UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

toleration and protection, including the right to worship and protection of their property, their status has at times been disputed by religious scholars. 303 Since the fall of the former regime a number of religious edicts (fatwas) and letters have been issued by clerics in Iraq, denying the Sabaean-Mandaeans the status of “People of the Book” and calling for their forced conversion or killing of the “infidels” (kuffar). Prior to his assassination in August 2003, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir Al-Hakim, at the time the head of SCIRI, judged that Mandaeans are not “People of the Book”. 304 The Mandaean Human Rights Group 305 cites Al-Qa’eda in Iraq as naming “the Shi’ites infidels as bad as the Sub’ba” in a letter published on the internet. The Group also refers to the late Grand Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Al-Khoei, who taught in Najaf and is said to have recognized the Sabaean-Mandaeans as “People of the Book” in 1979, while Iranian Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini, the political leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran, did not. The Mandaean Human Rights Group also reported that in Friday sermons held in places such as Sadr City, Falluja and Basrah extremist clerics declared that it was “religiously permitted to take money, property, and even women from the infidels (…).” 306 The Sabaean-Mandaeans sought the support of religious and political leaders in Iraq such as Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, Abdel Aziz Al-Hakim of SCIRI, former Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Ja’afari and Muqtada Al-Sadr asking them to protect the rights of minorities. While their demands were met with sympathy, little action has been taken. The head of the Sabean-Mandaeans in Iraq, Sheikh Sattar Al-Helou, asked Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, Iraq’s highest Shi’ite authority, to issue a fatwa calling for the protection of the Sabean- Kitab, And the Rule Concerning Other Types of Kafirs (Questions 328 and 334), accessed on 9 November 2006, http://www.khamenei.de/fatwas/practical02.htm. 303 At the time of Prophet Mohammed, there was only one Sabian group referred to as those who “immerse in water”, which lived in Southern Mesopotamia and followed a monotheistic religion that resembles Judaism and Christianity. Early Islamic sources generally refer to the Sabaean-Mandaeans as the “sabians” of the Qur’an. In the 9 th century AD, the people from the Harran, known as polytheists, star and idol worshippers, started to call themselves Sabians as a protection against Islamic persecution, creating confusion as to who are the “sabians” referred to in the Qur’an. Despite the fact that the Harranian community disappeared from history in the 13 th century, the common belief that the Sabians were pagans, star and idol worshippers did not change. Muslims until today continue to question the Sabaean-Mandaeans” status as “People of the Book” by repeating the speculations found in medieval Islamic sources, despite the fact that the Sabaean-Mandaean religion prohibits idolatry and planet worship. The fact that the Sabaean-Mandaeans have mostly lived isolated from their Muslim neighbours as well as the secrecy surrounding their religious belief and cults, have likely further contributed speculation and misperceptions; see Asuta, The Journal for the Study and Research into the Mandaean Culture, Religion and Language, Sabians, Sabaeans, or Sabeans, 2000, http://www.geocities.com/mandaeans/Sabians8.html; Dr. Şinasi Gündüz, Problems on the Muslim Understanding of the Mandaeans, ARAM Thirteenth International Conference, Harvard University 13-15 June 1999, ARAM, (published by Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies) 11-12, 1999-2000, p. 269-279. http://www.dinlertarihi.com/dosyalar/makaleler/sinasigunduz/problems%20on%20the%20muslim.htm. See also: Mandaean Human Rights Group, see above footnote 288. 304 John Bolender, Worse Off Now Than Under Saddam, The Plight Of Iraq’s Mandeans, Counterpunch, 8/9 January 2005, http://www.counterpunch.org/bolender01082005.html. 305 The Mandaean Human Rights Group is a self-organized group dedicated to the protection of Mandaeans in Iraq and Iran. It works with volunteers in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Europe and Iraq. 306 Mandaean Human Rights Group, see above footnote 288. The National League of Mandaean Sabians in Iraq confirmed this information in correspondence with UNHCR Iraq in January 2007. 70
Mandaeans as belonging to the “People of the Book”. Reportedly, he refused to do so. 307 The Society for Threatened People 308 reported that these talks had even been counterproductive as heightened attention caused further repercussions for the Sabaean- Mandaeans. 309 Over the course of time, the Sabaean-Mandaeans have at times suffered persecution by other religious groups and have been driven from their places of settlement. Various Sabaean-Mandaean writings give examples of persecution by Muslims against the community in various times. 310 Portuguese Catholic missionaries were especially persistent in attempting to relocate the Mandaeans from their traditional areas of settlement to other parts of the country in order to facilitate religious indoctrination. 311 After Saddam Hussein assumed power in 1979, the Sabaean-Mandaeans faced increasing hostility in Iraq. According to the Sabaean-Mandaean community, Iraq was the home to some 20,000 to 30,000 families in the late 1970s. 312 Since then, the numbers have decreased significantly. 313 The former regime’s campaign against the inhabitants of the Marshlands in Southern Iraq and the drainage programme also affected the Sabaean-Mandaeans, killing and displacing thousands and leading to the destruction of Sabaean-Mandaean religious sites. 314 Other temples and properties were seized by the regime. 315 307 Information received from the National League of Mandaean Sabians in Iraq, December 2006. Also it is noteworthy that Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani’s official website explicitly mentions the Jews, the Christians and the Zoroastrians as belonging to the “People of the Book” while the “sabians”, as mentioned in the Qur’an, are omitted; see Sistani.org, Q & A, Ahl-e Kitab, http://www.sistani.org/local.php?modules=nav&nid=7&cid=409 [accessed January 2007]. 308 See, for more information on the Society for Threatened People, footnote 235. 309 Society for Threatened People, Mandäer im Iraq: Seit Jahrhunderten verfolgt – heute akut in ihrer Existenz bedroht [in German language], Update October 2006, p. 5, http://www.gfbv.de/reedit/openObjects/ openObjects/show_file.php?type=inhaltsDok&property=download&id=648. 310 Dr. Şinasi Gündüz, Problems on the Muslim Understanding of the Mandaeans, ARAM Thirteenth International Conference, Harvard University 13-15 June 1999 (published by Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies) 11-12, 1999-2000, p. 269-279. http://www.dinlertarihi.com/dosyalar/makaleler/sinasigunduz/ problems on the muslim.htm. 311 See, for example, Mandaean World, Mandaean History – Portuguese, http://www.mandaeanworld.com/ portuguese.html. 312 Society for Threatened People, Mandaeans in Iraq, After centuries of persecution – Today their very survival is threatened, March 2006, p. 4, http://www.gfbv.de/reedit/openObjects/openObjects/show_file.php ?type=inhaltsDok&property=download&id=694. 313 UNAMI HRO, October 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 13, see above footnote 66. 314 Society for Threatened People, The Mandaeans, A small religious community searches for refuge, 17 February 2006, http://www.gfbv.de/inhaltsDok.php?id=636. 315 U.S. News, Kevin Whitelaw, Baghdad’s Baptizers, 6 September 2003, http://www.usnews.com/usnews/ culture/articles/030609/9mandeans.htm; AP, Tiny Iraqi minority looks with hope and fear to the future, 22 July 2003, http://aljazeerah.info/Opinion editorials/2003 Opinion Editorials/July/22 o/Tiny Iraqi minority looks with hope and fear to the future.htm. 71
Page 1 and 2:
UNHCR’s ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FO
Page 3 and 4:
iii) Current Situation ............
Page 5 and 6:
a) Overall Situation ..............
Page 7 and 8:
IOM International Organization for
Page 9 and 10:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Current Situat
Page 11 and 12:
and gatherings, Shi’ite religious
Page 13 and 14:
Government Officials and Other Pers
Page 15 and 16:
Iraqi Asylum-Seekers From Central a
Page 17 and 18:
considered to be well-founded. To t
Page 19: affiliated with criminal groups. In
Page 22 and 23: expand on the legal and policy guid
Page 24 and 25: The general chaos following the inv
Page 26 and 27: countries. While a good part of the
Page 28 and 29: evenues. 41 An understanding of var
Page 30 and 31: Article 140 of the Constitution cal
Page 32 and 33: the Middle East in terms of women
Page 34 and 35: epealed the CPA’s decision to sus
Page 36 and 37: The Iraqi judiciary continues to be
Page 38 and 39: Several groups, including the Mujah
Page 40 and 41: Al-Sunna. In addition, members of t
Page 42 and 43: dominated Special Police Commando u
Page 44 and 45: military commander in Iraq, General
Page 47 and 48: IV. PARTICULAR GROUPS AT RISK A. Re
Page 49 and 50: to Osama Bin Laden, the Shi’ites
Page 51 and 52: Shi’ite militias on the other han
Page 53 and 54: underscored how explosive the confl
Page 55 and 56: of the latest security crack-down i
Page 57 and 58: Ninewa Plains in particular have be
Page 59 and 60: The overall climate results in non-
Page 61 and 62: efuge in the three Northern Governo
Page 63 and 64: an international court. 261 Several
Page 65 and 66: The alleged main perpetrators of at
Page 67 and 68: In the current climate of religious
Page 69: prohibition to kill, lie, commit ad
Page 73 and 74: have found refuge with the Sabaean-
Page 75 and 76: distributed to homes in Baghdad gav
Page 77 and 78: Estimates of the number of Yazidis
Page 79 and 80: Yazidis are furthermore organized i
Page 81 and 82: AP reported in October 2006 that
Page 83 and 84: apostasy and a threat to public ord
Page 85 and 86: KRG. Mr. Falak Al-Deen Kakai, senio
Page 87 and 88: “those Iraqis who had lost their
Page 89 and 90: government offices, 441 and changin
Page 91 and 92: security, of transferring hundreds
Page 93 and 94: 2. Roma (Kawliyah) 461 a) Introduct
Page 95 and 96: Ghraib and was known for its strong
Page 97 and 98: Sunnis willing to denounce violence
Page 99 and 100: CPA began to allow some vetted ex-B
Page 101 and 102: It has been documented that attacks
Page 103 and 104: een killed in Iraq and another 491
Page 105 and 106: Acts committed against employees or
Page 107 and 108: E. Government Officials and Other P
Page 109 and 110: 3. Persons Opposing the Ruling Part
Page 111 and 112: 3,250 professors had fled Iraq sinc
Page 113 and 114: There are a number of possible moti
Page 115 and 116: inside the media compound, refrain
Page 117 and 118: 3. Artists Iraqi artists, actors an
Page 119 and 120: groups for not giving priority to t
Page 121 and 122:
population at large and bring the c
Page 123 and 124:
after their release. 660 UNAMI HRO
Page 125 and 126:
International Covenant on Civil and
Page 127 and 128:
evidence that over forty people had
Page 129 and 130:
Both sexes have become victims of s
Page 131 and 132:
V. ELIGIBILITY FOR INTERNATIONAL PR
Page 133 and 134:
those countries, even only on a tem
Page 135 and 136:
violence on a daily basis. Ordinary
Page 137 and 138:
cause. 733 More than one Convention
Page 139 and 140:
C. Exclusion From International Ref
Page 141 and 142:
a) Before the Fall of the Former Re
Page 143 and 144:
) War Crimes War crimes are serious
Page 145 and 146:
in mind when assessing crimes commi
Page 147 and 148:
groups (pre-2003) or insurgency or
Page 149 and 150:
A plausible explanation regarding t
Page 151 and 152:
D. Internal Flight or Relocation Al
Page 153 and 154:
Travel by Road Road travel in Iraq,
Page 155 and 156:
with armed conflict between the MNF
Page 157 and 158:
egulations regarding entry and resi
Page 159 and 160:
It has been reported that new IDPs,
Page 161 and 162:
Interior and Finance. While the Min
Page 163 and 164:
and generally describe the three No
Page 165 and 166:
In order to access the three Northe
Page 167 and 168:
Governorate of Sulaymaniyah Persons
Page 169 and 170:
v. Risk of Persecution or Other Ser
Page 171 and 172:
In addition, non-Kurdish persons, p
Page 173 and 174:
Conclusion Availability of an inter
Page 175 and 176:
to flee Iraq have done so illegally
Page 177 and 178:
explosives blew up. Two people were
Page 179 and 180:
• On 2 July 2003, an armed assaul
Page 181 and 182:
• 18 September 2006: Gunmen kille
Page 183 and 184:
• 17 December 2003: An angry mob
Page 185 and 186:
Annex IV: Attacks on Government Off
Page 187 and 188:
• 2 May 2006: A suicide car bombe
Page 189 and 190:
• 5 December 2006: Dr. Mohammed H
Page 191 and 192:
Annex VI: Attacks on Doctors and Ot
Page 193 and 194:
• 1 July - 31 August 2006: Accord
Page 195 and 196:
Annex VIII: Attacks on Athletes and
Page 197 and 198:
Annex IX: Attacks on Palestinian Re
Page 199 and 200:
Palestinian family fled the hospita
Page 201 and 202:
Annex X: Selected Bibliography Note
Page 203 and 204:
IWPR, Baghdad Gays Fear for Their L
Page 205 and 206:
Senanayake, Sumedha, Iraq: Ethnic T
Page 207 and 208:
W Wilson, Scott, Iraqis Killing For
Page 209:
s�—�2q��
show all

UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?