Feature Story

Radio Program Broadcasts Peace in Bangladesh

By Kari Wynn*
EDITOR'S NOTE: Kari Wynn is a Journeyman serving two years as a writer in the South Asia region.
* Name changed for security purposes.

DHAKA, Bangladesh--Throughout the capital city of Dhaka, the call to prayer perforates the early morning air, spilling out from the tops of mosques on nearly every street corner, a reminder that prayer is better than sleep. In this country of 149 million people, 86 percent follow Islam. Bangladesh, a country about the size of Arkansas, is considered a moderate Muslim nation. The influence of Islamic teachers is significant, especially among the many nonliterate people living in villages outside Bangladesh’s larger cities.

Yet, God’s love knows no boundaries, and His representatives in the area have been developing new ways to reach out to the lost people of Bangladesh. Though many people in the villages cannot read the Bible, “If you (tell) it in story form, you’ve got a group of listeners like you wouldn’t believe,” volunteer Ed Schneider, 71, said.

Last fall, a radio program began doing just that throughout Bangladesh. The program is a drama in which a Muslim-background believer shares the Gospel with two of his friends using the Quran as a bridge to share about Jesus.

The program’s nine episodes repeat at the end of each cycle. The first episode shares truths about Isa (Jesus) from the Quran, using Quranic verses to point to the truth of the Injil (New Testament), which many Muslims also consider holy. Then, the second episode picks up sharing the full story of the Good News.

Muslims believe that there are 99 known names for Allah, but that 100 names exist, the last being unknown to man. The program opens the door by teaching that Isa is the 100th name. Using this, Christians are able to share the message of Isa, beginning with passages in the Quran.

This method is beneficial since most of the Muslims the program reaches do not have a clear knowledge of what the Quran says and their imams, or religious teachers, tell them that today’s Bible is corrupt.

“They know so much, but they know it so wrongly,” said Claire Mwendo, 31, a volunteer who spent time in many villages getting feedback from those listening to the program.

Upon launching the program, a group of national Christians tried to establish radio-listening groups in various villages. These partners visited many villages, searching for persons of peace (see Luke 10) to give radios. Along with the radios, they also gave out a challenge. They asked the villagers to listen to the program for three months. At the end of this time, they promised that someone would return to discuss the program with them.

They also set up a phone number and post office box for listeners to use to call or send in questions.

“It started out slowly, but lately calls and letters have begun to pour in,” program representative Dean Kaufman* said.

Rasul*, 20, a national Christian, is a primary call-taker for the program. He said feedback has been very positive and most people want to know more.

“There have been a few (negative calls),” he admitted. “They accuse us of telling lies, but in those cases, we send the caller the information and ask them to compare it to the Quran.”

The next step is to send Christians to follow up with those who have been listening to the program. The goal is to turn listening groups into fully functioning house churches. With this in mind, the Christians go to villages to answer questions in person, find out how the people are responding to the program, and when appropriate, challenge villagers to take the next step in following Christ.

“I was amazed at how they listened to us and accepted us,” volunteer Betty Schneider, 69, said.

Since the teachings of the imams are so central to the Muslims’ faith, Christian believers arriving to teach the truths of Christ trigger consideration on the part of the people, Rasul said. The Christians are able to put a valuable visible presence behind the truths that the people hear on the radio.

“We can’t go everywhere … but the radio – that’s a good way,” Rasul said.