MANDAEAN (MANDEAN) EXILES in Jordan discuss the plight of their community: "Dispersed by violence, an ancient community struggles to survive" (Jordan Times). Excerpt:

According to Mandaeans residing in Jordan, life in Iraq was difficult for them during the Saddam Hussein regime, under which the minority was forced to pay bribes, forcibly conscripted into the army and forbidden from teaching Mandaic, an ancient language related to Aramaic.

Many within the community were hopeful of their future following the US-led invasion in 2003, and many took jobs with the American military and contractors.

“We thought things were going to improve,” said Abu Kareem, who serves as the representative of Mandaeans in Jordan.

“We were wrong.”

As Iraqis saw their country fall along sectarian lines, minorities such as the Mandaeans became the frequent prey of militias.

Fatwas were issued declaring Mandaeans kuffar, or infidels. Mandaeans, known for their gold and jewellery craftsmanship, became frequent targets of kidnappings, with ransoms set as high as $100,000.

Since the US-led invasion, the Mandaean Human Rights Group has recorded around 180 killings, 275 kidnappings and 298 assaults and forced conversions within Iraq.

“Since 2003, the Mandaeans have been persecuted and specifically targeted by various components of religious fundamentalists and insurgents who have targeted the minorities of Iraq in general,” Laila Alroomi, of the Mandaean Human Rights Group, told The Jordan Times.

After his youngest son was kidnapped in Baghdad in 2004 due to his connections to the US army and held for a $30,000 ransom, Abu Kareem, one of thousands of Mandaeans facing the threat of violence, knew it was time to leave.

Return to the river

When the security situation in Iraq deteriorated, Jordan became a natural destination for Mandaeans, community leaders said.

The Jordanian government’s respect for minority rights and its proximity to the Jordan River, where the religion was founded, attracted many Mandaeans, according to Alroomi.

Some 5,959 Sabian Mandaeans have come through the Kingdom on to third party nations, according to UNHCR, while around 10,000 are estimated to remain in Syria and Jordan.

Upon their arrival in Jordan, the Mandaean community began holding ritual baptisms in Wadi Seer, they said. After a physical altercation between local residents and Mandaean worshippers, however, authorities encouraged the community to choose another place to worship, Abu Kareem said.

Now Mandaeans baptise in Wadi Shuaib, a site further from Amman and with poorer water quality, and must inform authorities one month in advance of any ceremony in order for protection to be provided.

The last Mandaean priest left Jordan for resettlement in early 2007, leaving followers unable to complete basic ritual ceremonies, or mark the five major holidays of the religion, they said.

Since then, resettlement has slowed, and some 1,139 UNHCR-registered Mandaeans in Jordan struggle to maintain their identity while keeping contact with the new diaspora.

Due to distrust and rising violence back home, the Mandaean community in Jordan avoids neighbourhoods in Amman known to house a significant Iraqi Shiite population, several Mandaeans told The Jordan Times.

Greater awareness of their religion is needed, they added.

“Although Mandaeanism was born in Jordan, people here have no idea what it is. Some think we are fire worshippers,” Abu Kareem noted.

“Once they realise we follow Adam, the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), Zacharia and Yahya (John the Baptist), then they are accepting. We are people of the book too,” he stressed.

More on the Mandaeans here and here.