تقرير عند وضع المندائيين باللغة الإنكليزية Mandaean Human Rights Group Dear Madam /Sir The Mandaean community worldwide is gravely concerned for the safety of its members who remain inside Iraq. The latest dangerous development of ISOL extremists taking over large territories inside Iraq is having worse impact on the Iraqi religious minorities including the Mandaeans. This has resulted in forced conversions to Islam or death by the sword as is the extreme religious doctrine of ISOL, which has been witnessed in the case of the Yezidi religious minority in northern Iraq. Even the optional Muslim Jizya, a requital for not being killed, which may have been offered to some other religious minorities, will not be applied to the Mandaeans. The extremists do not accept the group as “people of the book”. More over the Mandaeans are yet again more exposed and vulnerable to the religious and sectarian violence, which is breaking up among the various religious groups in the rest of Iraqi territories. Against their pacifist believes the Mandaeans are forced to bear arms to fight ISOL, which they are forbidden to do by their religious doctrine. Most disturbing is the recent killing of members of the Mandaean community because of the flare up of the sectarian violence in the rest of Iraq. The Mandaean Human Rights group has evidence of these killing as well as kidnapping for ransom against members of Mandaean community since June 2014. These atrocities happened in areas other than those controlled by ISOL and carried out by varies armed groups. There is also a number of Mandaean families who have fled from areas under ISOL control and are living as refugees whether inside Iraq or outside like Jordan or Turkey. The Mandaean Community in Iraq is currently and more than ever in its history is under a real threat of being wiped out at the hands of ISOL and other religious extremist groups. The Iraqi minorities have found that their rights took a deeper dive to the worse in the New Iraq. They had no place to voice their concerns and fewer political powers would listen, let alone act. Their situation is getting worse especially after the rise of ISOL. The renewed fight for power after the new elections and the rearrangement of power makes Minority Rights much lower on the Iraqi agenda. The ethnic cleansing or killing of other religious beliefs is a crime against humanity that the international community should not stand and watch it happen. We urge the Iraqi government to put in motion practical steps to protect the Iraqi ethno/religious minorities by giving them equal opportunities in participation to build a new safe and democratic Iraq The Iraqi government needs to support the establishment of the Minority Security Council that has the authority to defend the rights of the minorities and assure equal treatment and opportunities to all Iraqi citizens. However, we think that a Minority Security Council has no chance of success unless it is adopted by the UN and other international governments as an international responsibility. We urge the Iraqi government to take the following steps to secure the rights of the Mandaean and other ethno/religious people of Iraq: 1.The formation of Minority Security Council which Act upon any immediate threat to the minorities by direct hot lines from designated Minority members and to follow up on the atrocities and find out the final result in regular monthly meetings and to follow up on the humanitarian needs of the refugees inside Iraq or outside . The council will work as the place for minorities to voice their concerns and suggest working solutions for these concerns based on citizenship. 2. For the Iraqi Government to take steps to insure practical equal economic as well as cultural and social-religious rights. 3.For the Iraq Government to take care of and support the refugees those who are internally displaced as well as those outside of Iraq. 4. The Iraqi government to give equal opportunities for Ethno/religious minorities for jobs built on merits rather than current system of sectarian preference. 5. For the Iraqi Government to promote religious tolerance within the Iraqi education system and remove any miss information about minority religions. Mandaean Human Rights Group
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 21:21:18 +0000
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