Shafaq News- Baghdad
Representatives ofIraq’s minority communities and civil society organizations warned on Tuesdaythat hate speech, migration, and weak legal protections continue to threatencoexistence and the country’s religious and ethnic diversity.
On the occasion ofthe International Day ofLiving Together in Peace, Ram Asaad Al-Othmani, spokesperson for Iraq’s Mandaeancommunity, told Shafaq News that conditions for minorities are better than duringthe 2014–2017 war against ISIS, citingrelative progress in political representation and reconstruction efforts inareas such as Nineveh Plains and Sinjar. However, Al-Othmani pointed out thatthe improvements “have not sufficiently translated into daily life” due to theabsence of sustainable security protection, weak law enforcement, risingmigration rates, and a persistent marginalization.
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Coexistence in Iraqoperates on two levels: one based on long-standing social acceptance in mixedcities such as Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, and Kirkuk, and another more fragilemodel in disputed areas and regions witnessing the return of displaced people,where stability depends largely on temporary security arrangements, he said.
According to Al-Othmani, migrationposes a “direct threat” to Iraq’s pluralism, arguing that the loss of communities such as Christians, Mandaeans, Yazidis, Kakais, andShabak would mean losing part of the country’s historical identity.
Saad Salloum, the headof the Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development, told Shafaq Newsthat hate speech had transformed social fabric from a source of civilizationalrichness into a driver of tension and conflict.
He pointed to the2014 genocideagainst the Yazidis and the displacement of Christians from historic cities asexamples of the consequences of extremist rhetoric, warning that continuedincitement undermines reconciliation efforts and threatens the foundations ofequal citizenship.
Yazidi writer andactivist Mirza Dinani also argued that “Iraq’s democratic experience isincomplete and vulnerable to interference by influential political forces,” addingthat the misuse of religion in political competition and “the use of hatespeech for electoral purposes” have contributed to the rise of extremistmovements threatening social peace.
Meanwhile, Shabakrepresentative Mohsen Ali Al-Shabaki described coexistence in the NinevehPlains as a “living example” reflected in daily life, markets, and socialoccasions, indicating that despite external attacks, the region has notwitnessed internal fighting among its communities.
Ibrahim Zarari, a follower of the Zoroastrian faith,argued that protecting diversity requires equal laws for all citizens,inclusive education, and balanced political representation, noting that “a juststate is one that prevents differences from becoming tools of injustice.”
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Minorities Under Pressure
Iraq is home to a wide range of religious andethnic minorities whose populations have sharply declined over the past twodecades due to war, displacement, sectarian violence, and migration. TheMandaean community, one of the world’s oldest Gnostic faiths, has fallen froman estimated 70,000 members before 2003 to only a few thousand today, mainlyconcentrated in Basra, Dhi Qar, and Maysan, with diaspora communities spreadacross Europe, Australia, and the United States.
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Yazidis, largely based in Sinjar and Shekhan inNineveh province, continue to face the consequences of the 2014 ISIS genocide,with more than 200,000 still displaced across camps in the Kurdistan Region anddisputed territories. The Shabak community, historically concentrated in theNineveh Plains east of Mosul, has also seen its population decline due todisplacement and migration after years of violence and instability.
Meanwhile,Iraq’s Kakai population is estimated at between 110,000 and 200,000, mostlyliving in Kirkuk, Diyala, Erbil, and Al-Sulaymaniyah provinces. A small butactive Zoroastrian community also remains in the Kurdistan Region. Minorityrepresentation has faced additional political challenges after Iraq’s FederalSupreme Court abolished the 11 minority quota seats in the Kurdistan parliamentahead of the 2024 regional elections.