Religious Place Names

Mecca, Saudi Arabia: The name of this city is believed to have derived from the Arabic word “makorab” (“shrine”).

Benghazi, Libya: This modern name of this city is probably from a local Muslim saint,  Marsa ibn Ghazi.

Baku, Azebiajan: There are several possible origins for this name.  One explains the name as being from Iranian “abad” = “town” plus “ku” = “fire,”  a reference to the existence of a fire worship religion.

Asuncion, Paraguay: Asuncion is Spanish for “Assumption.” The city was founded in 1536 on the day of the Feast of the Assumption.

Arkhangelsk, Russia:  The name means “Archangel.”

The Current State of Christianity in the Persian Gulf Countries

This blog has readers from eighty-seven countries including several located in the Persian Gulf area.  The article here discusses the current state of Christianity in these nations.

"Paradoxes of our time. It is at least three decades that the land which gave birth to Islam and the Prophet is top on the chart of the areas in the world where Christianity is at its maximum increase. However, it is not an increase due to conversions. In these lands the possibility to embrace the Christian faith still continues to be illegal. The increase finds its origins in a massive migration flow which concerns all the countries of the Gulf." Giuseppe Caffulli, Director of Reviews and the Website of the Custody of the Holy Land, from a 2010 article from the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

Ismailis in Najran, Saudi Arabia Honor Their History

Najran is a booming city in Saudi Arabia.  From a population of only 47,500 in 1974, it has erupted to an official population of 246,880 in the 2004 census (some believe the actual count may be 500,000).  Most of the inhabitants are of the Banu Yam tribe and are Ismaili Shiites.  This means that they accept Ismail ibn Jafar ( the Ismailis) as the successor to Imam Jafar as-Sadiq, rather than Ismail's brother, Musa al-Kazim (the Twelvers).  The Ismailis are more metaphysical and mystical than the Twelvers.

About 524 AD/CE, the Jewish king of Himyar (South Arabia), Yusuf As'ar Dhu Nuwas (aka Yusuf As'ar Yathar) invaded the area and demanded that the Christian inhabitants become Jews.  When they refused, as many as 20,000 were martyred by being thrown into fiery ditches and burned to death.  Charred bones have been found during excavations of what locals call "al ukhdood," "the trenches."

The modern Ismailis of Najran are outsiders, considered to be heretics by Sunni Muslims.  They consider the Christian martyrs to have been heroes and one modern Najrani clearly stated how they feel. "This story means so much to us.  Our life and our struggle today comes from those martyrs who gave their lives for their beliefs."