Missions in Cyberspace

By George King

"The terrorist attack was shameful for me. I feel guilty. No more Qur'an, no more Islam-you have betrayed your own sons. I wore the face of Islam for many years. But no longer will I be frightened or ashamed. Yes, my friends will leave me.but my new friends will be good."

Muhammad bravely sent the above email to 200 other Muslims in his online discussion group the week after 9/11. He is but one of a growing number who question the faith of their fathers. Many others are at least rethinking what it means to be a Muslim. They are educated, independent thinkers who interact with each other using the Internet. They also welcome non-Muslims, like me. I joined that group to share Christ as a "cyber-missionary." Since 1999, I have witnessed to countless followers of Islam from all over the globe, many in countries where face-to-face evangelism is impossible.

For example, Saudi Arabia forbids missionary activity, and yet one million of its citizens visit the outside world traveling the "information superhighway." Throughout the Arab world, eight million Muslims "surf the web," but few may ever meet a Christian. Actually, 85% of all Muslims are non-Arab, living in places like Indonesia , Malaysia , and the Indian sub-continent, where Internet access is skyrocketing.

Is the Internet a valid mission field? After 18 months of emails, one Muslim friend wrote, "Jesus is definitely LORD! He is my God and Savior as well. There is something Islam does not offer me and that is a relationship with God." His reaction reveals the extent to which missions in cyberspace can reach Muslims everywhere with the good news.

How Can You Reach Out through the Internet?

Online Bible studies, prayer chains, "digitracts," chatting in chat rooms, and posting on message boards are all ways to minister to others online. Read Tips for Cyber-Evangelism for advice on how you can become a cyber-missionary, and check out www.al-kitab.org as an example of cyber-evangelism targeted to Muslims.