While watching some bellydance videos on you tube today I was thinking about how the dance is a celebration of womanhood and that most women enjoy it once they try it. Then I got a mental image of a woman wearing garments while trying to bellydance and my thought process totally derailed.

Are there Mormons in the Arab world? Do missionaries even go to the Middle East? I just can't imagine a Middle Eastern woman buying into a religion like that. Islam can be restrictive enough but at least their women get to let their hair down when around other women. Not being able to take garments off ever wouldn't fly I think.

Have you guys ever heard of Mormons doing stuff in the Middle East? I haven't, wonder why not?

Even mormons like to keep their heads attached to their bodies.

This was my thought as well! But I know some of the countries are much more tolerant than others...

YES there are but in the Arab world, they call them Moslems.

There are some. I only know because a lady in our ward lived in an Arab country for a while and talked about going to LDS church there - I don't remember where...

I might "pay" to witness a religious discussion between a Muslim and a Mormon.

It really wasn't all that fun.

They'd just yell in our faces that "Jesus was ONLY A PROPHET! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!!"

There's nothing really to discuss after that.

I spoke with more Muslims than Christians as a missionary in Europe. Those conversations never went anywhere in terms of conversions, but at least they were polite to us. Intense, but polite. The Christians just weren't interested at all. What a collosal waste of time. Sigh.

Bussiness and military organizations have taken american religions into the Arab world. Soldiers and bussinessmen have shared mormonism in the Arab world.

It is not leagl according to the religious intolerance of most Arab government and the close scruinty they keep on missionary activity. So anything done is person to person conversations and usually is not done through books and / or written literature.

My old bishop was in Saudi Arabia on bussiness for about four years and had his family there with him and talked to other mormons and they got together and worshiped together. They got into some serious trouble when they invited a local co-worker to a sunday meeting at his house/apt. Ended up in trouble with the ministry of religion in the country.

So it is there but not completly legal to pratice openly.

That's where they send missionaries they don't like.

They wait for them to die (like they did with Malcom X and allegedly Muhammed) then they baptize them.

It is much easier to convince someone into becoming part of LDS Inc after they are dead, however, they tend to pay a lot less tithe.

Technically all non mormon faiths are tolerated under Islamic law. They are just required to pay a special tax, for not being Muslim, and not allowed to recruit or practice rituals openly.
There are still Christian catholic and orthodox Arabs, but only by being born into a christian family. Saddam Hussein's number 2 man Taraq Aziz is Christian and in prison for war crimes now. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariq_Aziz

The tscc's token Arab Mormon and he is a bishop

http://saintsalive.com/resourcelibrary/mormonism/the-mormon-church-israel-and-the-arabs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8uIt_BegwU

I personally know a missionary who served in my state. He is Jordanian. Converted in Jordan, along with his brother, sister, and mother. His story is quite remarkable. He was one of the only elders in our state who spoke Arabic. His sister served on temple square, at the same time he was serving here. He spoke to her regularly, because she would call him with referrals for this area. He regularly had permission to travel outside his mission area for discussions with local Arabic speaking investigators. He explained at length how the church operates in his country. It truly is fascinating.

I grew to really admire this young man. His love for Jesus was evident in everything he did and said. He also really gave us great insight to his family and culture. It was truly a pleasure to know him.

There used to be a large branch in Amman. I remembe when the branch had four missionaries out simultaneously. And there used to be a couple of branches in Beirut, but that was before all their problems. I don't know how it's going now.

There have been servicmen's/diplomats' groups before in Cairo and in Bahrain. Can't think of any other.

? Does the online 'Ward locater' work for those countries?
that could be a clue...

Morg mishies are not allowed in the middle east in many of the countries.

I visited the UAE and met Mormons. One guy I was visiting had to leave for a meeting at church (Mormon church).

I'd bet that any Mormons in such countries are either western expats or Christian Arabs who converted.

Leaving Islam in any Muslim country is very dangerous, since Islam proscribes the death penalty for apostasy. In some countries this is law, while in others individuals would take this Islamic rule into their own hands and suffer little punishment.

Also, women in Islam have it much worse than in Mormonism, often.

There are a lot of LDS Military service members.