UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

ii) Displacement of Sabaean-Mandaeans Since 2003
Since the fall of the former regime in 2003, the Sabaean-Mandaean community continues to
decline due to the generally dire security situation as well as targeted attacks on community
members by armed groups. UNAMI HRO reported in October 2006 that the Sabean-
Mandaean community decreased from 13,500 persons in 2001 to roughly 4,000 persons in
2006, living in “isolation and fear.” 316 The Society for Threatened People estimated in
October 2006 that there are only 1,162 Sabaean-Mandaean families (7,000 to 8,000
persons) left in the country, out of a total of 5,825 before the fall of the former regime in
2003. 317 The International Religious Freedom Report 2006 puts the number at 10,000. 318
UNHCR continues to receive Sabaean-Mandaean asylum-seekers in Syria and Jordan. 319
Largely without protection on the basis of tribe, 320 militia or political party, 321 and
perceived as relatively wealthy, Sabaean-Mandaeans are particularly vulnerable to attacks
on the basis of perceived threat to the Islamic nature of the state, imputed affiliation with
international actors, break-down of law and order and general criminality. 322 Unlike other
religious communities which are seeking refuge in areas where they constitute the majority,
Sabaean-Mandaeans are dispersed in all parts of Iraq (except for the three Northern
Governorates of Erbil, Dahuk and Sulaymaniyah) and therefore do not have a majority area
in which to seek safety. While many Iraqis have fled to the Region of Kurdistan to seek
safety, UNHCR is not aware of Sabaean-Mandaeans having relocated to this region. The
Region of Kurdistan has not traditionally been inhabited by Sabaean-Mandaeans, and hence
members of this community seeking to relocate to the region may not have a sponsor
needed to legally enter and reside there and lack community links in order to gain access to
employment, housing and other services. In July 2006, Mokhtar Lamani, the then top
official of the Arab League in Iraq, reported that Baghdad’s entire Sabaean-Mandaean
population had presented a petition to the KRG to relocate to the Kurdistan Region. 323 At
the time of writing, UNHCR was not able to obtain information as to the response of the
KRG to this request. UNHCR has received reports that some Sabaean-Mandaean families
316 UNAMI HRO, October 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 13, see above footnote 66.
317 Society for Threatened People, Mandäer im Iraq, p. 6, see above footnote 309.
318 See also: USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, see above footnote 28.
319 By 31 January 2007, 2,878 Sabaean-Mandaeans had been registered with UNHCR Jordan. Sabaean-
Mandaeans constitute 14% of the total of 19,664 Iraqis registered by UNHCR Jordan since 17 March 2003.
UNHCR Syria registered a total of 45,150 Iraqis between 21 December 2003 and 6 February 2007, including
3,882 Sabaean-Mandaeans (almost 6% of the total).
320 In the past, it was common for Sabaean-Mandaeans to negotiate protection agreements with tribes.
However, given that the perpetrators of persecutory acts are mostly powerful groups and militias, acting in the
name of Islam, tribes no longer dare to get involved and Sabaean-Mandaeans can no longer count on this type
of arrangement, increasing their vulnerability; information received by UNHCR Iraq.
321 The Sabaean-Mandaeans have not been represented in the TNA and they currently do not hold a seat in
the Council of Representatives or any Governorate or Municipal Council. The National League of Mandaean
Sabians in Iraq informed UNHCR that two Sabaean-Mandaean politicians were killed since 2003. Ra’id
Salih, who had run in the elections for Al-Suwaira’s Municipal Council, was killed, and Riyadh Hadi Habeeb
was killed as a member in the Basrah Municipal Council was also killed.
322 IWPR, Ancient Sect Targeted, see above footnote 297.
323 AP, Iraq’s minority Sabean-Mandeans seek Kurdistan safe haven, 5 July 2006, http://www.krg.org/
articles/article_detail.asp?showsecondimage=&RubricNr=73&ArticleNr=12099.
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