SHIRAZI SWAHILI

The Swahili are a mixed group of people speaking closely related forms of Bantu speech, living on islands and coastal areas of East Africa from Kismayu to Kilwa and the Comoro Islands. (The dialects in the Comoros are considered by some to be a separate language.) Originally the Swahili people lived as far south as Kilimani in Mozambique. Shirazi is a name used by some to identify their heritage from the ancient Persian empire, whose capital province was Shiraz. Shirazi sometimes consider themselves as a separate ethnic group from the Swahili, but Swahili is their mother tongue. The famous, elite Mazruis of Mombasa are Shirazis.

The Swahili community developed as a people group as Arab and Persian traders established business contacts and married local women. The resulting people were Islamic Bantu-speaking fishers and traders, living in city-states varying from governorships to republics, with allegiance to the Sultan of Oman and the later independent Sultan of Zanzibar. They are traditional Sunni Muslims, mostly Shafiite. The people's features vary from Arab or European to Bantu. Some African Muslims will call themselves Swahilis though they speak a different tribal tongue including one group of coastal Kikuyus, who speak Kikuyu and whose women wear buibuis, the black Muslim robe and veil.

The actual languages vary from Standard Swahili (Kiswahili Sanifu), with Mvita (Mombasa Old Town) the most prestigious. Amu (Lamu) has the oldest literary tradition with the epic poem al-Inkishafi, dating about A.D. 1000. The language of each town or island, named after the place, has its own characteristics. The Bajun, considered a separate ethnic group in the Kenya census, are also Swahili. Other Kenya Swahilis are Kiyu, Pate, Shela (Lamu Islands), Ozi (now largely Muslim Pokomo), and Vumba (Vanga to Tanga, Tanzania, and Wasini Island). Pate, Siyu and related languages are considered by some as Bajun dialects."

• Country: Kenya
• Percent Christian: 82.1%
• Percent Evangelical: 34%
• Population (Year): 30.8 million (1995)
• Major Religion: Christianity
• Openness to Missionaries: Open"

1. HAVE THEY HEARD THE GOSPEL?

Ratio of pastors/evangelists to population: (total pastors and evangelists-0)

Ratio of missionaries to population: (total missionaries-0)

Who is Jesus Christ to them?

0% Believe Jesus is the Son of God and are nominally Christians
0% Believe in the Son of God and have accepted Him as their Saviour
100% Believe Jesus is a Prophet, Teacher, Good Man, but not God's Son
?% Believe in local, traditional religion rather than in Jesus
0% Believe Jesus is a myth
?% Have never heard His name

2. HAVE THEY RESPONDED TO THE GOSPEL?

No.

3. DO THEY HAVE A CHURCH?

Ratio of churches to population: (total churches-0)

Total number of communities (cities, towns, villages): number of communities is unknown Churches that use the Swahili language cater to other tribes and cultures rather than to the Swahili people.

4. DO THEY HAVE THE WORD OF GOD TRANSLATED INTO THEIR MOTHER TONGUE?

Yes. There is the old Standard Swahili (100 years old-in literary language), the Good News version which uses the modern language, and the Living Bible in modern, Semi-colloquial Swahili.

5. ANY HINDRANCES TO USE OF THE SCRIPTURE?

Literacy Rate: 95%
Most Swahilis read Standard Swahili.

6. WHAT OTHER FORMS OF GOSPEL PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

Recordings: Yes
Literature: Yes
Films: ""Jesus"" film
Radio: Yes
Video: Yes
Audiovisual: ""Jesus"" video

7. ARE THEY RECEPTIVE TO CHANGE AND TO CHRISTIANITY?

They are moderately open to social change, but they range from indifferent to hostile toward Christianity.

8. IS OUTSIDE (CROSS-CULTURAL) ASSISTANCE REQUIRED FROM MISSIONARIES?

Yes, there is not a strong effort to present the gospel to Swahilis. Training for missionaries on how to contact Muslims is needed. Any missionary going to this area needs to have a strong prayer team behind him and be well versed in spiritual warfare."