Women in Black - KSA Quarterly Volume# 19 Issue # 1 Date: Nov 2022

 For years my life spent reaching out to U women was a swirl of colourful silk fabrics dancing joyfully around me to the sound of rich Central Asian music. Ask anyone in my former home and they would tell you that the U people are known for three things: their singing, dancing, and brightly coloured fabric. These iconic cultural features were so prominent that they often felt like a stereotype. Since moving to my new home, I miss these familiar parts of daily life. The U people here have taken off their bright dresses and have traded them in for black hijabs. Their weddings no longer feature dancing late into the night, but instead the happy sound of music has been turned off and the dance floor is empty. I ask a few of my newfound friends about these differences, and they pointed back to the harassment and mistreatment facing their people in the homeland. “We have not followed Allah as closely as we should have so our people are being punished. We are now trying to live up to what he requires.” Their long black outfits no longer just seemed heavy in the warm fall breeze; they seem a weighty burden to bear. They also nudged my heart with the reminder of why I am here. Yes, the U people have fallen short of God’s perfect standard -- we all have. But Jesus came without condemnation that we might have life and have it abundantly. I am just starting to get to know these women, but I long that they would know the impossibility of what they are trying to do and cast themselves on the grace of Chrst.