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Iraq

Assimilation, exodus, eradication: Iraq's minority communities since 2003

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By Preti Taneja

Executive summary

Since 2003, the civilian population of Iraq has been subjected to horrific levels of violence and terror. But for Iraq's minority communities, caught between the warring factions, the crisis is particularly acute. So much so that the very existence of some of these groups in their ancient homeland is now under threat.

Ten per cent of Iraq's population is made up of minority communities. They include Armenian and Chaldo- Assyrian Christians, Bahá'ís, Faili Kurds, Jews, Mandaeans, Palestinians, Shabaks, Turkomans and Yazidis. Some of these groups have lived in Iraq for two millennia or more. There is now a real fear that they will not survive the current conflict and their unique culture and heritage in Iraq may be extinguished forever.

A huge exodus of these communities is now taking place. The Iraqi Ministry for Migration and Displacement in Iraq has estimated that nearly half of the minority communities have left the country. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, minorities make up approximately 30 per cent of the 1.8m Iraqi refugees now seeking sanctuary in Jordan, Syria and across the world.

Minorities are specifically targeted for eradication because of their faith and ethnicity. Christians are at risk because their faith associates them with the West and with the MNF-I (Multi National Force in Iraq). The traditional trade of this community as alcohol-sellers also makes them a target. Islamist groups have dubbed the Yazidi religion 'impure' and called for their destruction. For Mandaeans, the carrying of weapons is a direct violation of their religious laws, thus making it difficult for them to defend themselves.

All of Iraq's minority communities have suffered violations since 2003 which include:

  • destruction and defacement of religious buildings
  • mass murder of congregations gathered in and around them
  • abduction, ransoming and murder of religious and civic leaders and individuals including children
  • forced conversion to Islam using tactics such as death threats, rape and forced marriage.

Minority communities also face assimilation because the areas they live in, such as Mosul, Basra and Kirkuk, put them at the centre of power struggles between Kurds, Sunni Arabs and Shia Arabs, fighting over historical claims and

  • crucially - Iraq's great oil wealth.

Ironically, many from these groups felt life might improve for them at the collapse of the Ba'ath regime. But as well as the current lack of security, discriminatory laws still active from the time of Saddam Hussein's rule continue to make life almost impossible.

The Bahá'í community remains without the right to citizenship and their freedom of movement and to practise their religion is still curtailed. Iraq's Palestinian community, once given special treatment to suit the political will of the Ba'ath Party, now find themselves under siege in Baghdad, the constant target of violence and threats. With neighbouring countries unwilling to give them refuge, they remain trapped in increasing numbers on the borders of Iraq.

So far Iraq's fledgling democratic processes have presented problems for minorities. During the 2005 elections, members of minority groups reported violence, intimidation and lack of access to polling booths. The new Constitution - approved in a 2005 referendum - was drafted with little participation from minority groups. Though it is progressive in many respects, it is alarmingly vague on the role Islam will play in the future Iraqi state - placing a question-mark over issues of religious freedom. It could also have offered stronger protections for minority and women's rights. As a matter of urgency, the MNF-I and the Iraqi government must recognize that Iraq's minority communities are being targeted for persecution. They should consult with minority representatives to put in place policies for protection and reassurance. Iraq's neighbouring states should take immediate steps to prevent the supply of financial and other aid to militia groups operating within Iraq responsible for sectarian attacks. It is vital that all states - both those within the region and beyond it - should honour their obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and provide a safe haven for refugees fleeing persecution. States outside the region - including in Europe and North America - should become involved in voluntary resettlement programmes of vulnerable Iraqi communities.

But the priority must be to create a climate where Iraq's ancient and diverse cultures can continue to exist and thrive. Despite the immeasurable difficulties, the international community and the Iraqi government must act now - before it is too late for Iraq's minorities.