There are many South Asians in Norway, and Pakistanis are the largest group. Before 1970 South Asian migrants preferred other European countries like the U.K. and Germany because of higher wages. When oil was discovered in the North Sea, Norwegians and South Asians took advantage of the new job opportunities. Friends and families in South Asia were told about work opportunities by those already in Norway. Agents began to transport many Pakistanis to Oslo. The Pakistanis already in Norway helped the new migrants and Norwegian authorities issued fresh work permits. Immigrant controls came into being later and this discouraged students from coming to Norway.
There are fewer Indians in Norway, though the number is still significant. They, like the Pakistanis, came in the late 1960s. Like the Pakistanis, the Indians went into semi-skilled and unskilled work that they did not do in their home countries. Some went into higher education. By 1980, women joined the men and South Asian communities began. They remain close to their families in their home countries.
Gujarati refugees came from Uganda to Norway in the 1970s. From 1987 large numbers of Tamils came as refugees from Sri Lanka. By 2000 there were more Sri Lankan Tamils in Norway than Indians.
Pakistanis remain the largest South Asian immigrant group in Norway. Today more than half of the Pakistanis are Norwegian citizens though their numbers are decreasing.
The South Asians in Norway can be Hindu, Sikh or Christian. There is a slight Sunni Muslim majority who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.
The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe that Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.
In most of the Muslim world, people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. They often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.
These people need to realize that they cannot please God without being empowered by the Holy Spirit. They cannot have the Holy Spirit without Jesus Christ.
Pray for the few South Asian believers to be filled with the love and the power of the Holy Spirit so they will be equipped to preach, teach, and disciple.
Pray that Bibles will be effectively distributed throughout Norway and have a strong spiritual impact on the South Asian peoples.
Pray for the effectiveness of the JESUS Film in Norway.
Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the South Asians in Norway.
Scripture Prayers for the South Asian, general in Norway.
www.urmila.de/english/europeindex.html
http://www.urmila.de/DesisinD/Europa/norway.html
https://www.frisch.uio.no/english/publications/?pubid=812
https://blogs.prio.org/2021/04/how-relevant-is-stopasianhate-in-norway/
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
