Comorian, other in France

Introduction / History

Comorians are a blend of settlers from the past: Iranian traders, mainland Africans, Arabs and Malagasy. Because of poor economic conditions, the Comoro Islands receive monetary and technical support from other countries. Some Comorians move elsewhere to earn a living. The Comoro Islands were a French colony between 1841 and 1975, so it's much easier for Comorians to go to France than other Western nations.
The Comorians in France gravitate to urban centers like Paris, Marseille, Seine-Saint-Denis, Lyon, and Dunkerque. They are among many other African migrants who also live in this highly urbanized country.
In the 1960s, there was a desperate need for cheap, unskilled workers in Marseilles. Comorians filled this void, and few have returned home. Today there are Comorians who are the grandchildren of those who came in the 1960s.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Most live in Marseille, where they try to blend in and not call attention to themselves. Commonly they have low paying jobs.
France’s Comorians maintain ties to their homeland. They raise money for schools and hospitals in the Comoro Islands.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The vast majority of Comorians are Sunni Muslims, though some became Christians during the latter half of the 1990s. A few have converted to Hinduism.
Local legends claim that Islam came to the Comoros during the days of the Prophet Mohammed, suggesting that the people identify with Islam. Islam probably came to the Comoro Islands with Muslim traders, just as it had in many other parts of Africa and Asia. There have been powerful Comorian leaders in both the 1700s and the 1900s who have actively tried to see their subjects convert to Islam.
Today the Comorians in the Comoro Island and France are Muslim. However, France is a very secular environment, and that mindset could be affecting Comorians. Comorians in France are either depending on following the ways of Islam or forsaking religion altogether. Neither group has put their faith in Jesus Christ.

What Are Their Needs?

Comorians come from a rural part of the world, and those who live in France have a desperate need to learn trades that are useful in an urban country. Those who live in France often live in ghetto-like conditions because of their poverty.

Prayer Points

Pray for believers with good job skills to make it their ministry to train Comorians the skills they need in urban France.
Pray for the Comorians to open their hearts to Jesus Christ, the one who is both Savior and Lord.
Pray they will understand that he came to give them life to the full.
Pray for the few Comorian believers to be salt and light to their neighbors, leading others to Christ.

Text Source:   Joshua Project