Press Release
12 September 2008

Open Doors calls on Christians to adopt practical approach to loving Muslims - 'Try fasting one day in Ramadan to see what it is like'

Following the successful launch of its A Call to Prayer campaign for Muslims during the month of Ramadan, international Christian charity Open Doors is calling upon Christians to build upon the major prayer focus by embracing a very practical approach to loving their Islamic friends and neighbours.

The initiative takes the forms of ten steps which Christians may adopt as they seek to understand more about Islamic religion, life and culture. The ten steps are:

• Trying fasting one day in Ramadan to see what it is like
• Taking Muslim neighbours appropriate food at the breaking of the fast, at about 7.30pm each evening
• Asking them to tell you about their Ramadan experiences
• Delivering by hand a Ramadan card
• Taking opportunities to talk about when and why Christians fast
• Finding out what opportunities there are locally to serve the needs of Muslim families, for example by offering English conversation
• Being a good neighbour in other practical ways
• Learning more about Muslims, their faith and culture, by reading Friendship First by Steve Bell
• Obtaining Open Doors' Thirty Days Prayer Guide and using it each day to join with hundreds of thousands of fellow-Christians around the world in praying for Muslims
• Watch a film or read a novel, such as Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, which are based in a Muslim country

Paul Tew, Open Doors' Supporter Relations Director, commented: "We are receiving reports of Christians who are taking this seriously and are reaching out to their Muslim neighbours in prayer and in practical ways. We now hope to build further on the success of the 'A Call to Prayer' event and encourage more Christians to put their words into action."

A Call to Prayer began on 31st August – the day before the start of Ramadan. The campaign, which urges Christians to adopt a fresh and dynamic approach to Muslims, is characterised by the acronym I.S.L.A.M. – I Sincerely Love All Muslims.