The Plight of Little Girls in Muslim Countries

Last September, BTJ raised funds to rescue a 3-year-old girl from the hands of an old man in Afghanistan. Her mother—desperate and without hope—had been forced to sell her own daughter. But God intervened. Our prayers were heard. Many gave generously and she was rescued.

Recently, I saw a picture of that little girl with her mother. Despite all she had endured, she wore a shy smile. Since accepting Christ, their lives have begun to change.

As my friends praised God and thanked Him for His goodness, I felt numb. Inside, the pain only grew. I began to think about how many other little girls—3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 years old—have been sold to men for their sexual pleasure.

As an ex-Muslim, I cannot forget the dark side of Islam—what it does to women and children. Even now, as I write, my eyes fill with tears. This is personal for me, because I have lived in that same darkness. I have heard the conversations. I have seen the trauma that crushes women. Jesus said, “A tree is known by its fruit.” And the fruit of Islam has been the same for centuries—slavery, abuse, and child exploitation.

I remember my own mother, a devout Muslim woman, never allowed outside after reaching puberty. She met my father for the first time on their wedding night. One day before she died, she told me, “I don’t even know the meaning of my life.” She prayed. She fasted. She lived for Allah—but she was full of hopelessness. This is the story of many, many women.

Without Jesus, where is hope? Where is meaning?

When I see these stories and consider the numbers—1.9 billion Muslims worldwide—I am struck by how little intercession we offer for them and how little effort we make to preach the Gospel. If we cannot go ourselves, can we not send those who are willing? If it were not for one missionary who gave me a small comic book-style Gospel, I would not be writing this article today. The saddest part is seeing missionaries ready to go, yet unable to leave because they cannot raise the support.

Meanwhile, in the West—once a beacon of hope—we now see Islamic apologists in public spaces like London’s Speaker’s Corner openly glorifying Muhammad and defending the marriage of girls as young as nine. They call it holy. They claim it is permissible if the parents consent.

So I ask—should the Church stop at this one rescue story? Or should we act even more urgently?

1.9 billion people remain unreached, trapped in darkness. We cannot allow the enemy to destroy our daughters and our children. Intercession must increase.

The Gospel must be preached—now.