Khorasani Turk in Iran

People Name:	Khorasani Turk
Country:	Iran
10/40 Window:	Yes
Population:	1,017,000
World Population:	1,017,000
Primary Language:	Khorasani Turkish
Primary Religion:	Islam
Christian Adherents:	0.00 %
Evangelicals:	0.00 %
Scripture:	Unspecified
Online Audio NT:	No
Jesus Film:	No
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Azerbaijani
Affinity Bloc:	Turkic Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

The Khorasani Turks live in the northern part of the Khorasan Province of eastern Iran. Over the centuries their homeland has been reduced by frequent raids and invasions.
Khorasan remains the largest province in Iran and is an important agricultural area. Khorasani Turks are a forgotten people, living in a place that has very little gospel witness.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Khorasani Turks live in an important agricultural area where the climate is cool in summer and cold in winter. They live in a fertile area where they can grow crops including wheat, barley, rice, cotton, beets, potatoes, alfalfa, melons, and caraway. They raise livestock such as sheep, goats and cows. These animals provide them with milk, butter, oil, and meat. Some are craftsmen of jewelry and glassware while others make carpets, rugs and tapestries.
Education was hard to come by for the Khorasani Turks in times past. A single village leader would serve as educator for basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now, traditional schools are becoming available, but women and girls maintain a low literacy rate.
The family, led by the father, is the major social unit.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Khorasani Turks are 100 percent Shia Muslim, and their society is organized around traditional Muslim rules. As Muslims they understand the importance of praying five times a day facing Mecca. Those who can afford it will make the pilgrimage to Mecca, but few Khorasani Turks have the means to do so. Most all Muslim communities celebrate the feast of Ramadan each year. They turn this time of fasting into a time of feasting when the sun goes down.
Shia practices tend toward the ecstatic. They affirm human free will, and they differ with the Sunni Muslims in matters of law and ceremony. Unlike the Sunnis, Shias believe that Mohammad's successor should be someone in his bloodline, namely Ali. 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.

What Are Their Needs?

The Khorsani Turks need a gospel witness. Their homeland is currently almost completely devoid of any way for them to find their way to the cross.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to reveal himself to the Khorsani Turks through dreams and visions, drawing them to himself.
Pray that God will cause the revelation of his love and his word to run swiftly across Iran until He is honored and worshiped by the Khorsani Turks.
With modern technology there are possible inroads through satellite television and radio. Pray for this to happen.