Northern Yemenis

The Northern Yemeni Arabs are a proud, tribal people group who live between the Saudi border to the north and the town of Ureem to the south. Their roots stem back to pre-Islamic days. There is also Turkish blood among them, from when the Ottoman Turks settled in their midst for a time. They were among the first to accept the Muslim teachings of the Prophet Mohammed.

Many of the NYA peoples live in the high lands, farming on terraces that are hundreds of years old. Coffee, Qat (a narcotic drug that is chewed for pleasure), vegetables, fruit trees and grapes grow on their land. The houses are built with whatever material is available so in the mountains, stones are hewn into blocks and the builders expertly stack them on top of each other, making several story dwellings.  When traveling north, where the desert begins, homes are made of mud, just as impressive and tall as the stone houses. In the mountains the climate is mild but as one travels to lower altitudes, the Arabian desert climate takes over and it is well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months.

Islam plays a huge role in the community as the Islamic creed is prayed over a baby when he is born and when he dies as an old man. The call to prayer  is heard 5 times a day . What you eat,  what you wear, the holidays you celebrate and many of the comments you utter are dictated by the religion.

The people of the north give their allegiance first to family and tribe and then to government and country. To know who your ancestors are determines your status in life and who you will marry . The people work in farming, herding, as day laborers inside and outside the country, in government and military jobs and as shop keepers. As education has increased, they are also becoming teachers, doctors and computer experts. The people speak Arabic, a poetic and beautiful language.

There are huge differences between the lives of a city 12 year old girl and her country counterpart, but certain similarities stay strong. Both girls are expected to respect their families and do nothing to dishonor them. The city girl will put on her veil when she goes to school each day. She will not speak to men on the street, probably walking with her brother or a group of girl friends. She will be home by 2 to help prepare dinner for the family. In the afternoon she may watch TV with her sisters or go to a wedding with her mom, sitting in the room reserved for unmarried women. Her family has said that she will finish high school and not marry until she is 18. Her family will arranger her marriage to  a first cousin who she has not seen since childhood or maybe to a stranger. Marriage is a contract between two families.

The country girl will also wear a veil if she is walking out of the village, to protect her honor. She wakes at dawn, milks the family cow and makes breakfast. She then goes with her brother to herd the goats, coming home by late afternoon to eat a meal and help with the house work. She has never seen a book and will not attend the village school. There is a young man teaching there and her father thinks it is shameful for him to teach girls. Plus, she will be married and begin to bare children in a year or two. She does not need an education. The girl is fast asleep by 8 pm. Why stay up when there is no electricity in her village? Dawn comes early.

Why do we pray for this people group? Many among them have never heard that Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life  and that the way to Father is through him.” (John 14:6).  There must be a witness to them. The few Believers are afraid and have little fellowship. Some have been persecuted for their faith.

Northern Yemenis Prayer Requests // Northern Yemenis Facts