranking Google selection
when trying to search for the word Nolosha (The Life).”
9.3 After completing the 12 chapters in the online Bible course, a website visitor wrote an
email explaining how he discovered the NL website 43
“Today, I am truly happy to be… following the path of truth. In previous months, I lived in
despair and hopelessness with a defeated personality… I continually had meaningless thoughts as I
considered what I would do after completing secondary school... I tried to find something on the
radio to settle my mind. One day I listened to one of the local FM stations here in Muqdisho. They
broadcasted a program about people who had become Christians. Their intention was to spread
negative propaganda and they featured interviews of various people who had left Islam. Personally,
what grabbed my attention was the question posed by a boy who had left Islam and followed the
religion of the Lord Jesus. He said: ‘Muslims read the Quran in order to approach God. The Quran
is written in Arabic. However, what prevents the Quran from being written in Somali or other
languages like the Christians do’ That question really sent my mind spinning. I thought about
how I might find the Christian websites that the reporter had referred to, despite the fact he had not
specifically given their names… one day I decided to ask Google. I typed in ‘Somali Christian’, and
then I found www.noloshacusub.net I rejoiced when I contacted you from the website and you replied.
I completed the courses in the series One God, One Way. I discovered joy, I hope to live in that joy
and in the love of God. Another joy was to find that the Bible can be accessed on the website.”
9.4 Providential coordination of multiple factors.
Just as the pax Romanica facilitated the spread of the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean
world during the apostolic age, so usage of the Internet via website and social media has a particular
value for reaching Somalis in both their homeland and their Diaspora. Building upon linguistic
unity, high cultural value for literature and oratory, radio became extremely popular over half a
century ago. The decisive choice for a simple, practical orthography by an authoritarian regime
resulted in a rapid spike in literacy. An unintended consequence (for that regime) was publication of
the previously translated Bible, followed by other items of Christian literature. This in turn was
widely used and disseminated by Christian shortwave radio. While the civil war has been extremely
disruptive at the national, family and personal level, the simultaneous global development of the
Internet and mobile telecommunication technology was quickly seized upon by Somalis. The
dispersion of their nation across the globe only heightened the demand for rapid communication as
family members resettled to scores of countries on five continents. Finally, more than 20 years of
civil war, capped by the excesses of the lunatic fringe of jihadists, has corroded faith in Islam for
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Posted on: http://www.xogsheeg.com/p=3219 Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 by Midnimo xogsheeg@hotmail.com
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7 February 2012
St Francis Magazine is published by Arab Vision and Interserve 41