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Iraq's Minorities report Iraq’s Minorities: Participation in Public Life By Preti Taneja Sabean-Mandaean teenage girls during a baptism ceremony in Basra, southern Iraq. Samer Muscati. Acknowledgements Minority Rights Group International The primary research used in this Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is a report was conducted by Iraqi nongovernmental organization (NGO) working to secure the Minorities Council (IMC). Minority Rights rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and Group International (MRG) would like to indigenous peoples worldwide, and to promote cooperation thank Louis Climis, IMC project and understanding between communities. Our activities are manager, and his team. MRG would like to thank Inas focused on international advocacy, training, publishing and Zeineddine and recognize the key contribution made by outreach. We are guided by the needs expressed by our individuals from minority communities. MRG would also like worldwide partner network of organizations, which represent to thank Hunain al Qaddo and William Spence. minority and indigenous peoples. MRG gratefully acknowledges the European Union (EU) for MRG works with over 150 organizations in nearly 50 their financial contribution towards the realization of this countries. Our governing Council, which meets twice a year, report through the European Instrument for Democracy and has members from 10 different countries. MRG has Human Rights. The contents of this document are the sole consultative status with the United Nations Economic and responsibility of MRG and can under no circumstances be Social Council (ECOSOC), and observer status with the regarded as reflecting the position of the EU. African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). MRG is registered as a charity and a company Programme Coordinators: Chris Chapman and Marusca limited by guarantee under English law. Registered charity Perazzi. Commissioning editor: Beth Walker. Production no. 282305, limited company no. 1544957. coordinator: Jasmin Qureshi. Copy editor: Sophie Richmond. The Author Preti Taneja is author of several MRG reports on Iraq’s minority communities and was twice the editor of State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, as well as numerous other MRG publications. She currently works as a journalist, editor and filmmaker specializing in human rights and development issues for ERA Films. © Minority Rights Group International 2011 All rights reserved Material from this publication may be reproduced for teaching or for other non-commercial purposes. No part of it may be reproduced in any form for commercial purposes without the prior express permission of the copyright holders. For further information please contact MRG. A CIP catalogue record of this publication is available from the British Library. ISBN 978 1 907919 11 4. Published November 2011. Printed in the UK on recycled paper. Iraq’s Minorities: Participation in Public Life is published by MRG as a contribution to public understanding of the issue which forms its subject. The text and views of the author do not necessarily represent in every detail and all its aspects, the collective view of MRG. Iraq’s Minorities: Participation in Public Life By Preti Taneja Contents Abbreviations 2 Executive summary 3 Map 4 Minorities in Iraq in 2011 – an overview 5 Research methodology 7 Freedom of religion and belief 11 Political participation 13 Discrimination and difficulty accessing public services 15 Minority women 23 Ways forward 29 Recommendations 31 Appendix 1: Locations of interviews 33 Notes 35 Abbreviations CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms IMC Iraqi Minorities Council of Discrimination against Women IOM International Organization for Migration CRRPD Commission for Resolution of Real IPCC Iraq Property Claims Commission Property Disputes IRFA US International Religious Freedom Act EU European Union IRIN Integrated Regional Information Networks HRW Human Rights Watch IWPR Institute for War and Peace Reporting ICG International Crisis Group KRG Kurdistan Regional Government ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross SRSG Special Representative of the UN IDMC Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Secretary-General for Iraq IDPs internally displaced persons UNAMI UN Assistance Mission for Iraq IHEC Independent High Electoral Commission UNHCR UN High Commissioner for Refugees ILHR Institute for International Law and Human Rights 2 IRAQ’S MINORITIES: PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC LIFE Executive summary This report focuses on the right of all members of The research highlighted a number of concerns. It minority communities to participate in public life in Iraq. emerged that members of minorities are unable to access Taking part in everyday life - practising religion, accessing public services or employment because of ethnic or jobs and public services, taking part in politics, and religious prejudice, or because they do not belong to the travelling freely - is a challenge for many people in Iraq, right political party. Women members of minorities are but members of ethnic and religious minorities face particularly vulnerable to abuse and often hide their particular obstacles. While the overall security situation in minority identity when leaving the house. Members of Iraq has improved, minorities suffer targeted threats and the Roma minority (known as Kawliyah in Iraq) violence, the destruction of their places of worship, the emphasized the prejudice that they suffer from, stating loss of homes and property and lack of government that they were ‘harassed by society’ and were fearful of protection of their rights.1 venturing to public offices to request services, ‘for fear To gain this insight into this area, MRG’s partner that they will know of our affiliation’. Many respondents organization the Iraqi Minorities Council (IMC) stated that they avoid dressing in a way that identifies interviewed 331 members of 11 minority communities in their minority belonging in public, or speaking their 2010. The emphasis is on ordinary members of language, particularly when dealing with government communities rather than their political leaders. The officials. research focuses on the Kurdistan Region; Diyala, Kirkuk In looking for solutions, this report highlights the and Nineveh in the north; Baghdad, Babil and Basra, need for a comprehensive anti-discrimination law and given the concentration of minorities in these areas. The amendments to various laws and policies that report highlights that tensions between Kurds and Arabs discriminate against minorities, and minority women in over disputed territories in Kirkuk and Nineveh mean particular. Other key recommendations include: that they have become the most dangerous areas in the country in terms of security and freedom to access rights • The Iraqi government should include protections for and services, particularly for minorities. women from minority communities in the draft The report examines the right to access public services Domestic Violence Bill; and involve the Iraq such as education and health; access to employment; the parliament’s minority caucus in consultations on right to practise culture and religion; and the right to developing this law. participate in politics (and how membership of political • The Iraqi government and Kurdistan Regional parties can impact on access to services and jobs). There is Government (KRG) should provide bilingual a specific focus on minority women, looking at barriers education for minorities in areas where they form a that they face in participating in public life: for example, significant proportion of the population. whether they feel free to show their minority identity in • The Iraqi government, KRG and donors should public, violence and harassment they may suffer both institute development programmes to address the within and outside the home, and their access to services, disproportionate levels of poverty and poor levels of such as maternal health services. education in some minority communities. IRAQ’S MINORITIES: PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC LIFE 3 Iraq TURKEY Zakho DAHUK Aqrah Rayat Tall Huqnah ARBÍL Mosul Irbil NINAWÁ As Sulaymaniyah Kirkuk AS SULAYMANÍYAH SYRIA Halabjah Bayji IRAN Tikrit SALAHAD DIN Samarra Khanaqin Hadithah DIYALA Akashat Mandali BAGHDAD AL ANBAR Al Fallujah Baghdad Ar Rutbah IRAQ WASIT BABIL Al Kut Karbala Al Hindiyah KARBALA T ig Al Hayy ris An Nukhayb An Najaf Ad Dıwanıyah Al Amarah AL QADISÌYAH E MAYSAN up hr at es DHIQAR AN NAJAF As Samawah An Nasirıyah Al Basrah As Salman AL MUTHANNA AL BASRAH Al Busayyah SAUDI ARABIA KUWAIT 0 100 200 km 4 IRAQ’S MINORITIES: PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC LIFE Minorities in Iraq in 2011 – an overview While the overall security situation in Iraq has improved The UNHCR and other organizations have in comparison to previous years,2 levels of attacks on and highlighted that many IDPs live in deplorable conditions, intimidation of minorities remain high. Most dramatically, with extremely limited access to essential services and in a devastating attack on 31 October 2010 on Our Lady limited opportunities to participate in political and social of Salvation, a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad, 56 life.10 In terms of property restitution, or internal Christians and 12 others were killed. Thus 2010 was resettlement in new areas, the situation for minorities is marked as ‘the worst of years’ for Iraq’s Christians.3 even more precarious.11 Meanwhile, Iraq’s minority The attack caused further waves of displacement and diaspora community continues to grow as
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