Terrorists send "last warning” to Mandaeans in Iraq

Fundamentalist Islamist terrorists have according to information received by the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) sent the Mandaean religious community in Iraq a "last warning”. If they do not convert to Islam all Mandaeans must face up to death. This is the note which has been sent to Mandaean refugees in Australia and Germany, stated the human rights organisation on Tuesday. The threatening letter insults the Mandaean women as prostitutes and accuses them of practising "black magic”. The Mandaeans are termed dirty Persians who should return to Persia. "We are taking this threat very seriously”, said the GfbV General Secretary, Tilman Zülch. "Formerly there were in Iraq 30,000 members of this old religious community, which dates back to John the Baptist, but now there are no more than 13,000. At least 17,000 Mandaeans have had to flee to the neighbouring countries for fear of murder, abduction and rape.”

The Mandaeans are seen in Iraq as being beyond the pale of society. There have been dreadful instances showing that no mercy is shown even to children and teenagers. In an attempt to give protection to the 60,000 people who belong to this small religious community the GfbV has in recent weeks and months requested the governments of Germany, Sweden and Australia to take on contingents of the Mandaeans. Sweden and Australia already have groups of Mandaean exiles.