Nasraani (pl. nasaara) is what they call us here. Not just us, but anyone white from Europe or North America. It is a reference to Nazareth, as in Jesus of Nazareth. Essentially it means “Christian.” Let that sink in for a moment. The UN workers who come to Chad for humanitarian reasons, and who also drink alcohol and live generally worldly lives – “Christians.” The French military, in Chad for over a century now, who drink alcohol, eat pork, and visit not-so-reputable women – “Christians.” The people in movies produced by Hollywood – all “Christians.”
Something important to understand about Islam is that it’s not simply a religion, concerning itself with matters of faith. Islam is a culture, a political system, a religion – it’s a way of life. You are born into Islam (when your Father whispers the Muslim “shahada”, or testimony in your ear as a baby), you don’t choose it. And you don’t leave. There is no separation between church and state. Because of this, people who’ve grown up as Muslims assume that Christianity is the same way. And they look at the “Christian” West and see rampant immorality tolerated, even celebrated, and this is what they think being a Christian means. Of course many Muslims misunderstand the concept of the Trinity, assuming we are polytheists who’ve associated other creatures (Jesus, Mary) with the one God. But along with that they see the filth churned out by Hollywood, the immorality celebrated in western culture, the general cultural ignorance (not to mention immodesty) of Americans who travel abroad, and this is what Christianity is in their minds.
So what’s my point? Should we avoid the word “Christian” at all costs, as many in missions today suggest? I don’t think so. It’s a biblical word. It has 2000 years of history (although admittedly that also brings baggage). But we must work to distinguish the true from the false, and recover the original definition of the word from when it was first used at Antioch (Acts 11:26) – those who follow Jesus with all their hearts and consider it a great privilege to be associated with him and called by his name.