Byari in Australia


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Beary people trace their roots to Arab sailors and traders who arrived in South India 1400 years ago. There was intermarriage with the visiting Muslim Arabs. This group became one of India's first Muslim communities. Through the centuries, they had to fight off Portuguese and British invaders. We now call them the Byari people. A small number have left India and settled in Australia.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Byari women loved to wear gold and silver colored ornaments. This love for ornaments came from imitating the Jains. Though they wear the Islamic burqa or Abaya when they are in public, they still wear ornaments.
Because of their small population in Australia, the Byaris probably socialize largely with other Muslims, especially those from South Asia.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Byari people are Sunni Muslims who believe that the supreme God, Allah, spoke through his prophet, Mohammed, and taught mankind how to live a righteous life through the Koran and the Hadith. To live a righteous life, you must utter the Shahada (a statement of faith), pray five times a day facing Mecca, fast from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca if you have the means. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol, eating pork, gambling, stealing, slandering, and making idols. They gather for corporate prayer on Friday afternoons at a mosque, their place of worship.
The two main holidays for Sunni Muslims are Eid al Fitr, the breaking of the monthly fast and Eid al Adha, the celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah.
Sunni religious practices are staid and simple. They believe Allah has pre-determined our fates; they minimize free will.
In most of the Muslim world, common people depend on the spirit world for their daily needs since they regard Allah as too distant. Allah may determine their eternal salvation, but the spirits determine how well they live on a daily basis. For that reason, some Muslims appease spirits using charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces. More orthodox Muslims consider these practices heretical and un-Islamic.


What Are Their Needs?

The Byari people need the Holy Spirit to direct them into a loving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. There are plenty of Australians who follow the Lord who can share the Savior with them. Who will go?


Prayer Items

Pray for the Byari culture to be renewed and enhanced by a work of the Holy Spirit and shaped into a God-centered and God-honoring mold.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among their family and community leaders to seek his face and enjoy his blessings.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers who will be compelled to nurture a movement to Christ among the Byari people in Australia.
Pray that soon the Byari people will have faith that will lead them to live honorable lives that will draw others to the only Savior.


Scripture Prayers for the Byari in Australia.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beary_language
https://iqbalsoofi.wordpress.com/beary/


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Byari (Beary)
People Name in Country Byari
Alternate Names
Population this Country 3,700
Population all Countries 466,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous No
Progress Scale Progress Gauge
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 21707
ROP3 Code 118495
Country Australia
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Australia
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Country Australia
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Australia
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Estimated Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity
4.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
96.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Konkani (3,700 speakers)
Language Code knn   Ethnologue Listing
Written / Published Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Konkani (3,700 speakers)
Language Code knn   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Konkani
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.