Suffer the little children to come unto the Koran – and be beaten every day with whips and chains.
Perhaps some of you may have seen the ‘Unreported World’ program* on the plight of the boys of Senegal sent from their families in the countryside to the city to learn the Koran at Islamic ‘schools’.
The ‘schools’ are urine- soaked shacks with no electricity, no furniture, no bedding, no food, nothing, and the boys are crowded in. The ‘teachers’ are thugs with whips, knives and bicycle chains, and the boys are beaten every day. Every boy had scars of the beatings. Some had been taken to hospital with severe injuries.
The ‘teachers’ send the boys out every morning to beg. If they do not come back with at least about 30 pence (50 cents) or some food, they are beaten. The boys said it was very hard to collect that much in a day. Some of them also had chains wrapped around their hands. Some had probably been brutalized to the point where they were likely to become the next generation of thuggish 'teachers'.
The brave reporter went into the countryside to find some of the fathers of the boys, and told them what was going on. The fathers and other men just smiled and seemed unable to understand that anyone should get upset about these things.
Wonders of Islam.
What a contrast with the teachings of the Lord Jesus. Children flocked to Him, they loved Him! And when his disciples tried to keep them away, He rebuked them, saying: 'Suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God. Truly I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.'
Think of the little boy who supplied the two loaves of bread and five fish to the Lord, and Jesus so blessed his giving that 5,000 were fed that day with the little boy's lunch.
And think of the children who ran before Jesus as He entered Jerusalem on the donkey. They were ecstatic in their praises, crying out: 'Hosanna, blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord.' As He entered the Temple, and cast out all the corrupt religious rascals, the excited children were shouting 'Hosanna' in the Temple.**
Knowing what children are like, they were probably running around all over the place as they shouted and waved palm branches. What fun they must have had praising the Lord Jesus that day! They had no fear of the Lord Jesus. They knew He was their friend.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please deliver those poor tortured boys from the evil of Islam. Please let your gospel of true peace be heard in Senegal and other dark places. Turn the light on in Senegal, dear Father, and draw those people to Your Son. Convert even those evil thugs with the whips, dear Father! With You all things are possible!
*'Unreported World' is on Channel 4 in England.
**Matthew 21, especially verse 14
