The Aimaq, Taimani of Afghanistan

Over at the Joshua Project you can find a top ten list of the most unreached people groups in the world. Weighing at #1 are the Aimaq, Taimani of Afghanistan.

Who Are They? The Taimani are a large population of Char Aimaq people (a make up of four smaller clans within the Aimaq). Thus, the Char Aimaq are actually a sub-group of the Aimaq people.

Located in the mountains of Afganistan the Taimani are a semi-nomadic people. Like many peoples in Central Asia, they were nomadic before certain interactions with the U.S.S.R. brought about a change. They now leave only seasonally to graze their cattle in different, more fertile lands. They have practically disappeared off the map, sociologically speaking, since the time of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Therefore, there is not a lot of new information about the Aimaq and their language (Aimaq).

What do they believe? The Taimani are Hanafi Sunni Muslims. You can learn more about that here . This is the largest sect of Sunni Islam (49%). They know the Bible stories mentioned in the Koran but view Christianity, as most Islamic people, as heresy.

Status of Engagement: Right now there are zero believers known amongst the Taimani Aimaq. No surprise since they are #1 on the list given to us by Joshua project. Currently there is at least one agency committed to reaching the Aimaq.

They are hard to reach because of their isolation from the rest of the world. As they have said over at the Joshua Project, "The remote location and wide dispersion of the Taimani have made them hard to reach with the Gospel. At the present time, there is no Christian witness available to the Taimani. Prayer is the first step toward seeing them reached with the Light of the Gospel."

Learn More/Prayer: Since prayer requests change I won't list them here. But, here are some websites you can visit to learn more and get prayer requests for the Taimani Aimaq. You can also subscribe to a prayer letter for them on the first link.

Prayer Requests from the IMB
World Cultures (You can scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the bibliography to read about them.)

Would your church Get involved with the Taimani Aimaq?