Mandaean abducted together with her 12-year old son

In Iraq two more members of the Mandaean community have been abducted. The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) learned on Wednesday that the 40-year old Mandaean, Inssam Mubarak Muhalhal, and her 12-year old son Said Mazen Said were abducted on Friday by an unknown armed group in the quarter of Schare´a Falastin in Bagdad. The criminals have demanded a ransom of 100,000 US dollars, stated a GfbV colleague from the Iraqi capital by telephone.The GfbV fears that the exodus of the Mandaeans from Iraq is almost over.

"The last members of this religious community, which has a history of some 2000 years in Iraq , are now sitting on packed suitcases”, said the GfbV Near-east consultant, Kamal Sido, in Göttingen. This new abduction is just one of a series of attacks, to which the Mandaean community has been subjected for a long time. At the end of June 2008 an 18-year old Mandaean was abducted in the town of Zubayr in the province of Basra and only released after payment of a large ransom.

In mid-June 2008 a Mandaean was abducted in the quarter of Althoura in Bagdad on his way to work. 30,000 US dollars had to be paid for his release. In February 2008 ten members of a Mandaean family died in a rocket attack aimed at their house in the Alaza area of Kut in the south of Iraq . They had previously received threats from Islamists. Meanwhile at least 25,000 of the Mandaeans in Iraq, who previously numbered about 30,000, have in the face of the continuing terror and crimes of violence against members of their religious community fled to neighbouring countries. The Mandaean community, which traces its roots back to John the Baptist, has now only about 60 members throughout the world. About 1,200 of them live in Germany . Among the refugees from Iraq, who have come to Germany through the reception centre in Friedland, there have also been some Mandaeans.

The GfbV Near-east consultant, Dr. Kamal Sido, can also be reached to give further information at nahost@gfbv.de. He will also be glad to provide contact with our colleague in Bagdad.