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UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...
UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...
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distributed to homes in Baghdad gave the following warning to both Sabaean-Mandaeans<br />
and Christians:<br />
“Either you embrace Islam and enjoy safety and coexist amongst us, or leave our land and<br />
stop toying with our principles. Otherwise, the sword will be the judge between belief and<br />
blasphemy.” 338<br />
UNHCR received copies of threat letters against individual Sabaean-Mandaeans as well as<br />
the community as such, calling them to leave “idolatry and polytheism” and threatening<br />
them to have their “heads cut” otherwise. In another letter received by UNHCR, Sabaean-<br />
Mandaeans were called upon to return to their homelands in “Persia”, accusing them of<br />
practicing “prostitution, homosexuality, magic” and permitting “drinking of wine”. 339 Other<br />
leaflets accuse Sabaean-Mandaeans of being drunkards, gamblers, idolaters, prostitutes and<br />
practitioners of black magic. 340 The Society for Threatened People reported on 20 June<br />
2006 that Islamist groups have issued a “last warning” to the Sabaean-Mandaean<br />
community in Iraq, saying that if they do not convert to Islam, they must face death. It<br />
further calls Mandaean women “prostitutes”, accuses them of practising “black magic” and<br />
calls upon the “dirty Persians” to return to “Persia”. 341 Furthermore, UNHCR was<br />
informed by Sabaean-Mandaean sources that leaflets were also distributed in mosques<br />
asking people to identify and report on emptied Sabaean-Mandaean properties in their<br />
neighbourhoods, which were then confiscated by religious militias. 342<br />
Public baptisms are an important part of the Sabaean-Mandaean religion and there are<br />
reports of worshippers being harassed and abused during these ceremonies. 343 Attacks on<br />
religious sites inhibit Mandaeans to come for worshipping, baptisms and rituals in their<br />
temples. 344<br />
The alleged perpetrators are radical Shi’ite militias, Sunni insurgency groups, and criminal<br />
gangs who use religion to justify their attacks. 345 Religion seems to be a major, but not the<br />
only, reason for attacks against Sabaean-Mandaeans. Sabaean-Mandaeans traditionally<br />
dominate the sectors of gold and silversmiths and jewellers and are perceived to be<br />
relatively wealthy. They have no protection by association with militia groups or tribes, and<br />
338 BBC News, Iraq chaos threatens ancient faith, see above footnote 268. See also “Christians232F”.<br />
339 See also: Society for Threatened People, Mandaeans in Iraq, see above footnote 312. Two translated<br />
threat letters from insurgency groups are published in the Annex.<br />
340 USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, see above footnote 28; Kendal, see above<br />
footnote 268; Bolender, see above footnote 304.<br />
341 Society for Threatened People, Press Release, Terrorists send “last warning” to Mandaeans in Iraq,<br />
20 June 2006, http://www.gfbv.de/pressemit.php?id=576&stayInsideTree=1.<br />
342 This is consistent with reports by UNAMI HRO, which have found that “(T)hreats include instructions<br />
not to rent or sell the property left behind, which in turns increases hardship for the displaced family. UNAMI<br />
HRO also received reports that many of the abandoned houses are later occupied by militias.”; see UNAMI<br />
HRO, August 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 9, see above footnote 26.<br />
343 Bolender, see above footnote 304.<br />
344 USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, see above footnote 28; ABC Radio<br />
National, The Religion Report: Mandaeans persecuted in Iraq, 7 June 2006, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/<br />
religionreport/stories/2006/1657535.htm.<br />
345 Kendal, see above footnote 268; BBC News, Iraq chaos threatens ancient faith, see above footnote 268.<br />
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