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[[File:ImamHusaynMosqueKarbalaIraqPre2006.JPG|thumb|[[Imam Husayn Shrine]] in [[Karbala]]]]
{{Pie chart
{{Short description|none}}
|thumb = right
<!-- "none" is a legitimate description when the title is already adequate; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
|caption = Religion in Iraq (2018)
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}[[File:Iraq_ethno_2003.jpg|right|thumb|'''A 2003 [[CIA Factbook]] map which shows the distribution of ethnoreligious groups in Iraq.''']]
|label1 = [[Islam|Sunni Islam]]
|value1 = 33.2
|color1 = MediumSeaGreen
|label2 = [[Islam|Shia Islam]]
|value2 = 30
|color2 = DarkGreen
|label3 = [[Irreligion|No religion]]
|value3 = 34
|color3 = WhiteSmoke
|label4 = [[Christianity|Christianity]]
|value4 = 2
|color4 = DodgerBlue
|label5 = Other religions
|value5 = 0.8
|color5 = Chartreuse
}}


'''Religion in [[Iraq]]''' dates back to [[Ancient Mesopotamia]], particularly [[Sumer]], [[Akkadian Empire|Akkad]], [[Assyria]] and [[Babylonia]] between circa 3500 BC and 400 AD, after which they largely gave way to Judaism, followed by [[Syriac Christianity]] and later to [[Islam]].<ref name="britannica.com">{{Cite web|title=Mesopotamian religion {{!}} Facts, Names, Gods, Temples, & Practices|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mesopotamian-religion|access-date=2021-10-25|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=L. Sandler|first=Stanley|title=Ground Warfare: An International Encyclopedia 3 volume set|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2002|isbn=978-1576073445|language=English}}</ref> Iraq consists of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-sectarian population, all living together in one geographical area. The Iraqi civilization was built by peoples and nations, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Persians, Turks, Arabs, and Babylonians. Religious and cultural circumstances have helped Arabs to become the majority of Iraq’s population today, followed by Kurds, Turkmen, and other nationalities.
[[Iraq]] is a multi ethnic and multi religious country with [[Islam]], [[Christianity]], [[Yazdanism]], [[Zoroastrianism]], [[Shabakism]], [[Judaism]], [[Mandaeism]], [[Bahá'í Faith|Bahā'i]], [[Yarsanism|Ahl-e Haqq-Yarsanis]], [[Ishikism]] and numerous other religions all having a presence in the country. [[Islam]] is the official state religion in the Republic of Iraq, but the constitution guarantees freedom of religion. In particular, [[Shia]] Islam is the main '''religion in Iraq''' practiced by 64% of the population, while [[Sunni]] Islam is followed by 33% of the people. Many cities throughout Iraq have been areas of historical prominence for both Shia and Sunni Muslims, including [[Najaf]], [[Karbala]], [[Baghdad]] and [[Samarra]].
{{Pie chart|caption=Religion in Iraq (CIA WorldFactbook 2019)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/iraq/ | title=CIA data for Iraq | date=25 May 2022 }}</ref>|color1=SeaGreen|color2=Red|color3= White|color4=Black|label1=[[Islam in Iraq|Islam]] (official)|label2=[[Christianity in Iraq|Christianity]] |label3=Other |value1= 98 |value2 = 1 |value3 =1}}


A national census has not been held since 1987.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iraq: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report|url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/iraq/freedom-world/2021|access-date=2022-01-03|website=Freedom House|language=en}}</ref> In the 2020s, the country is overwhelmingly Muslim, who are split into two distinct sects, [[Shia]] and [[Sunni]]. Approximately 95% to 98% of the population are Muslims, with Shia Muslims constituting around 55%, and Sunnis around 40%.<ref name="CIA"/><ref name="PewResearch"/> The remainder follow [[Christianity]], [[Yazidism]], [[Mandaeism]] and [[Yarsanism]].
==Islam==

== History ==
{{Main|Ancient Mesopotamian religion|Sumerian religion}}
[[File:Marduk and pet.jpg|thumb|The god [[Marduk]] and his dragon [[Mušḫuššu]] |left]]
The religious development of Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian culture in general, especially in the south, was not particularly influenced by the movements of the various peoples into and throughout the area. Rather, Mesopotamian religion was a consistent and coherent tradition which adapted to the internal needs of its adherents over millennia of development.<ref name="britannica.com"/>

There was increasing [[syncretism]] between the Sumerian and Akkadian cultures and deities, with the Akkadians typically preferring to worship fewer [[Deity|deities]] but elevating them to greater positions of power. Circa 2335 BC, [[Sargon of Akkad]] conquered all of Mesopotamia, uniting its inhabitants into the world's first empire and spreading its domination into ancient [[Iran]], the [[Levant]], [[Anatolia]], [[Canaan]] and the [[Arabian Peninsula]]. The Akkadian Empire endured for two centuries before collapsing due to economic decline, internal strife and attacks from the north east by the [[Gutian people]].

=== Modern era ===
{{see also|Irreligion in Iraq}}
The “Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism” listed Iraq as one of six countries as having the lowest rate of atheism in 2012. After six years, with religious figures coming to power, the situation changed fast as the tide of religiosity receded. According to Iraqi thinker Izzat Shahbandar, this came after their ruling political class came to power, and their role in sectarianism and state corruption, and by regularly occupying television slots to spread their agendas. The increasing prevalence of atheism and agnosticism signals a tidal public opinion change.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iraq's growing community of atheists no longer peripheral {{!}} Nazli Tarzi|url=http://thearabweekly.com/iraqs-growing-community-atheists-no-longer-peripheral|access-date=2021-12-21|website=AW|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Atheists in Iraq|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iraq-s-atheists-go-underground-sunni-shiite-hard-liners-dominate-n983076|access-date=2021-12-21|website=NBC News|language=en}}</ref>

Iraq has Islam as the official religion of the state, according to Article 2 of the Constitution, Article 14 of which states that all Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination.<ref name=":0" /> Article 43 of the Constitution gave freedom to followers of every sect to practice their religious rituals, and emphasized the Husseini rituals, and that the state guarantees freedom of worship and the protection of its places.<ref name=":0" /> The population, according to the latest census prepared by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics for the year 2017, is 37 million, 139 thousand, and 519 people, with a growth rate of 2.61%, with a male-to-female ratio at birth of 103.9%.<ref name=":0" />

In 2005, the population was 27,962,968, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.<ref name=":0" /> The population, according to the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation for 2015, reached 36 million people, an increase of 5 million from 2009, when the number reached 31.6 million people.<ref name=":0" /> All figures and statistics are estimates, as no census has been conducted since 1997.<ref name=":0" />

== Islam ==
{{Main|Islam in Iraq}}
{{Main|Islam in Iraq}}
[[File:Iraqi security forces, Bountyhunter Soldiers oversee peaceful elections DVIDS149255.jpg|thumb|Both Sunni and Shiite Muslims gathered together to participate in the provincial elections in Baghdad]]
[[File:Imam Ali Shrine (1).jpg|thumb|left|[[Imam Ali Mosque]], [[Najaf]]. One of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.]]
Iraq's Muslims follow two distinct traditions, [[Shia]] and [[Sunni]] Islam. According to the [[CIA World Factbook]], Iraq is approximately 95% to 98% Muslim, with approximately 55% Shia and 40% Sunni.<ref name="CIA">{{cite web|title=CIA World Fact Book|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/iraq/#people-and-society|date=2021-04-21|access-date=2023-09-02}}</ref> According to a 2011 survey by [[Pew Research]], 51% of the Muslims identify as Shia and 42% as Sunni.<ref name="PewResearch">{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/18/the-sunni-shia-divide-where-they-live-what-they-believe-and-how-they-view-each-other/|title=The Sunni-Shia divide: Where they live, what they believe and how they view each other|author=Michael Lipka|date=2014-06-18|access-date=2021-04-15|publisher=Pew Research Center}}</ref> Iraq is home to many religious sites important for both Shia and Sunni.


Iraq's Muslims follow two distinct traditions, [[Shia]] and [[Sunni]] Islam. According to the 2018 ''[[CIA Factbook]]'', Iraq is 95% Muslim: 64–69% Shia and 29–34% Sunni. The overall percentage of Muslims has increased since the [[Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)]] due to the migration of Christian and Yezidi refugees into neighboring countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/iz.html|title=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513074113/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/iz.html |archivedate=2009-05-13|df=}}</ref> Iraq is home to many religious sites important for both [[Shia]] and [[Sunni]] Muslims. [[Baghdad]] was a hub of [[Islamic]] [[learning]] and [[scholarship]] for centuries and served as the capital of the [[Abassids]]. The city of [[Karbala]] has substantial prominence in [[Shia Islam]] as a result of the [[Battle of Karbala]], fought on the site of the modern city on October 10, 680. Similarly, [[Najaf]] is renowned as the site of the tomb of [[Ali|Alī ibn Abī Tālib]] (also known as "Imām Alī"), who the Shia consider to be the righteous caliph and first [[imam|imām]]. The city is now a great center of [[pilgrimage]] from throughout the Shia [[Islam]]ic world and it is estimated that only [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] receive more Muslim pilgrims. The city of [[Kufa]] was home to the famed Sunni scholar [[Abu Hanifah]], whose school of thought is followed by a sizable number of Sunnis across the globe. Likewise, [[Samarra]] is also home to the [[al-Askari Mosque]], containing the mausoleums of the [[Ali al-Hadi]] and [[Hasan al-Askari]], the tenth and eleventh [[Shia Imams]], respectively, as well as the shrine of [[Muhammad al-Mahdi]], known as the "Hidden Imam", who is the twelfth and final Imam of the Shia of the Ja'farī Madhhab. This has made it an important pilgrimage centre for Ja'farī Shia Muslims. In addition, some female relatives of the Prophet [[Mohammad]] are buried in Samarra, making the city one of the most significant sites of worship for Shia and a venerated location for Sunnis.
[[Baghdad]] was a hub of [[Islam]]ic learning and scholarship for centuries and served as the capital of the [[Abassids]]. The city of [[Karbala]] has substantial prominence in Shia Islam as a result of the [[Battle of Karbala]], which was fought on the site of the modern city on October 10, 680. Similarly, [[Najaf]] is renowned as the site of the tomb of [[Ali|Alī ibn Abī Tālib]] (also known as "Imām Alī"). The Shia consider him to be the righteous caliph and first [[imam|imām]]. The city is now a great center of [[pilgrimage]] from throughout the Shia Islamic world even though his grave is debatable and it is estimated that only [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] receive more Muslim pilgrims.


The city of [[Kufa]] was home to the famed Sunni scholar [[Abu Hanifah]], whose school of thought is followed by a sizable number of Sunnis across the globe. Likewise, [[Samarra]] is home to the [[al-Askari Mosque]], containing the mausoleums of the [[Ali al-Hadi]] and [[Hasan al-Askari]], the tenth and eleventh [[Shia Imams]], respectively, as well as the shrine of [[Muhammad al-Mahdi]], known as the "Hidden Imam", who is the twelfth and final Imam of the Shia of the Ja'farī Madhhab. This has made it an important pilgrimage centre for Ja'farī Shia. In addition, some female relatives of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] are buried in Samarra, making the city one of the most significant sites of worship for Shia and a venerated location for Sunnis.
Smaller sects of Islam exist in the country, such as the small Shia [[Shaykhism|Shaykhist]] community concentrated in [[Basra]] and [[Karbala]].


Smaller sects of Islam exist in the country, such as the small Shia [[Shaykhism|Shaykhist]] community concentrated in [[Basra]] and Karbala.
===Kurds===
{{seealso|Kurds in Iraq}}
Iraqi Kurds are mainly Sunni muslims, with a sizeable Shia Feyli minority 3%.{{citationneeded|date=May 2019}} Most Kurds are located in the northern areas of the country. Most Iraqi Kurdish Muslims follow the [[Shafi]] school of [[Sharia|Islamic law]], while others are members of either the [[Qadiri]] or the [[Naqshbandi]] [[Sufi]] [[tariqah]].


===Turkmens/Turkomans===
=== Arabs ===
Iraqi Arabs are a mix between Shia and Sunni. The Arab Sunni live mainly in the area of the so-called [[Sunni Triangle]], but there are other communities in other parts of the country, whereas the Arab Shia live mainly in Southeast Iraq. The capital Baghdad is mixed of Arab Sunni and Arab Shia as well as other religions.
{{seealso|Iraqi Turkmen}}
The majority of [[Iraqi Turkmen]] are [[Sunni Muslims]], forming aproximately 60%-70% of the community; in addition, there is also a sizable Turkmen population practicing the [[Shia]] branch of Islam (about 30% to 40%).<ref name=Oğuzlu313>{{citation|last=Oğuzlu|first=Tarik H.|year=2004|title=Endangered community:The Turkoman identity in Iraq|journal=Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs|volume=24|issue=2|publisher=[[Routledge]]|page=313}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Jawhar|first=Raber Tal'at|year=2010|chapter=The Iraqi Turkmen Front|url=http://ifpo.revues.org/1115|title=Returning to Political Parties?|editor1-last=Catusse|editor1-first=Myriam|editor2-last=Karam|editor2-first=Karam (eds.)|place=|publisher=The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies|pages=313–328|isbn=1-886604-75-4}}</ref> Collectively, most Iraqi Turkmen are [[secular]], having internalized the secularist interpretation of state–religion affairs practiced in the [[Republic of Turkey]].<ref name=Oğuzlu313/> The religious and tribal factors and tensions inherent in Iraq’s political culture does not significantly affect the Iraqi Turkmen Sunnis and Shias.<ref>{{Harvnb|Oğuzlu|2004|loc=314}}.</ref>


==Christianity==
=== Kurds ===
{{see also|Kurds in Iraq}}
[[File:Baghdad Latin Church.jpg|thumb|The Latin Church in [[Baghdad]]]]
Iraqi Kurds are around 70% Sunni, with a Shia [[Feylis|Feyli]] minority of 30%.<ref name="Szanto 2020 1–16">{{Citation|last=Szanto|first=Edith|title=Islam in Kurdistan: Religious Communities and Their Practices in Contemporary Northern Iraq|date=2020|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-73653-2_88-1|work=Handbook of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Lives|pages=1–16|editor-last=Lukens-Bull|editor-first=Ronald|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-73653-2_88-1|isbn=978-3-319-73653-2|s2cid=226565009|access-date=2020-12-09|editor2-last=Woodward|editor2-first=Mark}}</ref> Most Kurds are located in the northern areas of the country. Most Iraqi Kurdish Muslims follow the [[Shafi]] school of [[Sharia|Islamic law]], while others are members of either the [[Qadiri]] or the [[Naqshbandi]] [[Sufi]] [[tariqah]].<ref name="Szanto 2020 1–16"/>

=== Turkmen ===
About 75% of [[Iraqi Turkmen]] are Sunni, and about 25% practice Shia Islam.<ref name="Oğuzlu313">{{citation|last=Oğuzlu|first=Tarik H.|year=2004|title=Endangered community:The Turkoman identity in Iraq|journal=Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs|volume=24|issue=2|publisher=[[Routledge]]|page=313|doi=10.1080/1360200042000296681|hdl=11693/49129|s2cid=56385519|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Jawhar|first=Raber Tal'at|year=2010|chapter=The Iraqi Turkmen Front|chapter-url=http://ifpo.revues.org/1115|title=Returning to Political Parties?|editor1-last=Catusse|editor1-first=Myriam|editor2-last=Karam|editor2-first=Karam|publisher=The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies|pages=313–328|isbn=978-1-886604-75-9}}</ref> Collectively, most Iraqi Turkmen are [[secular]], having internalized the secularist interpretation of state–religion affairs practiced in the [[Republic of Turkey]].<ref name="Oğuzlu313"/> The religious and tribal factors and tensions inherent in Iraq's political culture do not significantly affect the Iraqi Turkmen Sunnis and Shias.<ref>{{Harvnb|Oğuzlu|2004|loc=314}}.</ref>

== Christianity ==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Assyrianadministartedareasuggestion2005.jpg|thumb| Assyrians in Iraq account for a slight majority in two Ninewa counties, [[Tel Kaif]] and [[Al-Hamdaniya]].]] -->
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Assyrianadministartedareasuggestion2005.jpg|thumb| Assyrians in Iraq account for a slight majority in two Ninewa counties, [[Tel Kaif]] and [[Al-Hamdaniya]].]] -->
[[File:Yezidischld.JPG|thumb|[[Yazidi]] leaders meet the [[Chaldean Christians|Chaldean]] patriarch [[Audishu V Khayyath]] in Mosul, ''c.''1895]]
{{Main|Christianity in Iraq}}
{{Main|Christianity in Iraq}}
{{multiple image
Christianity was brought to Iraq in the first century by [[Thomas the Apostle]], [[Thaddaeus of Edessa]] and his pupils Aggagi and Mari. Thomas and Thaddeus belonged to the twelve Apostles.<ref name="Rassam">{{Cite book |author=Suha Rassam |title=Christianity in Iraq |publisher=Gracewing Publications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYC93sfHXAEC |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121011525/https://books.google.com/books?id=GYC93sfHXAEC |archivedate=2016-01-21 |df= }}</ref> Iraq's [[Chaldean people|Chaldean]] minority represents roughly 3% of the population (earlier CIA Factbook), mostly living in Northern Iraq, concentrated in the [[Nineveh Governorate|Ninewa]] and [[Dohuk Governorate|Dahuk]] governorates. There are no official statistics, and estimates vary greatly. In 1950 Christians may have numbered 10–12% of the population of 5.0 million. They were 8% or 1.4 in a population of 16.3 million in 1987 and 1.5 million in 2003 of 26 million. Emigration has been high since the 1970s. Since the 2003 [[Iraq War]], Iraqi Christians have been relocated to [[Syria]] in significant but unknown numbers. There has been no official census since 2003 the Christian population in Iraq numbers 1.2–2.1 Million.
| image1 = Baghdad Latin Church.jpg
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| image2 = Sayidat al-Nejat Cathedral in Baghdad.jpg
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[[File:Chaldean Catholics in alQosh enjoying the festival and parade in 2018 for Palm Sunday 03.jpg|left|thumb|Chaldean Catholics in [[Alqosh|Al Qosh]], 2018]]
Christianity was brought to Iraq in 40's AD/CE by [[Thomas the Apostle]], [[Thaddaeus of Edessa]] and his pupils Aggagi and Mari. Thomas and Thaddeus belonged to the twelve Apostles.<ref name="Rassam">{{Cite book |author=Suha Rassam |title=Christianity in Iraq |year=2005 |publisher=Gracewing Publications |isbn=9780852446331 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYC93sfHXAEC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121011525/https://books.google.com/books?id=GYC93sfHXAEC |archive-date=2016-01-21 }}</ref> Iraq's indigenous [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] people represent roughly 3% of the population (earlier CIA Factbook), mostly living in Northern Iraq, concentrated in the [[Nineveh Governorate|Ninewa]] and [[Dohuk Governorate|Dahuk]] governorates.


In 1950 Christians may have numbered 10-12% of the population of 5.0 million. They were 8% or 1.4 million in a population of 16.3 million in 1987 and 1.5 million in 2003 of 26 million. Emigration has been high since the 1970s. In 2002, the Christian population in Iraq numbered 1.2–2.1 million. There is also a significant population of [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Christians]] in Iraq who had fled [[Turkey]] during the [[Armenian genocide]].
Iraqi Christians are divided into four church bodies:

Since the 2003 [[Iraq War]] began, there has been no official census, but in 2022, local leaders suggest that there were 150,000 Christians in 2022;
<ref name=US2022>[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/iraq/ US State Dept 2022 report]</ref> however, other estimates suggested that there were 295,000 Catholics alone.<ref name=CC2020>[https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/iraq Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08]</ref> The [[Iraq War|post-2003 war]] have displaced much of the [[Assyrian exodus from Iraq|remaining Christian community from their homeland]] as a result of ethnic and religious persecution at the hands of [[Islamic extremism|Islamic extremists]].

Iraqi Christians are divided into five church bodies:
* "Chaldeans" ([[Chaldean Catholic Church]])
* "Chaldeans" ([[Chaldean Catholic Church]])
* "Assyrians" or "Nestorian" group ([[Assyrian Church of the East]]) and ([[Ancient Church of the East]])
* "Assyrians" or "Nestorian" group ([[Assyrian Church of the East]]) and ([[Ancient Church of the East]])
* "West Syriac" or "Jacobite" group ([[Syriac Orthodox Church]])
* "West Syriac" or "Jacobite" group ([[Syriac Orthodox Church]])
* "Eastern Orthodox" group (Archdiocese of Baghdad, under jurisdiction of the [[Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East]])
* "Eastern Orthodox" group (Archdiocese of Baghdad, under jurisdiction of the [[Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East]])
* "Eastern evangelical" [[syriac church evangelical]] for the alliance Protestant.
Assyrians constitute 0.5% of the population of Iraq.<ref name=":0" /> They are a Semitic people who settled in the northern part of Iraq since the third millennium BC.<ref name=":0" /> Assyrians speak the modern Assyrian language, also known as Syriac in church literature, due to its spread by the Church of the East, which was known as Syriac.<ref name=":0" /> Modern Chaldeans are descendants of the original inhabitants of Mesopotamia, and speak Aramaic.<ref name=":0" /> Their number inside Iraq is about 650,000 people, constituting 80% of Iraq's Christians.<ref name=":0" /> The Chaldeans live in the southern part of Iraq on the right bank of the Euphrates River.<ref name=":0" /> Their number is estimated at about 550,000 people, which is almost the same number in 1977, when official statistics estimated their number at 500,000 people, most of whom are Chaldean Catholics, Nestorian Assyrians, and other sub-sects.<ref name=":0" /> Christians are divided into sub-sects linked to ethnicities, such as Syriacs, Assyrians, and Chaldeans.<ref name=":0" />

== Yazidism ==
{{main|Yazidis}}
[[File:Yezidischld.JPG |thumb| [[Yazidi]] leaders meet the [[Chaldean Christians|Chaldean]] patriarch [[Audishu V Khayyath]] in [[Mosul]], ''c.''1895|left]]The [[Yazidis]] are a group<ref>{{cite journal |title=Yezidi Identity Politics and Political Ambitions in the Wake of the ISIS Attack |journal=Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies |date=2018 |volume=20 |issue=5 |page=427 |doi=10.1080/19448953.2018.1406689|last1=Spät |first1=Eszter |s2cid=148897618 }}</ref> in Iraq who number just over 650,000. Yazidism, or Sherfedin, dates back to pre-Islamic times.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=العراق.. فسيفساء الديانات والطوائف والقوميات |url=https://www-aa-com-tr.translate.goog/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%81%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%81-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A5%D9%86%D9%81%D9%88%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%83/1638999?_x_tr_sl=ar&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.aa.com.tr |language=ar}}</ref> [[Mosul]] is the principal holy site of the Yazidi faith.<ref name=":0" /> The holiest Yazid shrine is that of [[Sheikh Adi]] located at the [[necropolis]] of [[Lalish]].<ref name=":0" /> They are primarily a religious component, and their number, according to the 1977 census, was more than one hundred thousand people.<ref name=":0" /> Their unofficial percentage, according to their sources, is 2% of the population.<ref name=":0" /> They are an ethnic mixture of Kurds, Arabs, Persians and Turks, and speak these languages.<ref name=":0" /> They are concentrated in the Sheikhan district, northeast of Mosul, and Sinjar Mountain, near the Syrian border in northwestern Iraq.<ref name=":0" />

== Zoroastrianism ==
[[Zoroastrianism]] was one of the dominant religions in [[Northern Mesopotamia]] before the Islamic era. Currently,<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Zoroastrian Flame: Exploring Religion, History and Tradition|last1=Stewart|first1=Sarah |last2=Hintze|first2=Almut|last3=Williams|first3=Alan|publisher=I.B Tauris|year=2016|isbn=9781784536336|location=London}}</ref> Zoroastrianism is an officially recognized religion in [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] and [[Iran]].

Zoroastrianism has become the fastest growing religion with [[Kurds]], especially in Kurdish-controlled [[Iraqi Kurdistan|Northern Iraq]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Szanto|first=Edith|date=2018-05-15|title="Zoroaster was a Kurd!": Neo-Zoroastrianism among the Iraqi Kurds|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/ic/22/1/article-p96_8.xml|journal=Iran and the Caucasus|volume=22|issue=1|pages=96–110|doi=10.1163/1573384X-20180108|issn=1609-8498}}</ref> Because of the religion's strong ties to Kurdish culture, there has been a recent rebirth of Zoroastrianism in the region, and as of August 2015 the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officially recognized Zoroastrianism as a religion within Kurdish Iraq.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projects21.org/2015/11/26/the-curious-rebirth-of-zoroastrianism-in-iraqi-kurdistan/|title=The curious rebirth of Zoroastrianism in Iraqi Kurdistan|last=PS21|date=2015-11-26|website=PS21|access-date=2017-04-17|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417160225/https://projects21.org/2015/11/26/the-curious-rebirth-of-zoroastrianism-in-iraqi-kurdistan/|archive-date=2017-04-17}}</ref> Arguably the world's oldest monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism (''Zardashti'' in Kurdish) has almost disappeared in the last century until recent years. According to Yasna, an association that promotes Zoroastrianism in Kurdistan, since 2014 about 15,000 people have registered with the organization, most of them Kurds converting from Islam.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/10/02/zoroastrians-make-comeback-in-northern-iraq-but-still-face-stigma/ |title=Zoroastrians make comeback in northern Iraq, but still face stigma |date=10 Feb 2020 |website=[[Israel Hayom]] |language=en |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/020620153|title=Zoroastrian faith returns to Kurdistan in response to ISIS violence|agency=Rudaw|access-date=2017-04-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417155753/http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/020620153|archive-date=2017-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.w-z-o.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Hamazor-Issue-2-2017-2.pdf|title=Hamazor Issue #2 2017: "Kurdistan reclaims its ancient Zoroastrian Faith|work=Hamazor|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930035935/https://www.w-z-o.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Hamazor-Issue-2-2017-2.pdf|archive-date=2017-09-30}}</ref> People in Iraqi Kurdistan have converted to [[Zoroastrianism]] from a [[Muslim]] background since 2015, with the first new Zoroastrian temples being built and opened in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/050220171|title=Converts must die: Kurdistan's Zoroastrians outraged by Islamic preacher|agency=Rudaw|access-date=2017-04-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417074230/http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/050220171|archive-date=2017-04-17}}</ref>

Many Kurdish people converted from Islam to Zoroastrianism, especially after [[Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014)|ISIL attacked Iraqi Kurdistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/310120162|title=Head of Zoroastrian temple says people are returning to their roots|agency=Rudaw|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327154140/http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/310120162|archive-date=2016-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html#|title=Zoroastrianism in Iraq seeks official recognition – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East|work=Al-Monitor|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516161703/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html|archive-date=2016-05-16}}</ref> The surge in Kurdish Muslims converting to Zoroastrianism, the faith of their ancestors is largely attributed to disillusionment with Islam after the years of violence and barbarism perpetrated by the [[ISIS]] terrorist group.<ref name="France24">{{cite news |date= 23 October 2019|title=Iraqi Kurds turn to Zoroastrianism as faith, identity entwine|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20191023-iraqi-kurds-turn-to-zoroastrianism-as-faith-identity-entwine| newspaper=France24}}</ref><ref name="Projects21">{{cite web |last= Fatah|first= Lara|title=The curious rebirth of Zoroastrianism in Iraqi Kurdistan|date= 26 November 2015|url=https://projects21.org/2015/11/26/the-curious-rebirth-of-zoroastrianism-in-iraqi-kurdistan/|publisher=Projects 21|access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref> A Kurdish Islamic cleric claimed that Zoroastrianism was forced on Kurds by "fire-worshipping Persians", where as Islam liberated them, and he called on Kurdish Muslims to kill Zoroastrian converts if they do not convert back to Islam in 3 days.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-01-31 |title=گاتهای زرتشت در کوهستان‌های کردستان عراق |url=https://www.bbc.com/persian/world-38812034 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=BBC News فارسی |language=fa}}</ref>

On 21 September 2016, the first official Zoroastrian [[fire temple]] of [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] opened in [[Sulaymaniyah]]. Attendees celebrated the occasion by lighting a ritual fire and beating the [[frame drum]] or ''daf''.<ref name=zoroastrian-temple>{{cite news|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/210920163|title=Hopes for Zoroastrianism revival in Kurdistan as first temple opens its doors|publisher=Rudaw|date=2016-09-21|access-date=2016-10-08|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926005230/http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/210920163|archive-date=2016-09-26}}</ref> There are no accurate numbers on the population of Zoroastrians in Iraq because they are listed as "Muslims" on their government-issued documents.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html|title=Zoroastrianism in Iraq seeks official recognition|date=2016-02-17|work=Al-Monitor|access-date=2017-04-17|language=en-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408001354/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html|archive-date=2017-04-08}}</ref> According to the KRG MERA, there are approximately 80,000 to 100,000 ''Zoroastrians'' in the [[Iraqi Kurdistan|Iraqi Kurdistan Region]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iraq |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/iraq/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=United States Department of State |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Mandaeism ==
{{main|Mandaeism|Mandaeans}}
[[File:مندى ديانة الصابئة المندائية في بغداد 21.jpg|left|thumb|Inside the [[Sabian–Mandaean Mandi of Baghdad]]]]
[[File:Saddam Hussein Shaking hands with Mandaean Rishama.png|thumb|Saddam Hussein with Mandaean Rishama [[Sattar Jabbar Hilow]], 2001]]
They are an Aramaic people, ancestors of the Arabs, who migrated to Iraq around the year 100 AD.<ref name=":0" /> Their number is estimated at about 200,000 people, and they are concentrated in Baghdad, Amara, Basra, Nasiriyah, Kut, Diwaniyah, and Diyala.<ref name=":0" /> They live on the banks of rivers and speak their own language. Mandaeism is a religion whose followers believe that it is one of the oldest known religions in human history, and that their first prophet and teacher was Adam, then his son Seth, Sam bin Noah, and John bin Zachariah (John the Baptist), peace be upon them.<ref name=":0" /> The Mandaeans say that they follow John.<ref name=":0" />

According to the [[Haran Gawaita]], a text that tells the history of the Mandaean people, the Mandaeans arrived in the [[Parthian Empire]] during the reign of [[Artabanus II of Parthia|Artabanus II]], and later moved to southern [[Babylonia]].<ref>Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen. The Mandaeans: Ancient Texts and Modern People. Oxford University Press, 2002.p4</ref><ref>Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen(2010). Turning the Tables on Jesus: The Mandaean View. In {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ncuQxl5Ate0C&q=buckley+mandaean+turning+the+table+on+jesus&pg=PA109|title=''Christian Origins''|isbn=9781451416640|last1=Horsley|first1=Richard|date=March 2010|publisher=Fortress Press }}(pp94-11). Minneapolis: Fortress Press</ref> This would make the Iraqi presence of Mandaeans approximately 2000 years old, making it the third oldest continually-practiced faith in Iraqi society after Zoroastrianism and Judaism. However, Mandaeans believe their religion predates Judaism and Christianity as a monotheistic faith tracing it back to their first prophet [[Adam]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/iraq/case-study/background/people-of-the-book |title = US Holocaust Memorial Museum, ''The People of the Book and the Hierarchy of Discrimination''}}</ref> The oldest independent confirmation of Mandaean existence in the region is [[Kartir]]'s inscription at [[Ka'ba-ye Zartosht]]. The Mandaean faith is commonly known as the last surviving Gnostic religion. [[John the Baptist]], known as ''Yahia Yuhanna'', is considered to have been the final Mandaean prophet and first true ''Ris'Amma'', or Ethnarch, of the Mandaean people.<ref name="DEUTSCH" />

Until the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 Iraq war]], there were about 75,000 estimated Mandaeans living in Iraq.<ref name="yaledailynews2">[http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/20341 Yale Daily News, ''Iraqi minority group needs U.S. attention''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025053439/http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/20341|date=2007-10-25}}, Kai Thaler, ''Yale Daily News'', 9 March 2007.</ref><ref name="DEUTSCH">[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/opinion/06deutsch.html "Save the Gnostics"] by Nathaniel Deutsch, 6 October 2007, ''New York Times.''</ref> Most Iraqi Mandaeans live near waterways because of the practice of total immersion (or [[Baptism#Mandaean Baptism|baptism]]) in flowing water every Sunday.<ref name="DEUTSCH" /> The highest concentrations are in [[Amarah]], [[Nasiriyah]] and [[Basra]]. Besides these southern regions and [[Ahvaz]] in Iran, large numbers of Mandaeans can be found in [[Baghdad]], giving them easy access to the [[Tigris River]]. In 2001, Saddam Hussein awarded the Mandaean community as a Golden Sect. Under his rule, Mandaeans flourished in Iraq.

== Judaism ==
{{Main|History of the Jews in Iraq|Iraqi Jews in Israel}}
[[File:Iraqi Jews Baghdad 1990.png|left|thumb|Jews of Iraq, 1990]]
The Jewish presence in Iraq dates back to the days of the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities, during which they experienced significant displacement.[[Judaism]] first came to [[Iraq]] under the rule of the [[Babylon]]ian [[Monarch|king]] [[Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon]]. In the 19th century, Baghdad became a leading center for Jewish learning. Jewish communities were also present in Basra and northern Iraq, where they played an important role in shaping the country's development. Notable Jewish figures in Iraq include [[Sassoon Eskell]], [[Menahem Saleh Daniel]], [[Salima Pasha]], [[Mir Basri]], [[Anwar Shaul]], [[Naim Dangoor]], and [[Ibrahim Hesqel]]. By 1948, their population numbered around 150,000 to 450,000, constituting approximately 3% of Iraq's total population.


Following the establishment of [[Israel]] in 1948, Jews in Iraq faced persecution, as was the case in much of the Arab and Muslim world. During [[Operation Ezra and Nehemiah]], more than 100,000 Jews were airlifted to Israel, although many still remained afterward. [[Abdul-Karim Qasim]] treated them relatively well. However, after the [[Six-Day War]] in 1967, riots prompted the majority of Jews to flee. When [[Saddam Hussein]] came to power, around 20,000 Jews still remained. He lifted restrictions on travel, which led to further emigration and a decline in the Jewish population. Nevertheless, Saddam ensured that the remaining Jews would not be harmed.
==Yazidism==
The [[Yazidi]]s are an ethno-religious group in Iraq who number just over 650,000.<ref>[http://www.aina.org/reports/yezidiscpt.pdf Iraq Yezidis: A Religious and Ethnic Minority Group Faces Repression and Assimilation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060109010438/http://www.aina.org/reports/yezidiscpt.pdf |date=2006-01-09 }}, aina.org, 25 September 2005.</ref> Yazidism, or Sherfedin, dates back to pre-Islamic times. [[Mosul]] is the principal holy site of the Yazidi faith. The holiest Yazid shrine is that of [[Sheikh Adi]] located at the [[necropolis]] of [[Lalish]].


In 2003, the Jewish Agency estimated that 35 Jews were living in Iraq. However, it is likely that there were hundreds more who remained hidden out of fear. Among the American forces stationed in Iraq in 2008, there were three Jewish chaplains.<ref>{{cite web |date=11 July 2008 |title=American Soldiers in Iraq Enlist in a Different Kind of Service |url=http://www.forward.com/articles/13753/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080712052844/http://www.forward.com/articles/13753/ |archive-date=2008-07-12 |work=Jewish Daily Forward}}</ref> Estimates of the Jewish population in Iraq vary.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 27, 2007 |title=The Last Jews of Baghdad |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1647740,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112065233/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1647740,00.html |archive-date=November 12, 2011 |magazine=Time}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/world/middleeast/01babylon.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all Baghdad Jews Have Become a Fearful Few] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114203728/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/world/middleeast/01babylon.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all|date=2017-11-14}}, ''[[The New York Times]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.jewishrefugees.org.uk/ Jewish Refugees UK website, ''Point of No return Jewish population map'']</ref> A small number of Jews, estimated to be around 500, still live in Iraq, primarily in the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad.<ref name=":0" />
==Zoroastrianism==
[[Zoroastrianism]] has become the fastest growing religion with [[Kurds]], especially in Kurdish-controlled [[Iraqi Kurdistan|Northern Iraq]]. Because of the religion's strong ties to Kurdish culture, there has been a recent rebirth of Zoroastrianism in the region, and as of August 2015 the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officially recognized Zoroastrianism as a religion within Kurdish Iraq.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projects21.org/2015/11/26/the-curious-rebirth-of-zoroastrianism-in-iraqi-kurdistan/|title=The curious rebirth of Zoroastrianism in Iraqi Kurdistan|last=PS21|date=2015-11-26|website=PS21|access-date=2017-04-17|deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417160225/https://projects21.org/2015/11/26/the-curious-rebirth-of-zoroastrianism-in-iraqi-kurdistan/|archivedate=2017-04-17|df=}}</ref> Arguably the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism (''Zardashti'' in Kurdish) has almost disappeared in the last century until recent years. It has been estimated that as many as 100,000<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/020620153|title=Zoroastrian faith returns to Kurdistan in response to ISIS violence|agency=Rudaw|access-date=2017-04-17|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417155753/http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/020620153|archivedate=2017-04-17|df=}}</ref> to 200,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.w-z-o.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Hamazor-Issue-2-2017-2.pdf|title=Hamazor Issue #2 2017: "Kurdistan reclaims its ancient Zoroastrian Faith|work=Hamazor|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930035935/https://www.w-z-o.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Hamazor-Issue-2-2017-2.pdf|archivedate=2017-09-30|df=}}</ref> people in Iraqi Kurdistan have converted to [[Zoroastrianism]] from a [[Muslim]] background since 2015, with the first new Zoroastrian temples being built and opened in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/050220171|title=Converts must die: Kurdistan’s Zoroastrians outraged by Islamic preacher|agency=Rudaw|access-date=2017-04-17|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417074230/http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/050220171|archivedate=2017-04-17|df=}}</ref>


== Hinduism ==
Zoroastrianism was one of the dominant religions in Kurdistan before the Islamic era. Currently, Zoroastrianism is an officially recognized religion in [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] and [[Iran]]. Many Kurdish individuals converted from Islam to Zoroastrianism, especially after [[Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014)|ISIL attacked Iraqi Kurdistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/310120162|title=Head of Zoroastrian temple says people are returning to their roots|agency=Rudaw|deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327154140/http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/310120162|archivedate=2016-03-27|df=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html#|title=Zoroastrianism in Iraq seeks official recognition - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East|work=Al-Monitor|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516161703/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html|archivedate=2016-05-16|df=}}</ref>
There were 3,801 (0.01%) [[Hindus]] in [[Iraq]] in 2010 according to [[Association of Religion Data Archives|ARDA]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Most Hindu Nations (2010) | work = QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions > |publisher = The Association of Religion Data Archives| year = 2010| url =http://www.thearda.com/QL2010/QuickList_44.asp | access-date = February 20, 2022}}</ref> By 2020 according to ARDA, they made up an estimated 0.01% or 2,800 people in Iraq.<ref name="thearda.com">[https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=111c&u=23r The ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-28]</ref>


== Sikhism ==
On 21 September 2016, the first official Zoroastrian [[fire temple]] of [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] opened in [[Sulaymaniyah]]. Attendees celebrated the occasion by lighting a ritual fire and beating the [[frame drum]] or ''daf''.<ref name=zoroastrian-temple>{{cite news|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/210920163|title=Hopes for Zoroastrianism revival in Kurdistan as first temple opens its doors|publisher=Rudaw|date=2016-09-21|accessdate=2016-10-08|deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926005230/http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/210920163|archivedate=2016-09-26|df=}}</ref>
{{Main|Sikhism in Iraq}}


It is estimated that in 2020, Sikhs made up an estimated 0.02% or 5,600 people.<ref name="thearda.com"/>
There are no accurate numbers on the population of Zoroastrians in Iraq because they are listed as "Muslims" on their government-issued documents.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html|title=Zoroastrianism in Iraq seeks official recognition|date=2016-02-17|work=Al-Monitor|access-date=2017-04-17|language=en-us|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408001354/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-kurdistan-religious-minorities-zoroastrianism.html|archivedate=2017-04-08|df=}}</ref>


It is believed that Guru Nanak Dev (founder of Sikhism) came to Baghdad in the early sixteenth century, around 1511 AD.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Inderjit Singh Jhajj |url=http://archive.org/details/GuruNanakAtMecca |title=Guru Nanak At Mecca}}</ref> In March 2023, India formally requested Iraq renovate a historic Sikh temple, [[Baba Nanak Shrine]], which was built in the memory of the faith's founder Guru Nanak who once visited Baghdad as part of his travels in the Muslim world during a visit by Iraqi National Security Adviser, Qasem Al-Araji, to Delhi where he met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-29 |title=India asks Iraq to restore Sikh temple dedicated to Guru Nanak |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230329-india-asks-iraq-to-restore-sikh-temple-dedicated-to-guru-nanak/ |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Middle East Monitor |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=India Asks Iraq To Renovate Historic Baba Nanak Gurdwara In Baghdad |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/india-asks-iraq-to-renovate-historic-baba-nanak-gurdwara-in-baghdad-2587984.html |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Zee News |language=en}}</ref>
==Mandaeism==
The [[Mandaeanism|Mandaean]] faith has existed in Iraq since the reign of [[Artabanus V of Parthia]], according to the [[Haran Gawaita|Haran Gawaitha]], a text that tells the history of the Mandaean people. This would make the Iraqi presence of Mandaeans at least 1,800 years old, making it the third oldest continually-practiced faith in Iraqi society after Zoroastrianism and Judaism. There are about 60,000 estimated Mandaeians living in Iraq.{{Citation needed|date=April 2017}} The oldest independent confirmation of Mandaean existence in the region is the [[Kartir inscription]]. The Mandaean faith is commonly known as the last surviving Gnostic faith and its adherents believe it to be the oldest faith on Earth. [[John the Baptist]], known as ''Yahia Yuhanna'', is considered to have been the final Mandaean prophet and first true ''Ris'Amma'', or Ethnarch, of the Mandaean people. Most Iraqi Mandaeans live near waterways because of the practice of total immersion (or [[baptism]]) in flowing water every Sunday. The highest concentrations are in the [[Mesene]] province with headquarters in [[Amarah]], [[Qalat Saleh]] and [[Basra]]. Besides these southern regions bordering [[Khuzestan Province|Khuzestan]] in Iran, large numbers of Mandaeans can be found in Baghdad in the Dweller's Quarters, giving them easy access to the Tigris River.


==Freedom of religion==
==Judaism==
The constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the country.<ref name=US2022/>
{{Main|History of the Jews in Iraq}}
[[Judaism]] first came to [[Iraq]] under the rule of the [[Babylon]]ian [[Monarch|king]] [[Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon]]. It was a part of the [[Babylonian Captivity]]. After the [[Six-Day War]] in Israel, rioting caused the majority of Jews to flee. Present estimates of the Jewish population in Baghdad are eight (2007),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1647740,00.html |work=Time |title=The Last Jews of Baghdad |date=July 27, 2007 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112065233/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1647740,00.html |archivedate=November 12, 2011 |df= }}</ref> seven (2008)<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/world/middleeast/01babylon.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all Baghdad Jews Have Become a Fearful Few] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114203728/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/world/middleeast/01babylon.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all |date=2017-11-14 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]''</ref> and five (2013) {{citation needed|date=August 2016}}. Among the American forces stationed in Iraq, there were only three Jewish chaplains.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forward.com/articles/13753/|title=American Soldiers in Iraq Enlist in a Different Kind of Service|work=Jewish Daily Forward|deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080712052844/http://www.forward.com/articles/13753/|archivedate=2008-07-12|df=}}</ref>


In 2023, Iraq was scored 1 out of 4 for religious freedom.<ref name=FR2023>[https://freedomhouse.org/country/iraq/freedom-world/2022 Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08]</ref>
==Irreligion in Iraq==
{{main|Irreligion in Iraq}}
Irreligion is thought to be rare in Iraq.


==See also==
== See also ==
* [[Freedom of religion in Iraq]]
* [[Christianity in Iraq]]
* [[Ancient Mesopotamian religion]]
* [[Culture of Iraq]]
* [[Demographics of Iraq]]
* [[Demographics of Iraq]]


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


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{{Iraq topics}}
{{Iraq topics}}
{{Asia in topic|Religion in}}
{{Asia in topic|Religion in}}
{{Zoroastrianism}}


[[Category:Religion in Iraq| ]]
[[Category:Religion in Iraq| ]]

Latest revision as of 08:57, 17 December 2024

Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala

A 2003 CIA Factbook map which shows the distribution of ethnoreligious groups in Iraq.

Religion in Iraq dates back to Ancient Mesopotamia, particularly Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia between circa 3500 BC and 400 AD, after which they largely gave way to Judaism, followed by Syriac Christianity and later to Islam.[1][2] Iraq consists of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-sectarian population, all living together in one geographical area. The Iraqi civilization was built by peoples and nations, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Persians, Turks, Arabs, and Babylonians. Religious and cultural circumstances have helped Arabs to become the majority of Iraq’s population today, followed by Kurds, Turkmen, and other nationalities.

Religion in Iraq (CIA WorldFactbook 2019)[3]

  Islam (official) (98%)
  Christianity (1%)
  Other (1%)

A national census has not been held since 1987.[4] In the 2020s, the country is overwhelmingly Muslim, who are split into two distinct sects, Shia and Sunni. Approximately 95% to 98% of the population are Muslims, with Shia Muslims constituting around 55%, and Sunnis around 40%.[5][6] The remainder follow Christianity, Yazidism, Mandaeism and Yarsanism.

History

[edit]
Main articles: Ancient Mesopotamian religion and Sumerian religion
The god Marduk and his dragon Mušḫuššu

The religious development of Mesopotamia and Mesopotamian culture in general, especially in the south, was not particularly influenced by the movements of the various peoples into and throughout the area. Rather, Mesopotamian religion was a consistent and coherent tradition which adapted to the internal needs of its adherents over millennia of development.[1]

There was increasing syncretism between the Sumerian and Akkadian cultures and deities, with the Akkadians typically preferring to worship fewer deities but elevating them to greater positions of power. Circa 2335 BC, Sargon of Akkad conquered all of Mesopotamia, uniting its inhabitants into the world's first empire and spreading its domination into ancient Iran, the Levant, Anatolia, Canaan and the Arabian Peninsula. The Akkadian Empire endured for two centuries before collapsing due to economic decline, internal strife and attacks from the north east by the Gutian people.

Modern era

[edit]
See also: Irreligion in Iraq

The “Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism” listed Iraq as one of six countries as having the lowest rate of atheism in 2012. After six years, with religious figures coming to power, the situation changed fast as the tide of religiosity receded. According to Iraqi thinker Izzat Shahbandar, this came after their ruling political class came to power, and their role in sectarianism and state corruption, and by regularly occupying television slots to spread their agendas. The increasing prevalence of atheism and agnosticism signals a tidal public opinion change.[7][8]

Iraq has Islam as the official religion of the state, according to Article 2 of the Constitution, Article 14 of which states that all Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination.[9] Article 43 of the Constitution gave freedom to followers of every sect to practice their religious rituals, and emphasized the Husseini rituals, and that the state guarantees freedom of worship and the protection of its places.[9] The population, according to the latest census prepared by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics for the year 2017, is 37 million, 139 thousand, and 519 people, with a growth rate of 2.61%, with a male-to-female ratio at birth of 103.9%.[9]

In 2005, the population was 27,962,968, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.[9] The population, according to the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation for 2015, reached 36 million people, an increase of 5 million from 2009, when the number reached 31.6 million people.[9] All figures and statistics are estimates, as no census has been conducted since 1997.[9]

Islam

[edit]
Main article: Islam in Iraq
Both Sunni and Shiite Muslims gathered together to participate in the provincial elections in Baghdad

Iraq's Muslims follow two distinct traditions, Shia and Sunni Islam. According to the CIA World Factbook, Iraq is approximately 95% to 98% Muslim, with approximately 55% Shia and 40% Sunni.[5] According to a 2011 survey by Pew Research, 51% of the Muslims identify as Shia and 42% as Sunni.[6] Iraq is home to many religious sites important for both Shia and Sunni.

Baghdad was a hub of Islamic learning and scholarship for centuries and served as the capital of the Abassids. The city of Karbala has substantial prominence in Shia Islam as a result of the Battle of Karbala, which was fought on the site of the modern city on October 10, 680. Similarly, Najaf is renowned as the site of the tomb of Alī ibn Abī Tālib (also known as "Imām Alī"). The Shia consider him to be the righteous caliph and first imām. The city is now a great center of pilgrimage from throughout the Shia Islamic world even though his grave is debatable and it is estimated that only Mecca and Medina receive more Muslim pilgrims.

The city of Kufa was home to the famed Sunni scholar Abu Hanifah, whose school of thought is followed by a sizable number of Sunnis across the globe. Likewise, Samarra is home to the al-Askari Mosque, containing the mausoleums of the Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams, respectively, as well as the shrine of Muhammad al-Mahdi, known as the "Hidden Imam", who is the twelfth and final Imam of the Shia of the Ja'farī Madhhab. This has made it an important pilgrimage centre for Ja'farī Shia. In addition, some female relatives of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are buried in Samarra, making the city one of the most significant sites of worship for Shia and a venerated location for Sunnis.

Smaller sects of Islam exist in the country, such as the small Shia Shaykhist community concentrated in Basra and Karbala.

Arabs

[edit]

Iraqi Arabs are a mix between Shia and Sunni. The Arab Sunni live mainly in the area of the so-called Sunni Triangle, but there are other communities in other parts of the country, whereas the Arab Shia live mainly in Southeast Iraq. The capital Baghdad is mixed of Arab Sunni and Arab Shia as well as other religions.

Kurds

[edit]
See also: Kurds in Iraq

Iraqi Kurds are around 70% Sunni, with a Shia Feyli minority of 30%.[10] Most Kurds are located in the northern areas of the country. Most Iraqi Kurdish Muslims follow the Shafi school of Islamic law, while others are members of either the Qadiri or the Naqshbandi Sufi tariqah.[10]

Turkmen

[edit]

About 75% of Iraqi Turkmen are Sunni, and about 25% practice Shia Islam.[11][12] Collectively, most Iraqi Turkmen are secular, having internalized the secularist interpretation of state–religion affairs practiced in the Republic of Turkey.[11] The religious and tribal factors and tensions inherent in Iraq's political culture do not significantly affect the Iraqi Turkmen Sunnis and Shias.[13]

Christianity

[edit]
Main article: Christianity in Iraq
Baghdad Latin Church
Syriac Catholic Church in Baghdad
Chaldean Catholics in Al Qosh, 2018

Christianity was brought to Iraq in 40's AD/CE by Thomas the Apostle, Thaddaeus of Edessa and his pupils Aggagi and Mari. Thomas and Thaddeus belonged to the twelve Apostles.[14] Iraq's indigenous Assyrian people represent roughly 3% of the population (earlier CIA Factbook), mostly living in Northern Iraq, concentrated in the Ninewa and Dahuk governorates.

In 1950 Christians may have numbered 10-12% of the population of 5.0 million. They were 8% or 1.4 million in a population of 16.3 million in 1987 and 1.5 million in 2003 of 26 million. Emigration has been high since the 1970s. In 2002, the Christian population in Iraq numbered 1.2–2.1 million. There is also a significant population of Armenian Christians in Iraq who had fled Turkey during the Armenian genocide.

Since the 2003 Iraq War began, there has been no official census, but in 2022, local leaders suggest that there were 150,000 Christians in 2022; [15] however, other estimates suggested that there were 295,000 Catholics alone.[16] The post-2003 war have displaced much of the remaining Christian community from their homeland as a result of ethnic and religious persecution at the hands of Islamic extremists.

Iraqi Christians are divided into five church bodies:

Assyrians constitute 0.5% of the population of Iraq.[9] They are a Semitic people who settled in the northern part of Iraq since the third millennium BC.[9] Assyrians speak the modern Assyrian language, also known as Syriac in church literature, due to its spread by the Church of the East, which was known as Syriac.[9] Modern Chaldeans are descendants of the original inhabitants of Mesopotamia, and speak Aramaic.[9] Their number inside Iraq is about 650,000 people, constituting 80% of Iraq's Christians.[9] The Chaldeans live in the southern part of Iraq on the right bank of the Euphrates River.[9] Their number is estimated at about 550,000 people, which is almost the same number in 1977, when official statistics estimated their number at 500,000 people, most of whom are Chaldean Catholics, Nestorian Assyrians, and other sub-sects.[9] Christians are divided into sub-sects linked to ethnicities, such as Syriacs, Assyrians, and Chaldeans.[9]

Yazidism

[edit]
Main article: Yazidis
Yazidi leaders meet the Chaldean patriarch Audishu V Khayyath in Mosul, c.1895

The Yazidis are a group[17] in Iraq who number just over 650,000. Yazidism, or Sherfedin, dates back to pre-Islamic times.[9] Mosul is the principal holy site of the Yazidi faith.[9] The holiest Yazid shrine is that of Sheikh Adi located at the necropolis of Lalish.[9] They are primarily a religious component, and their number, according to the 1977 census, was more than one hundred thousand people.[9] Their unofficial percentage, according to their sources, is 2% of the population.[9] They are an ethnic mixture of Kurds, Arabs, Persians and Turks, and speak these languages.[9] They are concentrated in the Sheikhan district, northeast of Mosul, and Sinjar Mountain, near the Syrian border in northwestern Iraq.[9]

Zoroastrianism

[edit]

Zoroastrianism was one of the dominant religions in Northern Mesopotamia before the Islamic era. Currently,[18] Zoroastrianism is an officially recognized religion in Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran.

Zoroastrianism has become the fastest growing religion with Kurds, especially in Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq.[19] Because of the religion's strong ties to Kurdish culture, there has been a recent rebirth of Zoroastrianism in the region, and as of August 2015 the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officially recognized Zoroastrianism as a religion within Kurdish Iraq.[20] Arguably the world's oldest monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism (Zardashti in Kurdish) has almost disappeared in the last century until recent years. According to Yasna, an association that promotes Zoroastrianism in Kurdistan, since 2014 about 15,000 people have registered with the organization, most of them Kurds converting from Islam.[21][22][23] People in Iraqi Kurdistan have converted to Zoroastrianism from a Muslim background since 2015, with the first new Zoroastrian temples being built and opened in 2016.[24]

Many Kurdish people converted from Islam to Zoroastrianism, especially after ISIL attacked Iraqi Kurdistan.[25][26] The surge in Kurdish Muslims converting to Zoroastrianism, the faith of their ancestors is largely attributed to disillusionment with Islam after the years of violence and barbarism perpetrated by the ISIS terrorist group.[27][28] A Kurdish Islamic cleric claimed that Zoroastrianism was forced on Kurds by "fire-worshipping Persians", where as Islam liberated them, and he called on Kurdish Muslims to kill Zoroastrian converts if they do not convert back to Islam in 3 days.[29]

On 21 September 2016, the first official Zoroastrian fire temple of Iraqi Kurdistan opened in Sulaymaniyah. Attendees celebrated the occasion by lighting a ritual fire and beating the frame drum or daf.[30] There are no accurate numbers on the population of Zoroastrians in Iraq because they are listed as "Muslims" on their government-issued documents.[31] According to the KRG MERA, there are approximately 80,000 to 100,000 Zoroastrians in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.[32]

Mandaeism

[edit]
Main articles: Mandaeism and Mandaeans
Inside the Sabian–Mandaean Mandi of Baghdad
Saddam Hussein with Mandaean Rishama Sattar Jabbar Hilow, 2001

They are an Aramaic people, ancestors of the Arabs, who migrated to Iraq around the year 100 AD.[9] Their number is estimated at about 200,000 people, and they are concentrated in Baghdad, Amara, Basra, Nasiriyah, Kut, Diwaniyah, and Diyala.[9] They live on the banks of rivers and speak their own language. Mandaeism is a religion whose followers believe that it is one of the oldest known religions in human history, and that their first prophet and teacher was Adam, then his son Seth, Sam bin Noah, and John bin Zachariah (John the Baptist), peace be upon them.[9] The Mandaeans say that they follow John.[9]

According to the Haran Gawaita, a text that tells the history of the Mandaean people, the Mandaeans arrived in the Parthian Empire during the reign of Artabanus II, and later moved to southern Babylonia.[33][34] This would make the Iraqi presence of Mandaeans approximately 2000 years old, making it the third oldest continually-practiced faith in Iraqi society after Zoroastrianism and Judaism. However, Mandaeans believe their religion predates Judaism and Christianity as a monotheistic faith tracing it back to their first prophet Adam.[35] The oldest independent confirmation of Mandaean existence in the region is Kartir's inscription at Ka'ba-ye Zartosht. The Mandaean faith is commonly known as the last surviving Gnostic religion. John the Baptist, known as Yahia Yuhanna, is considered to have been the final Mandaean prophet and first true Ris'Amma, or Ethnarch, of the Mandaean people.[36]

Until the 2003 Iraq war, there were about 75,000 estimated Mandaeans living in Iraq.[37][36] Most Iraqi Mandaeans live near waterways because of the practice of total immersion (or baptism) in flowing water every Sunday.[36] The highest concentrations are in Amarah, Nasiriyah and Basra. Besides these southern regions and Ahvaz in Iran, large numbers of Mandaeans can be found in Baghdad, giving them easy access to the Tigris River. In 2001, Saddam Hussein awarded the Mandaean community as a Golden Sect. Under his rule, Mandaeans flourished in Iraq.

Judaism

[edit]
Main articles: History of the Jews in Iraq and Iraqi Jews in Israel
Jews of Iraq, 1990

The Jewish presence in Iraq dates back to the days of the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities, during which they experienced significant displacement.Judaism first came to Iraq under the rule of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. In the 19th century, Baghdad became a leading center for Jewish learning. Jewish communities were also present in Basra and northern Iraq, where they played an important role in shaping the country's development. Notable Jewish figures in Iraq include Sassoon Eskell, Menahem Saleh Daniel, Salima Pasha, Mir Basri, Anwar Shaul, Naim Dangoor, and Ibrahim Hesqel. By 1948, their population numbered around 150,000 to 450,000, constituting approximately 3% of Iraq's total population.

Following the establishment of Israel in 1948, Jews in Iraq faced persecution, as was the case in much of the Arab and Muslim world. During Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, more than 100,000 Jews were airlifted to Israel, although many still remained afterward. Abdul-Karim Qasim treated them relatively well. However, after the Six-Day War in 1967, riots prompted the majority of Jews to flee. When Saddam Hussein came to power, around 20,000 Jews still remained. He lifted restrictions on travel, which led to further emigration and a decline in the Jewish population. Nevertheless, Saddam ensured that the remaining Jews would not be harmed.

In 2003, the Jewish Agency estimated that 35 Jews were living in Iraq. However, it is likely that there were hundreds more who remained hidden out of fear. Among the American forces stationed in Iraq in 2008, there were three Jewish chaplains.[38] Estimates of the Jewish population in Iraq vary.[39][40][41] A small number of Jews, estimated to be around 500, still live in Iraq, primarily in the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad.[9]

Hinduism

[edit]

There were 3,801 (0.01%) Hindus in Iraq in 2010 according to ARDA.[42] By 2020 according to ARDA, they made up an estimated 0.01% or 2,800 people in Iraq.[43]

Sikhism

[edit]
Main article: Sikhism in Iraq

It is estimated that in 2020, Sikhs made up an estimated 0.02% or 5,600 people.[43]

It is believed that Guru Nanak Dev (founder of Sikhism) came to Baghdad in the early sixteenth century, around 1511 AD.[44] In March 2023, India formally requested Iraq renovate a historic Sikh temple, Baba Nanak Shrine, which was built in the memory of the faith's founder Guru Nanak who once visited Baghdad as part of his travels in the Muslim world during a visit by Iraqi National Security Adviser, Qasem Al-Araji, to Delhi where he met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.[45][46]

Freedom of religion

[edit]

The constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the country.[15]

In 2023, Iraq was scored 1 out of 4 for religious freedom.[47]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Mesopotamian religion | Facts, Names, Gods, Temples, & Practices". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  2. ^ L. Sandler, Stanley (2002). Ground Warfare: An International Encyclopedia 3 volume set. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1576073445.
  3. ^ "CIA data for Iraq". 25 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Iraq: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "CIA World Fact Book". 21 April 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b Michael Lipka (18 June 2014). "The Sunni-Shia divide: Where they live, what they believe and how they view each other". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Iraq's growing community of atheists no longer peripheral | Nazli Tarzi". AW. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Atheists in Iraq". NBC News. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "العراق.. فسيفساء الديانات والطوائف والقوميات". www.aa.com.tr (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  10. ^ a b Szanto, Edith (2020), Lukens-Bull, Ronald; Woodward, Mark (eds.), "Islam in Kurdistan: Religious Communities and Their Practices in Contemporary Northern Iraq", Handbook of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Lives, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–16, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73653-2_88-1, ISBN 978-3-319-73653-2, S2CID 226565009, retrieved 9 December 2020
  11. ^ a b Oğuzlu, Tarik H. (2004), "Endangered community:The Turkoman identity in Iraq", Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 24 (2), Routledge: 313, doi:10.1080/1360200042000296681, hdl:11693/49129, S2CID 56385519
  12. ^ Jawhar, Raber Tal'at (2010), "The Iraqi Turkmen Front", in Catusse, Myriam; Karam, Karam (eds.), Returning to Political Parties?, The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, pp. 313–328, ISBN 978-1-886604-75-9
  13. ^ Oğuzlu 2004, 314.
  14. ^ Suha Rassam (2005). Christianity in Iraq. Gracewing Publications. ISBN 9780852446331. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016.
  15. ^ a b US State Dept 2022 report
  16. ^ Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  17. ^ Spät, Eszter (2018). "Yezidi Identity Politics and Political Ambitions in the Wake of the ISIS Attack". Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies. 20 (5): 427. doi:10.1080/19448953.2018.1406689. S2CID 148897618.
  18. ^ Stewart, Sarah; Hintze, Almut; Williams, Alan (2016). The Zoroastrian Flame: Exploring Religion, History and Tradition. London: I.B Tauris. ISBN 9781784536336.
  19. ^ Szanto, Edith (15 May 2018). ""Zoroaster was a Kurd!": Neo-Zoroastrianism among the Iraqi Kurds". Iran and the Caucasus. 22 (1): 96–110. doi:10.1163/1573384X-20180108. ISSN 1609-8498.
  20. ^ PS21 (26 November 2015). "The curious rebirth of Zoroastrianism in Iraqi Kurdistan". PS21. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Zoroastrians make comeback in northern Iraq, but still face stigma". Israel Hayom. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Zoroastrian faith returns to Kurdistan in response to ISIS violence". Rudaw. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  23. ^ "Hamazor Issue #2 2017: "Kurdistan reclaims its ancient Zoroastrian Faith" (PDF). Hamazor. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2017.
  24. ^ "Converts must die: Kurdistan's Zoroastrians outraged by Islamic preacher". Rudaw. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  25. ^ "Head of Zoroastrian temple says people are returning to their roots". Rudaw. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016.
  26. ^ "Zoroastrianism in Iraq seeks official recognition – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016.
  27. ^ "Iraqi Kurds turn to Zoroastrianism as faith, identity entwine". France24. 23 October 2019.
  28. ^ Fatah, Lara (26 November 2015). "The curious rebirth of Zoroastrianism in Iraqi Kurdistan". Projects 21. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  29. ^ "گاتهای زرتشت در کوهستان‌های کردستان عراق". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 31 January 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  30. ^ "Hopes for Zoroastrianism revival in Kurdistan as first temple opens its doors". Rudaw. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  31. ^ "Zoroastrianism in Iraq seeks official recognition". Al-Monitor. 17 February 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  32. ^ "Iraq". United States Department of State. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  33. ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen. The Mandaeans: Ancient Texts and Modern People. Oxford University Press, 2002.p4
  34. ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen(2010). Turning the Tables on Jesus: The Mandaean View. In Horsley, Richard (March 2010). Christian Origins. Fortress Press. ISBN 9781451416640.(pp94-11). Minneapolis: Fortress Press
  35. ^ "US Holocaust Memorial Museum, The People of the Book and the Hierarchy of Discrimination".
  36. ^ a b c "Save the Gnostics" by Nathaniel Deutsch, 6 October 2007, New York Times.
  37. ^ Yale Daily News, Iraqi minority group needs U.S. attention Archived 2007-10-25 at the Wayback Machine, Kai Thaler, Yale Daily News, 9 March 2007.
  38. ^ "American Soldiers in Iraq Enlist in a Different Kind of Service". Jewish Daily Forward. 11 July 2008. Archived from the original on 12 July 2008.
  39. ^ "The Last Jews of Baghdad". Time. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011.
  40. ^ Baghdad Jews Have Become a Fearful Few Archived 2017-11-14 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times
  41. ^ Jewish Refugees UK website, Point of No return Jewish population map
  42. ^ "Most Hindu Nations (2010)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  43. ^ a b The ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-28
  44. ^ Inderjit Singh Jhajj. Guru Nanak At Mecca.
  45. ^ "India asks Iraq to restore Sikh temple dedicated to Guru Nanak". Middle East Monitor. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  46. ^ "India Asks Iraq To Renovate Historic Baba Nanak Gurdwara In Baghdad". Zee News. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  47. ^ Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08
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