Perna (Muslim traditions) in Pakistan

The Perna (Muslim traditions) have only been reported 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

In 1871, British colonialists labeled the Perna as a "criminal tribe" and a "Denotified and Nomadic Tribe." Both of these labels stigmatized them, and it still causes them problems today, more than 60 years after the newly independent Indian government took them out of these categories. Though they were once nomads, they are now in settled communities.

Though they are mainly Hindu, some converted to Islam hundreds of years ago, and retain this religion today.


Where Are they Located?

Muslim Perna people in India live in Punjab state, though most live over the border in Pakistan.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most are landless farm workers, though some own their own farms. Commonly they are moving to cities to take on construction jobs. Unfortunately, it is common in the Perna community for a wife to be sold into prostitution by her in-laws after she bears her first child. Her husband often doesn't work. She must "work" from 11 at night till 7 in the morning, come home and take care of the needs of her family members. Her mother in law usually collects the money from her. Perna women adamantly do not want their daughters to go into sex work, so they try to get them into good schools.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Muslim Perna people are Sunni, the largest branch of Islam. They believe that the One, Supreme God, Allah, spoken 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.

In most of the Muslim world, peoples 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 we live in our daily lives. For that reason, they must appease the spirits. The often use charms and amulets to help them with spiritual forces.


What Are Their Needs?

The Perna people need a constructive way to earn a living. Perhaps believers can help their women with the trauma of being prostitutes and teach them marketable skills.


Prayer Points

Pray for a movement of Jesus to heal and strengthen Perna families.
Pray for a "Book of Acts" type of movement to Christ among the Perna.
Pray for the Perna people to understand and embrace that Jesus wants to bless their families and neighborhoods.
Pray for Holy Spirit anointed believers from the Perna people to change their society from within.
Pray for a movement in which the Holy Spirit leads and empowers Perna disciples to make more disciples.


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


References

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/17866/IN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perna_caste
https://psmag.com/social-justice/india-perna-caste-new-delhi-prostitution-rape-womens-rights-58957
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/11/indian-caste-prostitution-hereditary-161122124031163.html
https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2017/02/perna-women-in-india/
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/04/30/518156410/the-surprising-wishes-of-indias-sex-workers


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Perna (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Perna (Muslim traditions)
Alternate Names Bangali; Gad Jhir; Parna; Perna; पेरणा (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 13,000
Population all Countries 13,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 17664
ROP3 Code 113104
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 4
Largest States
Punjab
10,000
Sindh
2,900
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
90
Islamabad
80
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 4
  Punjab 10,000
  Sindh 2,900
  Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 90
  Islamabad 80
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 Saraiki (6,200 speakers)
Language Code skr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 7
Secondary Languages
Punjabi, Western
3,800
Urdu
1,500
Sindhi
1,300
Marwari (Pakistan)
200
Dhatki
100
Hindko, Northern
20
Primary Language Saraiki (6,200 speakers)
Language Code skr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 7
Secondary Languages
  Punjabi, Western 3,800
  Urdu 1,500
  Sindhi 1,300
  Marwari (Pakistan) 200
  Dhatki 100
  Hindko, Northern 20
People Groups Speaking Saraiki
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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