Communities Around the World: First Stop the Silk Road.

The Silk Road is the land between China and Europe. Traders crossed back and forth over this land for thousands of years. Most of the people of the Silk Road are Muslims. However 70 years of Marxist propaganda in Central Asia left little formal knowledge of Islam, so for many people only the folk superstitions survived. Many Turks, for example, pride themselves on their liberal interpretation of Islam. Turkish aspirations to join the European Union have fostered the desire for more freedoms. Religious nationalism still results in the persecution of religious minorities, such as Christians. Iran opposes the West in the name of Islam, but disillusionment with the regime has led to great interest in other faiths, especially Christianity. Where there is war and poverty, Islamic fundamentalism is on the rise and strengthening. Iraq is on the verge of further unrest once the Americans completely pull out the end of 2011.

The Turks

The Turks were nomadic peoples who burst out of the steppes of Central Asia and astonished the world as they captured Baghdad and Constantinople. Now the languages and cultures of the Turks of Turkey, the Azeris of Azerbaijan, the Turkmen, the Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgys and Uighurs of Northwest China are closely related, with a shared feeling of kinship.

The Persians

The Persians were the first to dominate this region. Darius' empire spread from the Aegean Sea to the Pamir Mountains. Persian language and culture and their early conversion to Islam impacted the lives of everyone under their influence. Today, the people of Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan are proud of their Persian heritage, its poetry and its carpets.

The Muslim peoples of the Silk Road related themselves back to Ishmael, the son of Abraham. Many are disillusioned with hypocrisy and corruption. They are tired of poverty and hopelessness. There is a cry in their hearts for righteousness, peace and acceptance from God.

Here is an excellent resource for reading more about peace with God or Allah in your own language.