MANDAEAN MINORITY INCREASINGLY TARGETED, SEEK AID

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 000881

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: MANDAEAN MINORITY INCREASINGLY TARGETED, SEEK AID
ON RESETTLEMENT

REF: 06 BAGHDAD 01924

Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT GILCHRIST, FOR REASONS
1.4 (B,D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Representatives of Iraq's Sabian Mandaean
religious minority on March 7 reported an increase in violent
attacks and discrimination against their community over the
past
year. They told post that top spiritual leader Shaykh Sattar
Jabbar al-Helo had fled to Syria after surviving a kidnapping
by
the Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) militia in June 2006. Many other
remaining religious leaders had similarly left Iraq as a
result
of threats and attacks. The Mandaean leaders complained that
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Kurdistan leader Masoud
Barzani had failed to follow through substantively on offers
to
facilitate Mandaean resettlement in Kurdistan. They claimed
Prime Minister Maliki ignored their appeals for aid to
rebuild
their places of worship. They also repeated previous
requests
for US resettlement assistance (reftel). The Mandaens'
distinct
dress and customs make them visible targets for abuse and
attacks. END SUMMARY.

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"THE ATTACKS GET WORSE"
--------------


2. (C) Sabian Public Council Chairman Radi reported that
targeting of the Mandaean community by both Islamic extremist
militia members and insurgents has risen since mid-2006.
Radi
said that due to worsening persecution, today there are only
six
Mandaean religious leaders remaining in Iraq, and since last
May, seven have left for Syria and Jordan. Radi alleged that
to
rob Mandaean priests of their religious authority, extremists
have forced several Mandaean deputy religious leaders to
shave
their long beards, worn in accordance with their faith.
Sheikh
Khalaf added that in February, a group of Mandaeans were
mortared as they conducted religious ceremonies along the
banks
of the Tigris River in Baghdad. Radi said that kidnappings
of
Mandaeans were becoming more frequent. To illustrate his
point,
he provided a list detailing eight abductions of Mandaeans
taking place between January 8 and February 11. Radi also
alleged that on March 3, on a street in the Baghdad
neighborhood
of Jadida, masked militia members abducted one of his female
cousins, who was traveling to Baghdad University. He said
that
although her family paid ransom, she still has not been
released. The Mandaean leaders noted that Mandaean's
reputation
for affluence and pacifism has made the community of
reportedly
7000 Mandaeans remaining in Iraq particularly vulnerable.



3. (C) According to Radi, Mandaeans now face new forms of
discrimination beyond preexisting forced conversions and
forced
headscarf-wearing by Mandaean women. Radi claimed there is a
new segregationist phenomenon, based on prevailing Muslim
notions of Mandaean uncleanliness. He explained that now
when
Mandaeans drink out of glasses at public establishments,
sometimes extremists will break the glasses, rather than
allow
them to be washed and then possibly used by a non-Mandaean.
Radi said colleagues of his nephew, who works at an
agricultural
college in Basrah, now force him to put his food in a
separate
refrigerator.

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TOP LEADER IN SYRIA AFTER KIDNAPPING
--------------


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4. (C) Emphasizing the sensitivity of the information, Radi
said
that death threats compelled Mandaean spiritual leader Shaykh
Sattar to flee to Syria after surviving a JAM-orchestrated
kidnapping in June 2006. Radi stated that during the
kidnapping, JAM members pulled Shaykh Sattar off the street
by
his beard, although he informed his kidnappers that he is the
Mandaean's worldwide spiritual leader. He added that JAM
released Shaykh Sattar only after Mandaean leaders convinced
both JAM leader Moqtada al-Sadr and Supreme Council for the
Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) leader Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim
to
intercede directly on Shaykh Sattar's behalf.

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MANDAEANS COMPLAIN OF EMPTY KURDISH OFFERS
--------------


5. (C) The Mandaean representatives said that last year,
President Jalal Talabani promised to provide the Mandaeans
housing and assistance in opening goldsmith stores in
Suleimaniyah. (Note: Mandaeans are well-known for their
expertise in gold and silver work. End note.) However, the
Mandaeans said that President Talabani has taken no further
action. They also claimed that during a meeting in late
2006,
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani
gave the Mandaeans permission to open goldsmith shops in
Erbil.
However, the leaders complained Barzani has not backed up his
verbal offer with an official KRG order, which would provide
the
political cover necessary to make relocation actually
possible.
According to Radi, there are at least forty Mandaean families
that are ready to resettle in Kurdistan as soon as the KRG
provides concrete support. Radi said the Mandaeans believe
President Talabani understands their concerns much more than
Barzani, and therefore want to reengage with President
Talabani
on his previous promises.

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PM "UNRESPONSIVE" TO APPEALS FOR AID
--------------


6. (C) Radi said that Mandaean leaders met with PM Maliki
twice
within the last two months to request an allotment of funds
from
the Council of Ministers for reconstructing Mandaean places
of
worship and the assignment of an advisor in the PM's office
to
follow up on their requests. Radi complained that PM Maliki
was
unresponsive to both requests. According to Radi, beyond the
PM's inaction, another factor possibly preventing the
Mandaeans
from receiving government assistance is that Non-Muslim
Endowment President Abdullah Hermiz is "facing issues from
the
Ministry of Finance about how he spends endowment funds".

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REQUEST U.S. RESETTLEMENT
--------------


7. (C) Mandaean non-Muslim endowment representative Zaki
repeated pleas for US resettlement assistance that the group
raised in May 2006 (reftel). Zaki expressed frustration that
the U.S. has not granted Iraqi Mandaeans the same Priority 2
refugee status (granted to groups of special humanitarian
concern) as Iranian Mandaeans, who he claimed experience
similar, if not less, persecution. The three Mandaean
leaders
then inquired about the new expanded refugee program for
Iraq.

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COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) Though determining whether the Mandaean's level of
vulnerability is greater than that of other minority
religious
groups is difficult, it is clear that they face a level of
discrimination and particular danger that other groups in
Iraq

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do not. Unlike other religious groups, their customs as well
as
their dress mark them publicly as "different". They are
easily
distinguishable by those wishing to cause them harm,
especially
by those who associate Mandaean religious practices with
"sorcery". In addition to the examples of abuse Mandaens
cited
above, post has also received reports of torture and forced
conversion. Although there are no reliable figures, it is
also
clear that the size of the Mandaean community in Irag has
been
reduced substantially as many have fled due to the violence
against them. Some contacts believe this distinct religion
is
nearing extinction.


9. (C) The Mandaeans, while few, are well-organized
politically,
and have been able to plead their case to top political
leaders
in Baghdad as well as in Kurdistan. For example, there is
actually a KRG-Mandaean coordination committee. Post will
provide the Mandaeans information on the U.S. refugee
admissions
program and follow-up on possible Mandaean resettlement in
Kurdistan with KRG representatives. END COMMENT.
SPECKHARD