Something else wrong in the Middle East
A blogger friend of mine, DK, has written a few posts about saving the extremely endangered Mandean community in Iraq. I must say I had heard nothing about it.
It seems that while there was a small but stable community of Mandeans before the US invasion of Iraq now there are fewer than 5,000 of these individuals left in the world.
This is bad. Will most of us ever meet a Mandean? Most likely no. Will our lives be noticeably different in the 20 years it will take for these people to die off? Most likely no. Will our world be changed due to our indifference? Yes.
We could take the responsibility to fix this little thing that we helped destroy. Take a few minutes over the next few days to learn about this people and perhaps give a call to your law makers and ask them to grant asylum to this small ethnic group in your country (if it will be a better place for them to live…)
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Who are the Mandeans? This is the first time I have heard of this group.
I was also unaware of this, thank you for posting about it. I’m very glad to see DK’s passion for this issue, you did the right thing by spreading the word.
What can non-US citizens do to help? If none of our governments did anything to support Iraq throughout its war I doubt they would listen to us for this one time, still worth every shot though. I just really wish we had more options.
Ditto Dawoud. If someone knows or recalls their name in Arabic, they should share it here and maybe some of us will be more familiar.
More Info on the group from a NYTimes Op-ed.
That’s really frustrating – I hate it that people justify this pathetic excuse for a war.
I have heard of references made to “Marsh Kurds” in the south, and I am starting to think the Mandeans have been lopped together with them. I just wrote to Senator John McCain and asked for his help. If anyone will help them, it is Senator McCain. I am sure others out there will question my choice, but what would you have done?
Found some info on Mandeans: http://lexicorient.com/e.o/mandeans.htm
5000? Last I read there were 30-40,000. Mandeans and Kurds have nothing to do with each other they’re a separate religion, not ethnic group, that, follows the teachings of John the Baptist, they’re persecuted on religious grounds and also targeted for kidnapping often because many are traditionally goldsmiths and as such, there’s a perception that they’re well off.
For what it’s worth, almost all of Iraq’s minorities are becoming extinct, and it’s, uh, majorities aren’t having an easy time of it either.
Oh, yes. 5,000 remaining in Iraq is likely, but there are definitely more than 5,000 in the world. They’ve mostly fled to neighbouring countries,
We could take the responsibility to fix this little thing that we helped destroy. Take a few minutes over the next few days to learn about this people and perhaps give a call to your law makers and ask them to grant asylum to this small ethnic group in your country
Actually I should add that the 7,000 refugees the US said it would take in this year, they’re already giving priority to religious minorities and people that worked with the military. That number was to be included in the 70,000 refugees they take in a year, not in addition to it. To put that in perspective Sweden, that has a population of 9million, took in 9000 refugees in 2006, and are estimating they could take in as many as 40,000 this year,
But actually, they US has lowered their target to 2,000 refugees being resettled in 2007, so if you want to bug your congressman about something it could be why they’re doing so little.
To put that in perspective Sweden, that has a population of 9million, took in 9000 refugees in 2006, and are estimating they could take in as many as 40,000 this year,
This should be Iraqi refugees, not refugees total.
OK I’m done now I swear.
I just finished reading this article on Yahoo!
It is no secret that the US has done the least in helping refugees get resettled and has failed on pledges to take in more refugees. I can only imagine what is happening with the refugees in Syria and Jordan. I understand that rules have been put in place in Syria limiting refugees from working, and now we have Iraqi girls working in “coffee shops” catering to Saudis and other men in the Middle East. I do not place any blame on these girls nor do I criticize them, since they take their money and use it to take care of their family, which the majority are headed by women since their fathers and husbands have been killed, abducted and never found. I put the blame on the USA and on men who are profiting from the misery. Damn… I just feel even more shitty for even posting this because I feel like I can’t do anything about it.
These cases are also often ignored. Very depressing stuff, especially the article about Iraqi refugee girls being involved (often by force or as a last resort) in the sex trade within Syria … and the rest of the Middle East I’m sure.
From Wikipedia…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandean
Ditto Dawoud. If someone knows or recalls their name in Arabic, they should share it here and maybe some of us will be more familiar.
In Arabic they’re known as the Subba (صبة), and are said to be the same group as the Sabi’een (صابئين) of the Qur’an.
Here is a brief video recently made by News21 on them.
hi just reading through your blogs…. im an australian girl who was lucky enough to meet a wonderfull mandean guy after he immigrated to australia and now we are getting married! befor i meet him i had never heard of them…. it is sad to know what he went through toget to australia safe.he spent 3years in detention before my government let him and his family free im glad he is here with me now, safe…
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