Most of the Azerbaijanis in Canada live in Toronto. There have been five waves of Azerbaijanis going to Canada, and the first wave was in the 1930s. Traditionally Canada has been willing to take refugees from dangerous parts of the world, and most Azerbaijanis have fled to Canada because of political instability or war such as the Iranian Revolution in 1979 or the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia from 1988-92.

Azerbaijanis have entered Canada at different times, which means that the degree they are acculturated is different for different generations.

Being small in number, the Azerbaijanis have needed to blend into the ways of Canada, yet they do not forget their own unique culture. Azerbaijanis speak a language that is Turkic. Every year they hold the Novruz Bayrami festival, a celebration of both the coming of spring and the new year. They celebrate with their own music, dance and food. Christian believers who want to reach out them can attend these events and make friends on an informal basis.

Azerbaijanis can be either Sunni or Shia Muslim. Both Sunnis and Shias agree that Allah is the one true God and that Mohammad was his messenger. They both practice the Five Pillars of Islam, but there are some major differences. The?Shias believe that Mohammad's successor should be someone in his bloodline, namely Ali. The Sunnis believed a pious individual who would follow the Prophet's teachings was the right choice. Because some of their leaders have faced violent, martyr's death, Shias understand that a righteous man can be killed by the unrighteous. For this reason, Christ's death on a Roman cross isn't as foreign to them as it is to Sunnis.

There are only about 50 Azerbaijanis in Canada who follow Jesus. Pray that they will stay connected with their community and be salt and light to their Muslim neighbors and family members.

Pray for a Christ-ward movement among Azerbaijanis that will result in fellowships of believers in Azerbaijan and Canada.

Pray for spiritual discernment and hunger among the Azerbaijanis in Canada.

Scripture Prayers for the Azerbaijani, Azeri Turk in Canada.