Jihad and dhimmitude in Iraq. From the BBC, with thanks to Diana:
There are fears for the future of one of the most ancient, as well as the smallest, communities in Iraq – the Mandeans.
Their religion, Mandeanism, comes from the same general background as Judaism, Christianity and Islam.They share many of the same prophets, but particularly honour John the Baptist.
This is a religion almost solely confined to Iraq, but since the US-led invasion in 2003, many Mandeans have fled the country and now more than half of them live outside its borders.
The refugees speak of kidnap, murder and attempts at forced conversion.
One woman, Ibtisam Sabah Habib, said there had always been some threats and pressure to convert to Islam, but under the previous Iraqi regime there had been limits.
“Now, there are no rules and no government,” she said, describing how an armed gang of Islamic extremists had got into her house, killed her father and stolen all their money.
“They would telephone us at home, threatening us and trying to convert us. Then they tried to kidnap me.
“It was our neighbours who saved me. They’re Muslims – not all Muslims threaten us. But the extremists are very strong now – our neighbours couldn’t protect us all the time.”
Read it all.