People group profile · PG011852
The Zuara of Libya
The Zuara of Libya, numbering about 44,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Berber people of Libya's coast whose language had no official status under Italian rule or after 1951 independence, then faced repression after Libya's 1973 Cultural Revolution made teaching it treasonous under a ban on denying Arab identity.
They are an indigenous people in the Amazigh-Saharan people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Nafusi.
Fast facts
- Country
- Libya
- Population
- 44,000
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Amazigh-Saharan
- Primary language
- Nafusi (jbn)
- Primary religion
- Sunni 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
- Region
- Northern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Al Jabal al Gharbi and Nalut districts: Jabal Nafusah, Nalut, Tripolitania, and Yafran areas, isolated on Zuara Coast west of Tripoli
Where they live
Gospel status
The Zuara 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 Zuara
- 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
Sunni Islam · Islam
100% adherents
Primary language
Nafusi · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Nafusi
Gospel resources in Nafusi
- Bible available, published -
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Zuara
- 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.
- 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.
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