People group profile · PG011713
The Hawrami of Iraq
The Hawrami of Iraq, numbering about 46,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an Iranian (Iranic) ethnolinguistic community indigenous to the Hawraman/Uramanat region of the Zagros Mountains in western Iran and northeastern Iraq, distinguished by the Hawrami (Gorani) language and a highly adapted mountain culture.
They are an indigenous people in the Kurd people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Gurani.

Fast facts
- Country
- Iraq
- Population
- 46,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Kurd
- Primary language
- Gurani (hac)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Gurani, Gorani, Awromani, Bajalani
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
- Location
- Kermanshah province; Kordestan province: Iraq border area, Hewraman
Where they live
Gospel status
The Hawrami are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Hawrami
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Shia Islam · Islam
95% adherents
Primary language
Gurani · Indo-European family
25% speak Gurani
Gospel resources in Gurani
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (Kurdi, Hawrami)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Hawrami
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
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