How Have Recent Events Affected Minorities in Iraq?

After ISIS sent an ultimatum to Christians in Mosul this past weekend, telling them to convert, pay, or die, we decided to dig deeper into the story—as well as the stories of other minorities in Iraq. Here are some articles and reports we’ve referenced along the way.

Who are the minorities in Iraq?

Girl peeks through window MOKHTAR LAMANI
Minorities in Iraq: The Other Victims
This report outlines the histories/struggles of minorities in Iraq, as well as the challenges faced by the government in protecting them.

 

Sabian cleaning ritual MINA AL-LAMI
Iraq: The minorities of Nineveh Plain
A brief, numbers-focused overview of the minority groups in northeastern Iraq.

How is ISIS affecting them?

ISIS member brandishing flag HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Iraq: ISIS Abducting, Killing, Expelling Minorities 
A detailed account of ISIS’s violent acts against minorities, broken down by group.

 

Christian at Mass AFP
U.N. Denounces Minority Persecution in Iraq
U.N. warns ISIS’s actions against minority might be “crimes against humanity.”

 

Yazidi sheikh CALE SALIH
Islamic Extremists Pose New Risks for Religious Minorities in Iraq 
Focuses on the challenges, past and present, faced but the Yazidi population.

What happened to Christians in Mosul this weekend?

Christian children in Iraq MARK PIGGOT
Isis Tells Iraqi Christians: Convert, Pay ‘Jihad Tax’ or Face Death
Christians flee after ISIS ultimatum.

 

Christian families flee Mosul JAMIE TARABAY
In Iraq, Christians fleeing Mosul take refuge with Kurds 
ISIS’s demands draw response from the Vatican, Iraqi PM.

Anything else we should know?

Man holds cross and Koran together ALROY MENEZES
Iraqi Christians…Persecuted By ISIS While Muslims Rally Alongside Protesting Christians In Baghdad 
Iraqi Muslims show support for, solidarity with Iraqi Christians after ISIS ultimatum.