Iraq is home to a diverse fabric of ethnic and religious communities, but one of its oldest minority groups is now under threat. There are fears that the Sabean-Mandaeans, who have lived in Mesopotamia for more than two millennia, will disappear completely.

Fading away

Sabean-Mandeans trace their origins back to areas near the rivers of ancient Mesopotamia, specifically the ancient city of Ur. Today, however, most adherents of the ancient faith are concentrated in Baghdad as well as Iraq’s Basra and Maysan governorates. There is also a community across the border, in the Iranian city of Ahvaz.

Following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the number of Sabean-Mandeans in the country dropped drastically, from 75,000 to 5,000. The minority group, like others, was disproportionately affected by sectarian violence and the collapse of Iraq’s security situation in the aftermath of the invasion.

As the religion bans followers from resorting to violence and owning weapons, they are easy targets. Iraqi Sabean-Mandaean Nour Zahiri, 24, told Amwaj.media, “We are still here despite all the killing, abduction for ransom, and displacement our community has faced," adding that, "They see us as infidels.”

Violence and persecution

Sattar Jabbar Helou, the faith's most senior cleric and global leader, has stated that “our books are written in Aramaic; they were only translated 25 years ago. People didn’t really know anything about our beliefs. This has led to the spread of a lot of misconceptions about us.” Helou believes that such misinformation has led to “the rise in discrimination, violence and persecution" that believers face in Iraq today.

In January, Sabean-Mandaean MP Nowfal Al-Nashi called on influential Shiite cleric and politician Muqtada Al-Sadr to “return the estates, land, fortunes of the minority… to their rightful owners.” In response, Sadr ordered his personal office to follow up on cases of “usurped [Sabean-Mandaean] possessions.” Two months later, Nashi also advised members of his constituency to “relocate to Iraq’s Kurdistan region rather than leave Iraq altogether.”

Christian former MP Joseph Salywa told Amwaj.media that “the presence of one Sabean-Mandaean MP in parliament is insufficient, as it exposes them to the influence of heavyweight parties.” He further emphasized that "the same problem is present in governorate councils, which makes the political representation of minorities in Iraq rather symbolic.”

As a result of these dynamics, community demands for the acquisition of land to establish Sabean-Mandaean cemeteries or ‘mandi’ [houses of worship] often fall on deaf ears.

While discrimination against the faith is apparent in the political system, Yahan Abd, 18, told Amwaj.media that the prejudice he has faced as a Sabean-Mandaean in the predominantly Shiite governorate of Basra is mainly derived from “the belief that we practice witchcraft and sorcery.” Zahiri, meanwhile, recalled that her schoolteachers “would put me on the spot, asking me to announce my religion in front of the class and discuss which God I worship.”

Who are the Sabean-Mandaeans?

Sabean-Mandaeanism is one of the oldest gnostic religions in the world. Its clerics assert that it predates both Islam and Christianity. It is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, non-missionary religion that does not allow its followers to leave the faith, nor outsiders to join.

Its very name attests to its foundation: the words Sabean and Mandaean mean ‘knowledgeable Baptist’ in ancient Aramaic. The religion reveres Adam as its first prophet and Yahya, known in English as John the Baptist, as the last. The holy Ginza Rba, serves as the faith's main source of commandments and teachings.

Similar to Islam, the faith contains five pillars, including the oneness of God, praying five times a day, giving alms, and fasting. But followers consider baptism, the fifth pillar, to be a purifying force that connects them to God. Typically, believers are baptized hundreds of times over the course of their lives.

Creation Day, "Brunaya"

Every March, Sabean-Mandeans celebrate Creation Day, known as ‘khaleqah’ in Arabic or ‘brunaya’ in Aramaic. It is one of four major annual occasions, usually celebrated with a five-day festival which includes baptism. 24-year-old Zahiri told Amwaj.media that her community refers to the five intercalary days as Panja, which means five in Persian.

Zahiri said it was custom to dress in ‘rasta’ (white clothing that reflects clarity and light) while the men carry a ‘markana’ (an olive branch) during baptism ceremonies. She lamented, however, that “our rituals have seen very limited participation in these past two years because of Covid-19 restrictions.”

The destructive environmental policies of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (1979-2003)—namely, the drainage of the Mesopotamian marshes in southern Iraq and rampant pollution—have also contributed to a decline in Sabean-Mandaean rituals, which center around water.

"Imminent extinction"

The non-acceptance of converts, coupled with the consequences of 18 years of post-war upheaval, has led to a devastating decline in the minority population.

Since political power in Baghdad is directly connected to demographics, the group’s role in politics has also been greatly diminished.

The Sabean-Mandaean diaspora, meanwhile, whose global population of 150,000 is scattered in around 20 countries, is focused on survival. In the summer of 2018, some 130 of its leaders met in Amsterdam to hold the “Mandaean Hope” conference. After outlining the challenges believers face, conference organizers warned, “the extinction of the religion is imminent.” Given that there are now believed to be only 250 Sabean-Mandean families left in the country, that prediction may soon come true—at least in Iraq.