People group profile · PG024203
The Qashqai of Iran
The Qashqai of Iran, numbering about 2,090,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Turkic pastoral-nomadic confederation of Iran's Zagros Mountains near Shiraz, formed in the 18th century from Turkic, Kurdish, Luri and Arab clans migrating seasonally between highland and lowland pastures.
They are an indigenous people in the Azerbaijani people cluster of the Turkic Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Qashqa'i.
Fast facts
- Country
- Iran
- Population
- 2,090,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Azerbaijani
- Primary language
- Qashqa'i (qxq)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Fars province: most; Bushehr, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Esfahan, and Hormozgan provinces; Gachsaran, Firuzabad, and Shiraz are centers
Where they live
Gospel status
The Qashqai 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, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Qashqai
- 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
Shia Islam · Islam
80% adherents
Primary language
Qashqa'i · Turkic family
80% speak Qashqa'i
Gospel resources in Qashqa'i
- Bible available, published -
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Qashqa'I)
Bibles
- Korpu Ltd. · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Qashqai
- 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.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
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