The Baluch

The Baluch can trace their history back about 2000 years. Many of them call Syria their ancestral home, but the relationship between their language and Kurdish indicates origins in north-western Iran as well. Today this people group lives in a region spreading into Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. The Baluch live in mountainous uplands, where rain is sparse and unreliable. They rely on both pastoral nomadism and, to a greater extent, settled agriculture in order to survive. Many of those who live on the coast are fishermen.

Tough economic conditions have driven many of the Baluch to migrate to industrial areas. Today, one million of them are living in Karachi in Pakistan. There are also major colonies in several Gulf states.

The Baluch have a rich and ancient tradition of poetry. Many of their poems speak about their hard life in their barren homeland.

"The Baluch forts are

their mountains,

Their storehouses are the pathless rock faces,

The peaks are better than

an army for them,

The lofty heights are their friends,

Their refreshment is from

flowing springs,

The leaf of the dwarf palm

their cup,

The thorn brush their bed,

The hard ground their pillow ..."

These living conditions have made the Baluch a people renowned for their endurance, toughness, courage and independence.

Their dream of an independent Baluchistan has not yet come to fruition. On the contrary, the Baluch have been politically and economically marginalized, and there is disunity among their tribal leaders. The young people often end up addicted to heroin, as their dream of getting work is thwarted by the high unemployment rate. There are between five and six million Baluch people. Apart from a few exceptions, all are Sunni Muslims. Animistic beliefs, political ideologies and secularism also influence their daily lives. There are very few Christians among them.

Christian mission work among the Baluch is still in its infancy. The fact that much of Baluchistan is not open for expatriate workers makes reaching the people difficult. A further obstacle to the work is the fact that the language has various dialects. However, several mission groups are seeking to reach the Baluch who live in Pakistan and in places outside Baluchistan. The New Testament, which was translated some years ago, is in the process of being extensively revised. Gospel tapes are available for those who can't read, and now Christian radio programmes are being broadcast.