People group profile · PG011704
The Behdini of Iraq
The Behdini of Iraq, numbering about 4,435,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are Kurdish speakers of the Bahdini dialect named for the Emirate of Bahdinan, founded around 1376, whose fortress capital at Amadiya governed Duhok and the Zebari lands until Ottoman reforms abolished the emirate in 1843.
They are an indigenous people in the Kurd people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Northern Kurdish.
Fast facts
- Country
- Iraq
- Population
- 4,435,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Kurd
- Primary language
- Northern Kurdish (kmr)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Behdini are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting
Next steps for the Behdini
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
90% adherents
Primary language
Northern Kurdish · Indo-European family
99% speak Northern Kurdish
Gospel resources in Northern Kurdish
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Kurmanji Standard)
- JESUS (Kurdish, Afrini)
- JESUS (Kurmanji - Cis)
- JESUS (Kurdi, Behdini)
- Magdalena (Kurdi, Behdini)
- Magdalena (Kurmanji Standard)
Bibles
- 2005 United Bible Society · audio
- 2019 Kurdish Literature Association · video, audio, text
- Transcaucasia · video, audio, text
- Transcaucasia · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Behdini
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
Behdini in other countries
The same people (ROP3 114534) is reported in 1 other country.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behdini Kurds | United States | 11,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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