GRDS Conferences

1. The Islamic State Effect on Minorities in Iraq
Dr. Shak Hanish
Associate Professor
National University, U.S.

2. Abstract
 Since the control of “the Islamic state in Iraq and
Syria” (ISIS) on large parts of Iraq, especially in the
north, ethnic and religious minorities living there are
facing several problems and challenges, including the
issue of survival.
This paper examines the impact of ISIS on these
religious and ethnic minorities and suggests some ways
to help them withstand pressure and stay in their
original homeland.

3. Introduction
Iraq includes several religious, ethnic, and national
minorities and many are considered the indigenous people
of Mesopotamia.
They are the Chaldeans-Assyrians-Syriacs, the Yazidis, the
Sabeans Mandaeans, the Shabaks, the Turkomans, and
formerly the Jews.
Today, they are subjected to the attacks and cruelty of the
forces of the so-called lately the “Islamic state” (IS).
ISIS claimed the lives of thousands of people, as well as the
exposure of worship houses, temples, and shrines to
demolition or vandalism, in addition to the displacement of
over a million people..

4. Introduction
The city of Mosul, which is the center of Nineveh
province, is losing its cultural diversity.
After ISIS gunmen seized control of the city, it issued a
number of religious rulings (fatwas) that violate
citizens’ rights, specifically of Turkomans, Shabaks,
Yazidis, and Christians’ minorities.
The control of IS to more than 70% of the minority
areas in Iraq has changed the political and
geographical map of minorities

5. Christians
The Christians or the Syriac speaking people, a modern
dialect of Aramaic, constitute about three percent of Iraq’s
population before the American invasion of 2003.
Christians in Iraq today are subjected to the largest
displacement in Iraq's modern history.
In July 19, 2014, ISIS issued a threat to Iraqi Christians in
Mosul, either to “convert” into Islam or to pay tribute, or
face death by “the sword.”
A later statement agreed to allow those who do not want to
“convert” to Islam or pay tribute to get out of the
“Caliphate state” within 24 hours without taking any of
their personal belongings, or the “sword is the only option.”

6. Christians
The ISIS gunmen painted the Arabic letter (N) on the walls of
Christians’ houses and properties as a mark of being the
possession of the Islamic state. The Arabic character “‫”ن‬ (N) is
the first letter of the word Nazareth, referring to the city of
Jesus in Palestine.
ISIS took all Christian people’s money and gold jewelry as they
were leaving the city. Some Christian youth were beheaded for
refusing to change their religion.
ISIS removed crosses of Mar Behnam Martyr Monastery and
burned its pictures and precious manuscripts.
ISIS is also converting some of Mosul’s churches to prisons.
All Christian cities and town were taken by ISIS in Nineveh
province. Most inhabitants had to flee their areas when ISIS
forces were approaching. Most of them live now in streets or
camps in the Kurdish area.

7. Yazidis (or Ezidis)
 Yazidism is an ancient religion. The great majority of Yazidis, about
600,000, live in Iraq. Their ethnicity is Kurdish.
 The Yazidis suffered historically from armed campaigns to eliminate
them starting with the Abbasid period rule to the Ottoman Empire
rule.
 ISIS in Iraq describes Yazidis as “Satan worshipers."
 They are the most oppressed religion in Iraq because their religion and
beliefs are misunderstood by large number of Muslims.
 Unlike Christians and Mandaeans who are mentioned in the Qur’an
and considered the “People of the Book,” the Ezidis are not, and
therefore are considered “unbelievers.”
 According to some extreme fundamentalist interpretation of the
Qur’an, it is halal (not forbidden) to exterminate them, or to force
their conversion to the dominant religion.

8. Yazidis (or Ezidis)
 Today, history repeats itself today. The Yazidi people of Sinjar who were killed
with spears by the Ottomans, are killed with ISIS sophisticated weapons.
 In early August 2014, militants Islamists stormed several Yazidi towns and
villages and put the population between two options, either convert to Islam or
die.
 There are thousands abducted and about 4000 girls have been raped or taken
captive by members of ISIS.
 ISIS fighters have created an office in Mosul where pictures of Yazidi women
are displayed, with their price tags displayed. Yazedi Women are often raped
immediately after kidnapping by ISIS jihadists and then are sold. ISIS
considers them spoils of war, as they claim that such practices were done in
early Islam.
 Yazedis, Christian, and Jews women can be enslaved according to ISIS
instructions.
 The prices of women is put according to their age, virginity, color of eyes, etc.
 Some captive women were sold at $25 or given as gifts to ISIS commanders.

9. The Shabaks
The Shabaks are an ethnic minority group living in the
province of Nineveh in northern Iraq.
They have their own Shabaki language, which is an
Indo-European language, with many Arabic, Kurdish,
Persian, Turkish and Hindu vocabularies.
They follow Islam, mainly the Shiite sect (70%). Their
population is around 200,000 today.

10. The Shabaks
Today, almost all the Shabaks have been displaced or
became refugees.
The Shabaks are a direct target of terrorist
organizations like the ISIS, resulting in the
displacement, abduction, murder, and bombing and
shelling of their areas because of being Shiites who are
the target of the “Sunni” ISIS.
Last week a mas grave of 40 Shabaki people buried
alive was discovered.
All Shiites groups have been labeled as infidels by
ISIS.

11. The Turkomans
The Iraqi Turkomans are a distinct Turk ethnic group
who live mainly in Kirkuk and Mosul provinces. Their
population is about ¾ million.
The Turkomans are split between Shiite and Sunni
Muslims.
Tens of thousands of Shiite Turkomans were displaced,
turning towards the Kurdistan region, or Baghdad and
other areas. Large number of them lost their
territories to ISIS.
The Turkomans suffer from lack of supplies, medicine,
and tents. Therefore, a large number of children and
women are at risk.

12. Possible Solutions
1. The Iraqi government should have plans and clear
policies on how to deal with religious and national
pluralism in order discourage them from exodus. It must
allocate a special budget for the development of minority
areas.
2. Both the central government in Baghdad and the
Kurdistan regional government in Erbil have to think
seriously about granting autonomy and ligislating laws to
protect minorities.
3. As a temporary measure, areas inhabited by minorities
should be made safe area protected by the UN, where the
central Iraqi forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces have
failed to provide protection for minorities.

13. Possible Solutions
4. Nineveh plain that consists of three districts of
Hamdaniya, Sheikhan, and Telkaif where minorities are
majority there must be made a new province (governorate)
in Iraq.
5. The UN should investigate serious crimes committed by
the “Islamic state” against minorities and bring charges
against it to highlight the plights of minorities in Iraq.
6. Local and international humanitarian agencies should
increase medical and psychological services for displaced
people fleeing from the advance of the Islamic state. (These
services should give top priority for the secret identities of
the victims of sexual assaults in a manner not to reinforce
stigma or harassment of the victims.)

14. Conclusion
What religious and ethnic minorities are facing in Iraq is
unprecedented and can be mounted to war crimes or
crimes against humanity because it is systematically carried
out against them.
Under international law, crimes against humanity include
crimes of persecution committed against a religious group,
as well as unlawful imprisonment and sexual slavery or any
other form of similar forms of sexual violence when
committed systematically.
The leaders of the “Islamic State” militants are justifying
their infamous deeds by their claim of religious devotion,
and this is not acceptable to most Muslims.

15. In sum,
The future of the Iraqi minorities depends on
stabilization and freedom in their own
country.
Without stabilization, they will continue to
flee Iraq, causing the loss of the country’s
indigenous people and cultural diversity.