11 - Mahra, in Yemen

Get to know the Mahra people in 4 parts - learn, see, act, pray!

1 - Learn

The Mahra people (also called Mahri) are a small tribe located in the east of Yemen, near the boarders of Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Mahra region also includes the Socotra Archipelago, a UNESCO world heritage site of universal importance due to its distinct biodiversity.
 
Once known as the Mahra Sultanate, this tribe was mostly independent up until it became part of South Yemen in 1967, which eventually merged with Northern Yemen in the 1990s creating the present-day Republic of Yemen.
 
Yemen has been in a state of civil war since 2014, resulting in wide-spread starvation and the worst outbreak of cholera in history. Due to the Mahri’s remoteness, they have remained isolated from most of the conflict and have held fast to their tribal traditions, including the Mehri language, one of the oldest languages still spoken in the Arabian Peninsula.
 
One thing that has helped the Mahri to endure for so long is their code of conduct, made up of five tribal traditions:
 
1) Mahri solidarity is supratribal (they always stick together).
2) Blood is thicker than water (violence is taboo).
3) Bearing arms does not necessarily mean using them (tribes demonstrate their power rather than using it if they can)
4) Spoils of war don’t go to the victor (it’s up to the victor to reconcile and financially compensate their adversary).
5) tribal leaders act as intermediaries to sort our disputes.

2 - See

3 - Act
Camel Colouring Page

Craft

Go To Activity

4 - Pray
  • Ask the Lord of the harvest to open the doors to the preaching of the gospel.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to call people who are willing to go and share the love of Christ with the Mahra.
  • Pray that God will give the small number of Mahra believers boldness to share Christ with their families and friends.
  • Ask God to raise up intercessors who will stand in the gap for the Mahra.
  • Pray that strong local churches will be raised up among the Mahra.
  • Ask God that He would call the Mahra to himself, revealing His truth through whatever means necessary - field workers, their own community, dreams, visions etc.

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