Koli (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

Very little is known about the history of the Koli people, and there is conflicting information about their origins. There are several Koli subgroups. The Koli people of Pakistan speak the Sindhi language.
According to one source, the Koli were once a fishing community.


Where Are they Located?

The Koli Muslim people are located in southeast Pakistan. They are primarily concentrated in the lower Thar Desert, (also known as the Great Indian Desert) east of the Indus River. Most of the Thar Desert is in India, and it forms a natural boundary between these two hostile nations. It is one of the world's largest desert regions.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The traditional occupation of the coastal Koli is fishing, although many are now employed in schools and government offices. Other Koli people work in agriculture. As sharecroppers, they raise cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, corn, and oil seeds. The biggest problem for the farmers is the control of the water supply. Some of the tribes live near the eastern tributaries of the Indus River, which overflows in July and August, serving as an irrigation system for their crops. The Koli tribes living in the eastern portion of the Thar Desert raise livestock. This region displays sand dunes with patches of clay. Camels are their transportation. Life is hard for the Thar people, especially the women who must collect firewood and water each day.
Koli people exhibit a vivid array of colors in their paintings and other artistic designs.

Some live in simple houses with thatched roofs, mud walls, and dirt floors; others live in decorative homes with tiled roofs, brick walls, and paved or cement floors.

Most of the Koli people live in poverty. Less than half of them are literate. Their social status is considered low, but not "impure." Their spiritual poverty is most desperate.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Koli people in Pakistan are 100 percent Sunni Muslim; they are unreached and unengaged. They live in an Islamic republic with a Sunni majority. Shari 'a law is increasingly applied throughout Pakistan. There is a degree of religious freedom promised to minorities by law, but in practice, non-Muslims and non-Sunnis must practice their faith cautiously or risk attack by the Sunni Muslim majority. Pakistan is noted on the Open Doors Persecution List of 50 countries as number four.


What Are Their Needs?

The Koli people need to know that true peace and love can only be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Of the four Koli groups in Pakistan, only the Parkari Koachchhi have access to portions of Scripture in their own language. Due to their low literacy rate, they first need to be taught how to read so that they might understand God's word when it becomes available to them.

Evangelistic resources in the Sindhi language such as Christian radio broadcasts, television programs, and the JESUS Film are desperately needed to reach these illiterate groups. Perhaps Christian teachers will have the greatest opportunities to live and work among the Koli.


Prayer Points

Pray for a team of knowledgeable believers to help the Koli people build and maintain wells in their desert homeland.
Pray for the Koli people to have easy access to the many Christian resources that are available to them in the Sindhi language.
Pray for a disciple-making movement to begin among the Koli people and spread to other Muslim peoples in Pakistan. Poverty and illiteracy plague the Koli people.
Pray that the many gospel resources will soon be available, along with people to help them understand God's truth.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will help them to turn to Jesus for answers.


Scripture Prayers for the Koli (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan.


References

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17595/PK
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17247/PK
http://wwwprayway.com/unreached/clusters/8081.html
http:/kcm.co.kr/bethany_eng/clusters/8081.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Koli-caste
http://www.dawn.com/news/1102038
http://www. Prayway.com/unreached/clusters/8081.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koli_people
https://www.revolvy.com/topic/Koli%20people&item_type=topic
https://www.operationworld.org


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Koli (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Koli (Muslim traditions)
Pronunciation KOH-lee
Alternate Names Koli of Gujarat; Kori; कोली (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 85,000
Population all Countries 97,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 2
PeopleID3 17595
ROP3 Code 113025
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 2
Largest States
Sindh
85,000
Islamabad
300
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 2
  Sindh 85,000
  Islamabad 300
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest Pakistan census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Sindhi (65,000 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 10
Secondary Languages
Urdu
5,700
Dhatki
4,300
Kacchi
3,800
Koli, Wadiyari
1,600
Saraiki
900
Koli, Kachi
600
Koli, Parkari
600
Marwari (Pakistan)
400
Gurgula
100
Primary Language Sindhi (65,000 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 10
Secondary Languages
  Urdu 5,700
  Dhatki 4,300
  Kacchi 3,800
  Koli, Wadiyari 1,600
  Saraiki 900
  Koli, Kachi 600
  Koli, Parkari 600
  Marwari (Pakistan) 400
  Gurgula 100
People Groups Speaking Sindhi

Primary Language:  Sindhi

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1825-1981)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1890-1992)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1954)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Sindhi Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Sindhi Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Keith Carey 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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