People group profile · PG024010
The Qizilbash of Afghanistan
The Qizilbash of Afghanistan, numbering about 31,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a collection of Turkic-speaking tribes that coalesced around their loyalty to the Twelve Imams during the 15th century.
They are an indigenous people in the Persian people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Dari.
Fast facts
- Country
- Afghanistan
- Population
- 31,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Persian
- Primary language
- Dari (prs)
- 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
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- primarily in urban areas such as Kabul, Herat, and Kandahar
Where they live
Gospel status
The Qizilbash 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 Qizilbash
- 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
100% adherents
Primary language
Dari · Indo-European family
100% speak Dari
Gospel resources in Dari
- Bible available, published 2008
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- Good News for a New Age · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Qizilbash
- 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.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
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