During the war each side strategically mixed religion and politics to garner internal allegiance and external support. Jul 31, 2019 iraq s parliament is considering a new law that would effectively align it with its neighbors theocratic governance, undermine its fragile democracy and jeopardize religious freedom and other. Dec 14, 2020 iraq has a rich history of religious and ethnic pluralism. Want to know the number and percentage of religions in iraq. Mar 29, 2019 prior to 2003, the government controlled most of the important islamic endowments in iraq through the ministry of endowments and religious affairs mera, which was the main official tool to strictly watch over the religious domain and propagate a unified, statesanctioned message in mosques. Oct 19, 2020 tehran iqna the iranian cultural center in iraq has distributed more than 900 copies of cultural and religious books and magazines in the arab country during the arbaeen season. The secondlargest cultural group is the kurds, who are in the highlands and mountain valleys of the north in a politically autonomous settlement. When britain and france overthrew the islamic ottoman empire in world war i, they divided much of the middle east between themselves. Oct 26, 2014 iran and iraq had this terrible war in the 1980s, and religion was used by both sides to motivate their followers. The yazidis religion and community originated in iraq, however their population has declined. However, over the last 50 years, the existence of many religious and ethnic minorities continues to be threatened. Iraq was stitched together from the ottoman provinces of mosul, basra and baghdad, and awarded to the british to rule over in 1920. Is iraq set to follow iran and curb religious freedom.
Indeed, iraq is the only arab state in which shia muslims constitute the majority. Religious authority and the politics of islamic endowments in. The actions of the selfproclaimed islamic state is against the various religious and ethnic minorities of northern iraq is guided in part by its interpretation of. A timeline of disaster and displacement for iraqi christians ap news. Is iraqs sunnishiite conflict really about religion.
Aug 11, 2014 according to some estimates, 70,000 people, or about 15% of the yazidi population in iraq, fled the country. For example, the aldulaim number about 100,000 with most of them in western anbar province tribes are composed of related clans fukhdh. Despite various religious fundamentalist groups in the region, kurdish people. As iraq begins the process of drafting a new constitution, religious freedom has not yet surfaced on the bush administrations short list of nonnegotiable requirements for a postsaddam iraq. As it is well known for all researchers of oral tra. Aug, 2014 other religious minorities in northern iraq, including the kakais, a sister religion of yazidism, and the shabak, a cultural group that has some distinctive religious qualities, are also in the. Jun 20, 2018 islam is the principle religion in iraq, and has a following constituting 97% of the national population.
The secular roots of a religious divide in contemporary iraq. Why pope franciss visit matters for iraqs christians. The two traditions have different approaches to religious law and practice, and different notions of religious hierarchy, but both observe the same fundamental tenets of islam. Syncretic fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices cao dai. The secular roots of a religious divide in contemporary.
Iraq is home to many religious sites important for both shia and sunni muslims. Why pope franciss visit matters for iraqs christians the. Two short books, kitab aljilwah book of revelation and maafrash black book, form the sacred scriptures of the yazidis. Masjid kufa, masjid hadhrat ali, mausoleum of muslim ibn aquil. Support to religious and ethnic minorities in iraq fact.
Its sacred texts include the hebrew bible and the new testament or the christian gospels. Iraqs religious leaders join hands to promote peaceful. Popes upcoming visit brings attention to the dwindling population of. Iraq what is the significance of iraq in the bible. Mar 25, 2019 the visit is a part of a campaign carried out by shiite clerics to gather religious leaders in different parts of iraq in order to promote coexistence and tolerance. And it is the politics, i argue, that causes the conflict in iraq, while the religion provides a rhetoric accentuating difference between political players. We believe our religion is older than judaism, islam or christianity. Iranian center distributes religious, cultural books in iraq. Top 12 sacred religious books used by different religions. The spiritual insights francis displayed in iraq national. Islam is the principle religion in iraq, and has a following constituting 97% of the national population.
In the preparation of the iraqi constitution, special attention needs to be given to how to balance religious and secular perspectives. In 2003, before the us invasion of iraq, there were an estimated 1. Culture of iraq history, people, women, beliefs, food. In his first speech in iraq, pope francis called for an end to violence and extremism so that ordinary iraqis can live, work, and pray in peace. Concurrently, is aims to establish a salafist orientated islamist state in iraq, syria and other parts of the levant. Dec 01, 2016 moreover, in its many years of providing health care and educational services throughout iraq, amar has worked closely with civil society organizations, religious leaders, internally displaced. Thousands were killed or died of starvation as their resources were cut off. Dec 02, 2003 iraq s senior shiite cleric, ayatollah ali alsistani, claims the coalitions plan to transfer power does not pay proper heed to islam.
Sabaeans insist their religion is one of the oldest in the world and consider themselves to be the. We must avoid the mistakes made in the new draft constitution of afghanistan which omits the individual right of religious freedom altogether and paves. The institute hopes that better understanding of different religions in iraq. The yezidi are important to the study of religions in a way that the basque are important to the study of languages. Muslim official 9598% shia 6469%, sunni 2934%, christian 1% includes catholic, orthodox, protestant, assyrian church of the east, other. The yezidi sacred books are reputedly never shown to strangers. For example, the aldulaim number about 100,000 with most of them in western anbar province tribes are composed of related clans fukhdh led by a paramount sheikh or sheikh of sheikhs clan leaders are called sheikhs clans are divided into houses or subclans beit and then. Systematic discrimination not just by the state but also by the wider populace makes it impossible for an individual to be openly non religious in the country. Sabaean dogma is written in the holy book kinzeraba. When european powers disbanded it after world war i, most power brokers in its iraqi provinces were sunni arabs who had proven loyal to the ottomans in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. Almost 70 percent of the population in the mosul region of iraq practices shabakism, while the rest are muslims.
Iraq is a tangled web of religious, racial and political. Persecution of the nonreligious in iraq highlighted in. Religious oral tradition and literacy among the yezidis of iraq. Christianity and other religions consist of only 3% of the people. Sacred sites of iraq mausoleum of muslim ibn aquil, al kufah, iraq mausoleum of 1st imam ali ibn abu talib, al najaf, iraq mausoleum of 3rd imam hadhrat husayn ibn ali, karbala, iraq sacred sites of iraq. Like the samaritans or the druze, they are a little island of diversity in a world which is becoming homogenized by globalism. Persecution of the nonreligious in iraq highlighted in house. This would have longterm implications for the development of modern iraq, because these sunnis and their. Pope francis meets shiite ayatollah at ur, iraq kermit. Isis follows an extreme antiwestern interpretation of islam, promotes religious violence and regards those who do not agree with its interpretations as infidels or apostates.
Mar 06, 2021 like iraq s onceprosperous jewish community and other minority religious groups, vast numbers of iraqi catholic, orthodox and other christians have left for safety elsewhere in recent decades. Regardless of religious affiliation assyrian church of the east, chaldean catholic church, syriac orthodox church, syriac catholic church. Religious politics in iraq united states institute of peace. Many cities in iraq are of religious importance to the sunni and shiite muslims.
Mar 10, 2021 pope francis talks with a religious leader during an interreligious meeting on the plain of ur near nasiriyah, iraq, march 6, 2021. Religion in iraq was overwhelmingly muslim as of 2015, with over 9899% of the population practicing islam. In the 2010s, uprisings of the islamic state is, formerly called the islamic state of iraq and the levant isil or the islamic state of iraq and syria isis, have led to violations of religious freedom in certain parts of iraq. A diversity institute teaches iraqi students about religious minorities. O n the night of august 6, 2014, isis fighters swept through northern iraq s nineveh plains and drove more than 120,000 christians into exile in kurdistan. This strategy was also used during the iran iraq war. Sep 15, 2002 religious views on war with iraq september 15, 2002 bob abernethy, anchor.
The ottoman empire ended 100 years ago, but its legacy still influences sectarian relations in iraq. The christians of iraq are considered to be one of the oldest continuous christian communities. The faiths primary religious text is the bryuk, also known as the book of exemplary acts, written in turkoman. Jul 14, 2004 iraq s sabaeanmandean religious community is one of the smallest and most peaceful in iraq. Five facts you need to know about iraq, its religious.
Multiparty democratic pluralism is the key to the containment of all forms of extremism in iraq, both secular and religious. It provided a framework for bringing together religious and civic actors from all of iraqs religions including sunnis, shia, christians, jews, yazidis, sabeans. Fought between 1618 and 1648 on mostly german soil, it pitted german roman catholics against reformminded. The anniversary of 911 came in the midst of the growing debate about whether the u. Iraqs sabaeanmandean religious community is one of the smallest and. Nov 27, 2020 in shamanbased religions, the shaman is also responsible for leading sacred rites. War, peace, and the good samaritan story in iraq in arabic. Longstanding sectarian tensions between shiites and sunnis deepen the crisis in iraq, which is disrupting the entire middle east. Religious views on war with iraq september 15, 2002. In this way, there are secular roots to the animosity that many outsiders view as an ancient and irreconcilable religious divide.
Pope francis meets shiite ayatollah at ur, iraq kermit zarley. In todays republic of iraq, where islam is the state religion and claims the beliefs of 95 percent of the population, the majority of iraqis identify with arab culture. If the book is in tigris, it is unknown if the original black book is simply a kurdish translation of the english and arabic black books, or if it is a different text entirely. Today, that number is less than 250,000 an eighty percent drop in less than two decades. Sabaean dogma is written in the holy book kinzeraba, or the holy treasure. Brothers and sisters of different religions, here we find. Like iraq, there was much more than religion at stake.
Is is a sunni jihadist group that claims religious authority over all muslims across the world and aspires to bring most of the musliminhabited regions of the. Organized religion had its beginnings in ancient mesopotamia in what is now modern iraq and in egypt more than five thousand years ago. The oldest established eastern form of christianity, the holy orthodox church, has a ceremonial head in the bishop of. If this trend continues, a religious minority that has been in iraq for centuries will be gone entirely. The religious systems in these areas blended political with spiritual elements in a type of government known as a theocracy, or rule by divine guidance.
Iraqi and egyptian historians, he wrote in his books introduction. International religious freedom and womens experiences. The yazidi religious centre and object of the annual pilgrimage is the tomb of sheikh. Full text of pope francis speech in iraq at ur interfaith. The people of the book and the hierarchy of discrimination. This week contributors are asked to evaluate this situation as a crisis of religious freedom.
Jul 12, 2016 religious communities in iraq, especially religious minorities, have suffered enormously over the past year. Mar 06, 2017 but if christianity in iraq is ancient, iraq itself is very new. Religious authority and the politics of islamic endowments. Although shiism is the overwhelmingly dominant form of islam among the persians of iran, in most of the arab world shiites are an impoverished and disenfranchised. However, the presence of a textual black book and book of revelation alone may be enough to alter the yazidi religion to become more consistent and coherent across.
Christianity, including catholic, orthodox, protestant, assyrian church of the. Feb 24, 2006 the two traditions have different approaches to religious law and practice, and different notions of religious hierarchy, but both observe the same fundamental tenets of islam. Jun 16, 2014 iraq is a tangled web of religious, racial and political conflict. Minority religions in the middle east under threat, need. The latest 2017 edition states that iraq is rated as gravely violating the rights and freedoms of the non religious, the worst possible rating. Christianity, including catholic, orthodox, protestant, assyrian church of the east, accounted for 1% and other religions made up the remaining 14%. Oct 30, 2019 protesters in iraq and lebanon are transcending societal divides to oppose political systems that are rooted in division. Heres where the key players fit fanatical jihadists mixing medieval brutality with modern weapons are bringing iraq to its knees. Old sabaeanmandean community is proud of its ancient faith.
The iraqi constitution provides freedom of religious belief and practice for muslims, christians, yezidis and. For a religion that does not accept converts and strongly discourages exogamy, the. However, many sunnis dispute their minority status, and do not trust religious. Interfaith dialogue in iraq the center for peace communications. New nationalist movements in iraq and lebanon the atlantic. On march 7, highlevel christian, muslim and yazidi religious leaders met in the imam hussein shrine in karbala, southern iraq. It is now widely suspected that both volumes were compiled by nonyazidis. Mausoleum of 1st imam ali ibn abu talib, masjid hannana. Not in gods name confronts religious violence with a. Christianity is one of the three monotheistic abrahamic faiths, along with islam and judaism, which traces its spiritual lineage to abraham of the hebrew scriptures. Feb 07, 2016 throughout history religion has effectively served as an instrument or even a weapon of war.
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