The Northeast Pashayi, also called the Pashi, are in the South Asia Muslim - other people cluster. They live in Afghanistan, mostly in the valleys of the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan. They tend to live in valleys located near major river systems. The Northeastern Pashayi mostly live in the Kunar Province, in the side valleys between the Kunar and Pech Rivers. It is believed that the Pashayi once inhabited the northeastern plains of Afghanistan, however they were forced to move to the mountains as Pashtun warriors invaded their areas. Very few people actually refer to themselves as Pashayi, rather they call themselves Safi, Kohistanis, or Nuristanis. Pashayi, a Dardic language, is their primary language and has many dialects. The northeastern Pashayi speak the northeastern dialect of Pashayi, which is unintelligible to other Pashayi speakers. This is why there will need to be a separate church planting movement among each Pashayi subgroup.
The Pashayi are mostly rice farmers, for those living at lower elevations, and wheat and maize farmers and herders, for those living at the higher elevations. Pashayi are tribal peoples. They are often led by a village council which is the authority on issues affecting the entire village. The council is composed of extended family members from each family unit. Personal disputes are left to be resolved by the individual who was hurt in some way, which often leads to feuds. The Pashayi value masculinity and honor more than anything else. To them the ideal man is one who is a proud warrior, loyal to his family, dangerous to his enemies, and always prepared to deal with a feud. Every Pashayi man carries a knife or a gun. The Pashayi culture has a rich tradition of songs and folklore which is passed down by oral tradition. Songs are often sung about their culture and traditionally, around harvest time, the young people in the village travel to other villages to sing the songs they'd composed throughout the year.
The Pashayi converted to Sunni Islam in the late sixteenth century. Many Pashayi have maintained some Folk Islamic practices, and it is not uncommon for Pashayi men to leave their communities to study under Pakistani or Afghani holy men. There are shrines dedicated to saints throughout their areas. There are few, if any, known believers or churches among them. There are Christian audio recordings in this language.
The Pashayi people need to submit to Jesus Christ so they can experience the abundant life He offers them in John 10:10.
Pray that the Pashayi people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings. Pray for workers who are driven by the love and boldness of the Holy Spirit to go to them. Pray for a Disciple Making Movement among them to begin this decade.
Scripture Prayers for the Pashayi, Northeast in Afghanistan.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Pashayi, Northeast |
People Name in Country | Pashayi, Northeast |
Natural Name | Northeast Pashayi |
Alternate Names | Northeast Pashayi; Pashai; Pashayi |
Population this Country | 100,000 |
Population all Countries | 100,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 13996 |
ROP3 Code | 107420 |
ROP25 Code | 306584 |
ROP25 Name | Pashayi |
Country | Afghanistan | ||
Region | Asia, Central | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
Persecution Rank | 9 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Konar province: west of Asadabad, Konar and Pech rivers’ valleys; Nangarhar province: Dara-I-Nur and Kuz Konar districts. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Country | Afghanistan |
Region | Asia, Central |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
Persecution Rank | 9 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Konar province: west of Asadabad, Konar and Pech rivers’ valleys; Nangarhar province: Dara-I-Nur and Kuz Konar districts.. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
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Primary Religion: | Islam |
Religion Subdivision: | Sunni |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
1.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
99.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Pashai, Northeast | |||
Language Code | aee Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Unknown | |||
Total Languages | 2 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Pashai, Northeast |
Language Code | aee Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 2 |
Secondary Languages | |
Pashai, Southeast: Southeast | |
People Groups | Speaking Pashai, Northeast |
Primary Language: Pashai, Northeast
Bible Translation Status: Unspecified
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching | Global Recordings Network |
Photo Source | Todd Huffman - Flickr Creative Commons |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |