2026-05-19T20:51:44+00:00
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Shafaq News- Baghdad
Representatives of
Iraq’s minority communities and civil society organizations warned on Tuesday
that hate speech, migration, and weak legal protections continue to threaten
coexistence and the country’s religious and ethnic diversity.
On the occasion of
the International Day of
Living Together in Peace, Ram Asaad Al-Othmani, spokesperson for Iraq’s Mandaean
community, told Shafaq News that conditions for minorities are better than during
the 2014–2017 war against ISIS, citing
relative progress in political representation and reconstruction efforts in
areas such as Nineveh Plains and Sinjar. However, Al-Othmani pointed out that
the improvements “have not sufficiently translated into daily life” due to the
absence of sustainable security protection, weak law enforcement, rising
migration rates, and a persistent marginalization.
Read more: Yazidis struggle to return home a decade after ISIS atrocities: report
Coexistence in Iraq
operates on two levels: one based on long-standing social acceptance in mixed
cities such as Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, and Kirkuk, and another more fragile
model 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, migration
poses a “direct threat” to Iraq’s pluralism, arguing that the loss of communities such as Christians, Mandaeans, Yazidis, Kakais, and
Shabak would mean losing part of the country’s historical identity.
Saad Salloum, the head
of the Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development, told Shafaq News
that hate speech had transformed social fabric from a source of civilizational
richness into a driver of tension and conflict.
He pointed to the
2014 genocide
against the Yazidis and the displacement of Christians from historic cities as
examples of the consequences of extremist rhetoric, warning that continued
incitement undermines reconciliation efforts and threatens the foundations of
equal citizenship.
Yazidi writer and
activist Mirza Dinani also argued that “Iraq’s democratic experience is
incomplete and vulnerable to interference by influential political forces,” adding
that the misuse of religion in political competition and “the use of hate
speech for electoral purposes” have contributed to the rise of extremist
movements threatening social peace.
Meanwhile, Shabak
representative Mohsen Ali Al-Shabaki described coexistence in the Nineveh
Plains as a “living example” reflected in daily life, markets, and social
occasions, indicating that despite external attacks, the region has not
witnessed 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 just
state is one that prevents differences from becoming tools of injustice.”
Read more: Iraq’s 2025 Elections: Minority quota under spotlight
Minorities Under Pressure
Iraq is home to a wide range of religious and
ethnic minorities whose populations have sharply declined over the past two
decades due to war, displacement, sectarian violence, and migration. The
Mandaean community, one of the world’s oldest Gnostic faiths, has fallen from
an estimated 70,000 members before 2003 to only a few thousand today, mainly
concentrated in Basra, Dhi Qar, and Maysan, with diaspora communities spread
across Europe, Australia, and the United States.
Read more: Five days to eternity: inside the Mandaeans’ sacred Brunaya
Yazidis, largely based in Sinjar and Shekhan in
Nineveh province, continue to face the consequences of the 2014 ISIS genocide,
with more than 200,000 still displaced across camps in the Kurdistan Region and
disputed territories. The Shabak community, historically concentrated in the
Nineveh Plains east of Mosul, has also seen its population decline due to
displacement and migration after years of violence and instability.
Meanwhile,
Iraq’s Kakai population is estimated at between 110,000 and 200,000, mostly
living in Kirkuk, Diyala, Erbil, and Al-Sulaymaniyah provinces. A small but
active Zoroastrian community also remains in the Kurdistan Region. Minority
representation has faced additional political challenges after Iraq’s Federal
Supreme Court abolished the 11 minority quota seats in the Kurdistan parliament
ahead of the 2024 regional elections.
