Malay, Cocos Islands in Australia

People Name:	Malay, Cocos Islands
Country:	Australia
10/40 Window:	No
Population:	1,300
World Population:	8,500
Primary Language:	Malay, Cocos Islands
Primary Religion:	Islam
Christian Adherents:	0.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.00 %
Scripture:	Translation Needed
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	No
People Cluster:	Malay
Affinity Bloc:	Malay Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Cocos Malays are the majority population of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a territory of Australia. The Malay were the first permanent inhabitants of the island, along with Alexander Hare. They were brought as slaves and members of his harem. When a previous claimant, John Clunies-Ross, arrived a year later in 1827, he took the island back, employing the existing population in the harvest of coconuts. Because of the unbroken European rule of the islands, the culture has been mostly Western.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Cocos Malay have their own dress code. Those in the Australian mainland, however, conform to Australian dress habits. They have their own language, but to function in Australia, they must be fluent in English.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Cocos Malay people are Sunni Muslims 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.

What Are Their Needs?

The Cocos Malay need to hear about the love and protection of the Lord. As it stands, they have no safeguard from the assault of the enemy of mankind.

Prayer Points

Pray for a movement to Jesus to multiply among families and communities. Pray for the Lord to anoint and thrust our workers to the Cocos Malay people. Pray for them to understand that the Lord wants to bless them with spiritual abundance.