well check the situation of the Mandeans and Christians because of the dirty war led by Bush and Blair...!
When we speak of the Middle East, we often think it is a place for the Muslims. But this is not the case; before the seventh century invasion of the Middle East by Muslim Arabs the predominant population of Mesopotamia (today's Iraq), Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt were non-Arab Christians as well as the Mandeans.
The Mandeans are the only surviving Gnostic religion, now with no more than 60,000 adherents, living in southern Iraq and southwestern Iran. Their main city is Nasiriyya. They are often called the Christians of Saint John, as he is held as a very sacred person, but not essential, in their theology. Their name is Aramaic for 'knowledge', i.e. a translation from the Greek 'gnosis' (a way of thinking which is philosophical). Their religious scripture is called the Ginza (treasure) RBA, which is divided into two parts, left Ginza and right Ginza. This division very much talks of the evil and the goodness
(the left Ginza talks of the ‘light world’) and the right ‘fate of the soul/ judgement’.
Unlike other religions like the Jews and Muslims, Mandeans Holy Scripture was only finalised in the 8th century, thus doubts arise in its authenticity. Also unlike the other religions they have a dualistic element to their religion, because of their belief in God but later to see the emergence of their non-living Manda d-Hiia who was given status as an healer, physician. Central to their religious rituals/teachings is Baptism, and the Mandean sanctuary; Mandi is a very simple and small house with slanting roof. In front of it is a pool, which is connected to a nearby river (called ‘Jordon’) where baptisms are conducted on a weekly basis
1 There are two theories to their origins they may either belong to a group emerging from Palestine, who were followers of John the Baptist. The other theory links them the Sabeans, originally from Harran region. However, there is no sound historical reference to their emergence, although it is presumed in Iraq, as a minority religion they have been residing for well over 2,000 years.
It is often said the Mandeans could be a continuation of traditions from Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), or Palestine, or both. The Mandean religion could be pre-Christian, or it could date to 1st or 2nd century CE. It could actually be John the Baptist, who founded the sect, or they could be a continuation of the Jewish sect that John the Baptist belonged to (guessed by some to be the Essenes)
2 however, elements of their language indicate that the community is of Jewish origin. (Recent sources indicate because of this, many Mandeans are seeking a homeland preferably in the occupied state of Palestine)
Since there is not much historical reference of their emergence in Iraq, little is known of how the influx of Muslim conquerors from the 7th century treated the Mandeans. Nevertheless, during the Abbasid dynasty it’s been noted that it was a period in which non-Arabs were allowed to convert (doubts has arisen, for these trends were for economical purposes). Thus a number of Mandeans had converted and were treated as ‘people of the book’ (Ahl al-kitab) however, the Mandeans indeed faced a difficult relationship with Islam, and Muhammad is in their writings called the 'demon Bizbat'.
3Sources say that during 932-934, the status of the Mandeans becomes an issue for the Abbasid caliph Al-Qahir Billah. He asked the shafi’I scholar Al-Istakari about the Mandeans of Wasit (southeast Iraq) this shows that their minority position had become uncertain, and had to pay a bribe to be left alone. Alongside the Mandeans, another minority religion harbouring in Iraq is the Christian minority. Christians of Iraq trace their ancestry to the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. They are known by various names such as Assyrians, Chaldeans for those who belong to the Chaldean-Church and Syriacs for the members of the Syrian Orthodox church. There is no specific statistics about the total population of Christians in Iraq but they are estimated to be about one million
4From the period of 7th century CE when Islam was at its advent of global conquering, the Christians in Iraq, under the general Khalid bin Waleed, were treated accordingly as part of other minority religions (bear in mind the covenant of Umar Al Khattab was not implemented during this period for the dhimmis, but rather 100 years later). This was a period when they did not face religious persecution in contrary their monasteries were safeguarded and they were able to practise their religions, although church bells were stopped as it interfered with the Muslim call to prayer (adhan)
But it was during the relatively tolerant period of the Abbasid Caliphate (758-1258) Assyrians scholars of both Nestorian and Jacobite denominations contributed greatly to the advancement of the Islamic civilization by translating the available knowledge form the Syriac and the Greek languages into the Arabic. This guided an era, which is known as the ‘Golden Age’. The first directors of the ‘House of Wisdom’ an institution specifically established by AI-Mamun in 830 AD to translate all the available existing knowledge including, medicine philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and other sciences into the Arabic were Assyrians
5To show the extent of the Assyrian contribution to educating the Arabs it suffices to say that from a hundred Galen's treaties ninety-six were translated form the Syriac language the rest directly from the Greek. Many Greek books no longer existed in their native language. Yuhanna ibn Masswaya a physician and teacher were the first director of the House of Wisdom and the president of the first Arab University. He has been credited with having written nearly fifty works. His students were well versed in logic and the writings of Galen. He conducted an assembly in Baghdad on regular basis known as ‘Majlis’, which was a combination of lecture room and consulting hour where he saw patients, lectured his students and discussed scientific topics for the benefit of the general public. One of his most famous students was Hunayn ibn-Isahq who became the second director of the House of the Wisdom
6The Mandeans, as we have acknowledged earlier on [were given dhimmi status during the Abbasid dynasty], who also lived side by side with Muslims as well as Christians for centuries. Number of sources tells us the Mandeans in Iraq experienced no real persecutions. However, other sources report the Mandeans have survived 1400 years of Islamic persecution, which includes many massacres of Mandeans throughout the centuries. ‘In 1870 an entire Mandaean community was massacred at Shushtar, north of Ahwaz in south-western Iran, close to the southern Iraqi border’.
7 According to information from the German NGO Society for Threatened People, Mandeans in Iraq were persecuted and suppressed in the past, by the Christian community as well
8Prior to the American led war in Iraq, during the reign of the former regime, the Mandaeans suffered further persecution; in particular during ‘cleansing’ campaigns in the Marsh areas [where they were for centuries concentrated in] during which Mandean places of worship were systematically destroyed.
9 Nevertheless, the general attitude towards Mandeans had become more tolerant during the last years of the former regime.
Persecution has skyrocketed and more than 80 Mandaeans have been murdered since the fall of Baghdad in April. Now there is great concern that Iraq's Mandaean community, having survived 1400 years of struggle, may not survive post-war Iraq. They live as refugees [number of them still struggle to get granted refugee status]. In a BBC article, the refugees speak of kidnap, murder and attempts at forced conversion. One woman, Ibtisam Sabah Habib, said there had always been some threats and pressure to convert to Islam, but under the previous Iraqi regime there had been limits. ‘Now, there are no rules and no government,’ she said, describing how an armed gang of Islamic extremists had got into her house, killed her father and stolen all their money. ‘They would telephone us at home, threatening us and trying to convert us. Then they tried to kidnap me. It was our neighbours who saved me. They're Muslims - not all Muslims threaten us. But the extremists are very strong now - our neighbours couldn't protect us all the time.’
10Other forms of persecution include harassment and abuse, often accompanied with violence, in the streets and at the daily public Mandean baptisms. Mandean couples are often forced to divorce so that Muslim marriages can be imposed upon them, thus ensuring the Mandeans lose their Mandean identity.
11 Already a very small religious community [as a whole] the sectarian violence in Iraq, approximately has left 100,000 displaced, which also includes other minority groups such as the Christians.
12Since the early period of the 7th century, Christians and Muslims have lived side by side in Iraq for centuries. Most Christians in Iraq are ethnically Assyrian. The Assyrians are the original inhabitants of the land now referred to as Iraq. The Apostle Thomas himself preached the Gospel to the Assyrians, shortly after the Resurrection of Christ. The majority of the Assyrian population had converted to Christianity by the second century, giving the Assyrians a legitimate claim to being the first Christian nation in history.
13The Qur’an recognizes Jesus as a prophet, along with the prophets of the Old Testament; Christians have long been given the status of a protected minority, sometimes referred to as ‘people of the book.’ You will find the people most affectionate to those who believe are those who say, 'We are Christians.' That is because some of them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant’. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 82) This verse shows all Muslims the importance of respecting and protecting the sanctuaries of Christians and Jews. Indeed, in the Qur'an God commands Muslims not to harbour any enmity towards any people. In many verses, friendship is recommended. God even refers to the idolaters at war with Muslims in this way: ‘if any of the idolaters ask you for protection, give them protection until they have heard the words of God. Then convey them to a place where they are safe.’ (Surat at-Tawba: 6)
Even Saddam Hussein offered Christians a measure of protection in an era when the 1979 Iranian revolution politicised Islam and spawned militancy throughout the Muslim world. Saddam tended to view Iraq's Christians as no threatening. He gave prominent roles to some, most notably Tariq Aziz, who provided a grandfatherly public face for a brutal regime [Aziz was deputy prime minister in the Saddam regime].
However, Saddam never permitted new churches to be built, nor would he allow new Christian denominations into his tightly controlled society. Nevertheless, we must bear in mind that In Shiite-dominated Southern Iraq, there have been many accounts of Assyrian businessmen being shot dead on the street for such crimes as running liquor stores or selling other goods prohibited by Islamic law. Under the regime of Saddam Hussein, Christians had been allowed to peacefully conduct such business without fear.
Christians are seriously affected by the dramatic deterioration of the situation of non-Muslim communities, since the 2003 American led war in Iraq. However, Iraq's interim constitution signed in March 2004 and which was put in force until a general election, guaranteed freedom of all religions. Article Seven says Islam is the official state religion ‘and a source of the legislation’. ‘This constitution respects the Islamic identity of the majority of the Iraqi population while guaranteeing complete freedom of all other religions and religious practices,’ it says.
Nevertheless, They increasingly experienced discrimination and continue to, with regard to access to the labour market or basic social services. Many Iraqi Christians are particularly afraid of persecution by insurgent groups such as Ansar Al-Sunna as well as Islamic militias such as the Badr Organisation or the Mehdi-Army, which have gained de facto control over entire neighborhoods in various cities and villages in Iraq.
14Christians are regarded as ‘infidels’ by segments of the Muslim majority population in Iraq. Therefore, many assaults bear a religious component. This is particularly true when Christians are punished for not respecting or adhering to certain traditional or religious rules of behaviour, such as the Islamic dress code accepted or requested by a Muslim majority, the consumption or selling of alcohol, or women appearing in public without the company of a male relative (mahram).
15At times, personal motives may also be the reason for violent assaults on members of Christian communities. The perception is that Christians are generally wealthier than others, (for example because they trade or sell alcohol); this may also be a cause for attacks. Furthermore, ethnic motives may have to be considered in particular with regard to Armenian Christians. Although Islam protects Christians, as ‘people of the book’ (Ahl Al-Kitab) the general populace does not always respect this status. As a result, assaults against religious minorities or ‘infidels’ may be considered minor offences, thereby lowering the threshold for discrimination against or persecution of members of religious minorities. Against this background, a person’s religious association may play a role as a motive and also determine the kind of persecutory act.
16The increasing trend to embrace strict Islamic values is the cause for strong resentment towards Christians, mainly in the South as well as in the so-called Sunni triangle in the Center of the country. The relationship between Kurds and Christians is characterised by more mutual tolerance and therefore Christians in the Northern Governorates generally face less pressure. However, in view of the possible recognition of Islam as a major source of law in the new Permanent Constitution, Christians fear a further degradation of their legal and actual position in the Iraqi society. The increasing number of Iraqi Christians fleeing to neighbouring Syria since 2003 provides a strong indication for the deterioration of their situation. Christians seeking refuge in Syria and Jordan currently benefit from protection on a temporary basis granted by the authorities of these countries.
17Concluding, we know the Christians are the people of the book ‘ahl al-kitab’ they are to be protected on all grounds. However, regarding The Mandeans, there are no valid authentic materials underlining them to be people of the book, in the Sunnah of the prophet (pbuh) or in the Qur’an, except for which the Abbasid dynasty implemented [as certain sources recall for economic purposes]. Although there was some level of persecution of minority communities in the hands of the Muslims in the earlier period of Muslim rule, predominantly in the latter periods of the Islamic caliphate, and not during the very reign of the prophet hood of Muhammad (pbuh) where all minority groups were treated with much peace and protection. The situation faced by these minority groups isn’t to be compared to the persecution and oppression they suffer now in modern ‘democratic Iraq’. As I had proposed to interrogate the Christian and Mandean relationship with Islam from ancient period to the modern era, we must acknowledge the fact that anti Semitism has no justification in Islam neither does it condone racism in any shape or form. The Qur'an teaches that superiority does not lie in race, colour or any other feature, but in closeness to God and living by faith and morals. The Qur'an states this truth: Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in God's sight is that one of you who best performs his duty. God is All Knowing, All Aware. (The Qur'an, 49:13) Thus persecution the Christian community and the Mandeans face in Iraq, and perhaps other countries [in the Middle East], is nothing but religion used as an instrument to fight the ideological battle of a minority radical Muslims, who have no basis in Islam. It is unfortunate these minority groups are caught in middle of the catastrophe of religion being politicised. Hopefully there should be light in the end of the tunnel.
