Dezfuli

Dezful is among the oldest cities of Khuzestan. Traditions collected about it say that the bridge that gave the city its name, formed from Persian words meaning fortress and bridge, was built in the time of the Sasanian king Shapur I, using Roman prisoners of war as labor. With the Muslim conquest of Persia, the original name was adapted to the sounds of Arabic and came to be pronounced Dezful.

For centuries the city also housed a Mandaean community, which shows that the region was a meeting point of diverse traditions. The language of the Dezfuli accompanied this long history and took shape between Persian and Luri, without dissolving completely into either one.

The Dezfuli live on the Khuzestan plain, a hot region of southwestern Iran, around an ancient city crossed by a river and a historic bridge. As in much of Iran, daily life revolves around family, home and neighborhood, with great value placed on hospitality, on tea served to guests and on ties between relatives.

Today most Dezfuli live in close contact with Persian speakers and other groups of the region, in schools, markets and workplaces. Many use Persian in daily life and keep Dezfuli for the intimacy of family and community, so that the mother tongue has become, for many, a sign of belonging to be cared for with affection.

The Dezfuli are mostly Muslim, and the Islamic faith marks the calendar, the festivals and the rites of life, such as birth, marriage and mourning. In the region, Shia Islam is the dominant tradition, and belonging to the community usually means sharing this faith as well.

Religion is not just a set of beliefs but part of the identity of the family and the city. For this reason, the question about Jesus is rarely asked in the abstract: it runs into ties with parents, neighbors and community, and it is asked seriously by those who face it. For many, honoring their ancestors and keeping the family’s faith is a form of loyalty and care for their own.

The New Testament exists in Dezfuli, which is a valuable step for such a small language, but the complete Bible is not yet available. Since most also understand Persian, the Word can reach families by more than one path, including audio readings for those who prefer to listen rather than read. Even so, hearing the Scriptures in the language of the heart touches in a special way, and each new translation and recording is an invitation for the message of Jesus to come close to home.

The first barrier is identity: being Dezfuli, in practice, usually means belonging to the local Muslim community, and changing faith can be seen as breaking with the family. Added to this is the environment of strong religious restriction in Iran, which makes it risky to speak openly about Jesus. There is also the invisibility of the group itself: because it is small and increasingly mixed with larger populations, few recognize it as a distinct people, and this makes it harder for anyone to be sent specifically to them.

The Dezfuli need, above all, to be seen and remembered. There is a need to preserve the language and the memory of the people, and to find within their own culture a place of dignity in the face of pressures to assimilate.

Spiritually, there is a lack of a community of Jesus followers who speak their language, who can welcome those who seek and accompany those who believe. They also need access to the complete Bible in their language and trustworthy witnesses who are friendly, patient and respectful.