Germany's Evangelicals Are Praying for Muslims During Ramadan Against Backdrop of Terrorism
Evangelicals across Germany have committed to praying for Muslims during their holy month of Ramadan.
Millions of Muslims around the world have been fasting between sunrise and sunset for the 30 days of Ramadan, which ends on June 25.
The Evangelical Alliance of Germany said it was a "challenge to regard Muslims in an unbiased way when Islamic extremists are carrying out attacks worldwide."
A wave of Islamist-related terrorism has hit Europe, with fatal terrorist attacks carried out in Belgium, France, Sweden, and Germany in recent years.
In the past few weeks, three extremists killed seven people in a terrorist attack on London Bridge and 22 in a suicide bomb attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. In March, another terrorist attack was carried out on Westminster Bridge, also in London, in which four people were killed.
One of the most deadly attacks to affect Germany occurred in the capital Berlin just before Christmas Day last year, when an extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market.
The '30 Days of Prayer for the Islamic World' initiative is led jointly by the Evangelical Alliances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and this year, has a particular focus on family.
Despite the many differences between Christian and Muslims families, the Alliance said there were also many similarities, such as the readiness of parents to sacrifice themselves to give their children a better future.
The EA's prayer initiative for Muslims has been taking place every year across Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 1996.
The initiative even has its own app where participants can receive daily prayer topics relating to the Islamic world.
Last year, an estimated one million Christians took part in the prayer campaign.
An accompanying prayer guide is available to download here.
