The word “Sabi’an” derives from the verb “Saba’a” or “Sibagha” as pronounced today, and it is a Manda’ian word meaning “to submerge in water” or “to be baptized” and this title given to them because they practiced baptism which is considered one of the most important of their rituals, a basic and major ritual of their religion. There is no relationship between this word and the Arabic word “Sabi’a” which means “to apostate” from his ancestral family religion and convert to another monotheistic religion. But the word “mandai’an” is derived from the Aramaic word “manda” which means the higher knowledge and “knowledge” here means the spiritual knowledge of God’s existence as One God, and belief in Him: “Blessed is the soul who has knowledge and a whole heart” ; and from this word came the phrase “Manda id hayyi” which means “Knower of God.” It is the name of the greatest among the Angels of Light, according to their Bible (Ginza Rabba). Therefore the phrase “Sabi’an Mandai’an” means “Baptized Knowers of the Existence of God”.
Concerning their creed, it is based on three pillars: faith in God, belief in the Judgment, and faith in Salvation. The Sabi’an Mandai’an believes in God and believes in the end of the physical world, and in the Day of Reckoning and Judgment , The Book (Drasha id Yahya) said: “Do not think that the world that you will enter is established for salvation, but for judgment… everyday day that passed, the good deed and evil deeds were written, and the one who had good deeds will rise, but the one who has evil deeds has punishment awaiting him” ; and the Judgment is for everyone, their Bible (Ginza Rabba) said: “The galaxies will be judged at the last judgment... everyone will rise to be judged.”
The Creator (God), according to the Mandai’an religion, is a non-physical entity and cannot know him except by His works and His evidence, and He is Himself the mind and unlimited ability and he is joined with eternity and immortality. They believe that the body will pass away and the soul (not the spirit) is eternal, and its true and eternal destination is the World of Light, because it is the breath from God’s being, the Great Creator. It ultimately returns to Him: “Enter with peace, O coral, O pure pearl which was taken from the treasures of God, and to the treasures of God returned.”
The followers of this religion considered it the oldest of the monotheistic religions in history. Some of their history and religious books trace it back to the time of Adam. The first teaching, which was given to Adam by the angel Gabriel the messenger (in Mandai’an Gabri’el Shaliha), was written on papers to guide him and his posterity. These pages were collected later, as they claim, and formed into their Bible, Kinza Raba, which means “the Great Treasure.”
The book Ginza Raba speaks about the act of Adam’s creation and his death: “The Messenger of the Living One… came and stood on the pillow and said, ‘O Adam, stand up on your feet, and take off your clay garments, because your time has finished in this world.’ Adam said, ‘If I come with you, who will take care of the world? Who will plant the blessed seeds...? Who will carry the water from the Tigris and the Euphrates…?’ The Savior says, ‘O Adam, stand up and go to your homeland from which you came... Put on the garments of light, and sit on your throne of light prepared for you by God, sit down as the Living God desires you to do’ ”; “And Adam sat down on the throne which was prepared for him by God’s command, surrounded by lights.”
The text indicates, as is clear, that Adam had a very high standing in heaven, therefore the Manda’ians consider him the first of their prophets. In the book of John’s teaching (Drasha id Yahya), it is written, “O Adam, listen and believe, blessed be the one who listened and believed; O Adam, take the covenant, blessed be the one who took the covenant after you. O Adam, take a good look around and rise, blessed be the one who rose after you.” Their Bible records that Adam was dead and was raised to heaven, and only his soul (Nishmatha in Manda’ian) rose up, without his body (Satoona in Manda’ian) for the bodies do not rise up to heaven: “O Adam, no body rises upward.”
Adam was created from clay and Eve also and God gave Eve to Adam to multiply upon the earth: “By the command of God, Eve was created as a wife for Adam to multiply upon the earth, and their descendants continued.” The teaching of this religion centered on necessity of marriage: “Take wives for yourselves and reproduce so that your numbers will increase.” Its attention is on the necessity of procreation and fruitfulness: “O Bachelors and Maidens… O men who do not like women… O women who do not like men… were you standing one day on the shore of the sea? Have you seen the fish, how they swim in pairs? Have you climbed the bank of the Great Euphrates River? Have you meditated on the standing trees, drinking water on its bank and bearing fruit? Why do you not bear fruit?” In another quote, “O Believers, who believe in God, make weddings for your sons and make weddings for you daughters, and believe in your Lord…”
The Manda’ians consider the flowing-living water Yardana the origin of life: “With water life gushed forth; the life with water gushed forth. From the water, life emanated.” It was before everything and from it everything came into being, and it is a symbol of the first life: “By the ability of the King of the Highest Light, life became… and the Great Fruit became, and Yardana entered into the life, and when the Great Yardana became, the Living Water became… the bright, delightful water. And from the Living Water, the life became.” The water for the Manda’ian is the basis of all the rites and rituals, and if there is no water, they cannot perform any ritual.
The worship day for the Manda’ians is Sunday (Habashaba in Manda’ian) and it is the only day permitted for performing rituals of baptism, marriage and ordination of priests. Sunday is sacred for them because they believe that God started the creation process on that day. Therefore, they respect it and make it a day of rest. It is the first day of the week for Manda’ians. Also, their books record that there is a special angel for this day: “Love the Angel of Sunday and honor his day”; they have a special prayer for this day called the Sunday Prayer: “In the Name of the Great Living One, may you give me health… in the Sunday Prayer I stand on the light and on the Great Light which gushes forth. This is me, Manda id Hayyi, the Son of the Great First Life, call for the Glorious Angel of Sunday, the Pure Guardian.”
The Manda’ian is similar in this way to Christianity, and also shares with it in the realm of baptism and the style of fasting (the abstinence from meat only) and wearing of the waistband, and also they share the principle of respect for John the Baptist and the Communion Meal, and their position on circumcision. But the Manda’ians are prohibited from monasticism (the principle of celibacy in particular), because in their beliefs such practice is opposed to the rule of life and contrary to the commandments of God which are written in their books.
The Manda’ians consider the direction of North as a kibleh, because in their belief it is the source of light and good and the location of the World of Lights (The World of Truth or Paradise). It is called in Manda’ian, Alma id Nhoora and the throne of God is there and the highest heavens, and the angels. There is a special angel for the North, and for the Worlds of Lights called Abathir. The Sabi’an in antiquity was guided by the North Star to know the direction of North. They face toward the North during their prayers and also during the baptism and during the slaughter of animals. The dead when he is buried should be laid facing northward.
The North according to the Manda’ian religious books is the source of light and purity and the source of everything sacred and lofty. But the South is the direction and location of evil forces and the stagnant, black water and the sinners, and they called it by the name, “The World of Darkness” (in Manda’ian Alma id Hshookha) which their Bible describes: “The World of Darkness, the World of Evils and Sins… it is a wilderness that was put to the farthest South, far away from the lands. It is the World of Smoke, Fire and full of the wicked.” The World of Darkness came from the Black and Dirty Water, pushed into the far south, and it possesses nothing but evil.
Hello Everyone,
On behalf of the North American Mandaean Convention Committee, we would like to wish every and each of you a happy and joyful times.
Just a friendly reminder that our 24th mandaean Convenstion is coming soon. To register for this year summer camp simply click here or the link below and fill up the registration form. To reserve your room at the Liberty Mountain Hotel click here.
Here is the link for registration
https://namconvention.com/registration/
What: 24th North American Mandaean Convention
Where: Liberty Mountain Resort, PA
When: 5-7 July 2019
If you have any question please feel free to contact us at
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We hope to see you all in July!
The North American Mandaean Convention Committee
The Sabi’an Manda’ians people today are a part of the Mesopotamian peoples, and as a small religious sect among many sects and nations included among the deep-rooted Mesopotamian people. Some of the historic books speak about them and describe them as a very old religious sect. during the past centuries, all its people lived in the south of Mesopotamia (Iraq) in the area of the great marshes, and They take baptism as their basic ritual. The Sabi’ans preferred to live near the rivers because the flowing water suits the needs of their rituals. History also attests that they also lived in other places than in Iraq, like Iran, the city of Haran (the NE portion of Syria), Palestine, and the Jordan Valley. But the exact historical roots of the Sab’ean are obscure or unknown. Perhaps the reason for this is their isolation and closed society, especially in their religious practices, due to constant harassment and persecution throughout their long history. That led to the loss of most of their manuscript books which recorded their history, lives and religion.
The Sabi’an Manda’ians, in fact, are Semitic, like the Hebrews and Babylonians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Arabs, and Arameans, etc. The settlement of all these nations is Mesopotamia, the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant, but researchers want to explore the depths of Manda’ian’s history to arrive at the true origins of this sect and to discover its original home and the first source precisely.
The search for the origins of the Manda’ians has led scholars to Eastern Origin of the Manda’ians, and it says that the original home is Mesopotamia (Iraq). For this reason, they inherited much of the Babylonian mythology, and were impacted by Judaism; and they also impacted the Jews because of contact with these people when they settled in Mesopotamia during the Babylonian Exile. They were also impacted by Christianity because of the proximity to Assyrian and Chaldean. Many researchers believe that the Manda’ians creed appeared for the first time in the South of Mesopotamia.
But there is an important question says, why some of Manda’ians holly books mentioned that this sector lived in Palestine in the period of John the Baptist?
This theory sees that part of the Manda’ians people left Iraq to immigrate for reason of the tyranny of paganism, and that was the same reason which forced the prophet Abraham to left Ur of the Chaldeans in the South of Iraq (NW of Nasiriyah city), Manda’ians people took in their journey the direction of the land of Canaan (Palestine) and their travel was northward following along the Euphrates in the direction of Ashour (Nineveh). And from that area they continued on to the famous city of (Haran) which is located on the Khaboor River, in the Northeast of Syria; then on into Palestine where they settled.
According to this theory, the part of the Manda’ians arrived in Palestine and lived there for a while, and during the time they lived there they were persecuted and pursued by the Jews and the Romans. Therefore, they were compelled to conceal themselves, for that became scattered, and then they immigrated again to their original home, Iraq. As they returned homeward they followed the same route that they took when they came to Palestine. Their immigration started heading toward the NE of Syria (the city of Haran) and remained there for a period of time. Some of them headed toward Jordan valley at the far East of Jordan Kingdom, they practiced their baptism rituals there with their prophet John the Baptist, but they were compelled to immigrate because of persecution by the Jews and because of the pursuit of their priests after the assassination of John the Baptist, last of their prophets.
Then the Sabi’an Manda’ian left Jordan valley heading to Mesopotamia from the North, settled there for a while and then went down to the southern cities where they had been before, because of the warm climate and the prevalence sources of flowing water necessary for their religious rituals. In addition, Historical documents and archaeological remains, although few, indicate that the Manda’ians lived in the mountains of Media and the mountains of Pesht Gawa. They also lived in the city of Mandili where they had many temples. Many pottery dishes were discovered, decorated with Manda’ian writing in the cities of Diala, Wasit, and Babylon, dating from the period between 400 and 900 A.D.
the book Haran Kuwaytha, which is important historical books for the Sabi’an Manda’ians, says that the Manda’ians left Palestine—Jerusalem—in the first century A.D after their persecution became intense at the hands of the Jews and Romans. This immigration was completed under the protection of the Persian King Arduwan the First. And their moving from the North of Mesopotamia to the South was not direct but a process. This occurred during the first century A.D.
but this book didn’t pinpoint the exact time of their journey, nor the duration of their stay in Palestine.
Finally we should say that both Testaments of the Bible (the Torah and the Gospels) contain all of the spiritual history of the old world. There is no mention of the Sab’ean Manda’ians either as a religion or a people group. Therefore the following question should be asked: is the Sabi’an Manda’ian a new religion and founded after that ages, or was it ignored because of the isolation of its followers and remained secret?
On March 7th 2018 , Mr Shakir Mahmood Alkudady was beheaded and his dismembered body was thrown near the police station where he lived. These crimes are another reminder of how far the hatred and atrocities against minorities has reached without a true solution from the Iraqi government or the international community. This crime was followed by the killing of a peaceful Christian family of three in their home.
The atrocities against the peaceful Mandaeans, Christians and Yazidi of Iraq has gone without true efforts to stop from both the Iraqi government or the international community.
The government is yet to acknowledge that the minorities of Iraq has been subject to annihilation in the last 15 years. The Government provided no true protection and the majority of the mandaeans have been forced to leave their property and escaping for their lives. Genocide Watch has already considered what happen to the mandaeans as genocide.
The Iraqi government should work hand in hand with civil society and the international community to secure a better future for the generation of Iraqis and Iraqi minorities to come and put an end to the cycle of sectarian, religious, and ethnic violence. Establishing a “minority security council” representing religious minorities to guarantee a swift response in cases of emergency, and to implement permanent solutions to such ethno-religious problems. Such a council would act along with international supervision to guarantee its success.
There is urgency for the Iraqi government to investigate, prosecute and punish hate crimes against minorities, which include the confiscation of property, kidnapping, and rape; it is time for the International community to get involved in such investigations and not to let the hatred and lawlessness in Iraq erase the most ancient ethno-religions in the world.
The Mandaean Human rights group condemns the brutal killing of a Mandaean man in Kirkuk and wounding his brother.
On Sunday 27 Nov 2016 Mr Sami Kafif Z. AlZuhairy was murdered in the streets of Kirkuk, and his brother was wounded. The two brothers were attacked by four gunmen while driving to work. The attackers escaped chanting anti "Kufar" slogans.
The Mandaean Human Rights Group holds the Iraqi government and the security forces responsible for protecting all minorities and especially the weakest group 'the Mandaeans of Iraq". The Genocide that the Mandaeans are facing is a direct blow to all efforts to keep, let alone build ,a free and safe country.
We ask of the international community to help the Mandaeans in their dilemma and put pressure on the Iraqi sectarian leaders to respect the human rights of minorities in general and the Mandaeans in particular.
It is time to establish the Minorities Security Council under an international umbrella to protect, preserve and provide logistic support for the survival of the Iraqi Minorities.
The Mandaean Human Rights Group
To protect the remaining minorities in Iraq, the world needs to support the establishment of the Minority Security Council that has the authority to defend the rights of the minorities and assure equal treatment and opportunities to all Iraqi citizens. This council must have advisors to the Iraqi President, the Prime Minister, and the Chairperson of the Council of Representatives of Iraq (CoR).
The Iraqi minorities have found that their rights took a deeper dive to the worse in the New Iraq. They had no place to voice their concerns and fewer political powers would listen, let alone act. Their situation is getting worse especially after the rise of ISIL. The renewed fight for power after the new elections and the rearrangement of power makes the Minorities Rights much lower on the Iraqi agenda. We think that this issue has no chance of success if it were adopted by the USA and UN as an international responsibility.
This Council will be a first step toward trust-building and as a sign of good faith from the new Iraqi leadership towards religious minorities.
The definition of security here implies short-term and long-term security including physical, mental and social security.
The council should include the following:
Representatives of all ethno/religious minorities in Iraq including Christians, Sabian Mandaeans, Yezisdis and other religious minorities
Representatives of the Prime Minister's Office
Representatives of the Security and Emergency Forces from both the police and military
Representatives of the Ministry of Human Rights in Iraq
Observer/s from the UN or any other agreed upon, neutral international body
Council functions:
Short Term:
1. Act upon any immediate threat to the minorities by direct hot lines from designated Minority members
2. Follow up on the atrocities and find out the final result in regular monthly meetings
3. Follow up on the humanitarian needs of the refugees inside Iraq or outside
4. Other immediate needs
Long Term:
1. The council will work as the place for minorities to voice their concerns and suggest working solutions for these concerns based on citizenship
2. Work to monitor the progress of the governmental implementation of the constitutional rights of minorities and bring the attention of the government to any breaches of these rights
3. Work to rebuild the lost confidence between the minorities and the Iraqi government and help in the return of the refugees to their homelands
4. Work to build the infrastructure of the historically disadvantaged minority communities in Iraq
The presence of an international monitor appointed by the UN through a mandate by the Un Security Council will work as a safeguard and prevent any future disregard to minority rights.
We hope that our suggestions will be considered, studied and improved to a final suggestion that can be negotiated with the Iraqi powers.
Thank you,
Suhaib Nashi
G. Secretary
The Mandaean Associations Union
The Mandaeans Of Iraq situation in the last two months is getting to a genocide level by the Islamic militants and other evil powers and individuals in all Iraq not just IS (Islamic State) controlled area.
Mandaeans in areas under IS control have already fled to other areas and are living as refugees either inside Iraq or in Turkey, which some have fled to. The escape of more than 50 families from Ramadi, Fallujah and Abu Ghraib area close to Baghdad due to the constant threat and escalation of violence demonstrated by the IS. Some displaced families currently live in temporary shelters built by the Mandaeans in the Mendi area (worship area for Mandaeans).
The situation in Shia controlled areas of Iraq , is getting even worse The following are Killing and kidnapping cases that the MHRG (Mandaean Human Rights Group) has investigated and documented for this month (October 2014)
On October 1st 2014 A 36 year old man Atheir Abed Al Kader Lazim was kidnapped in the very centre of Bagdad during lunch time on the 12.102014 his body was found in a plastic bag with sever torture signs, he was killed by hanging with a robe; he leaves a pregnant wife and a daughter child. No belonging were stolen.
On the October 8th .2014 at 3 pm four houses inhabited by Mandaean families were burned at the same time in one area Al-Mostenseria – Baghdad , many injuries sustained by they occupants needed hospital treatment ,photos of the burned houses are available on request. .
On the October 11th 2014 In Misan Provence, in town of Mejjer Al Kbier at 5 PM a young man named Wasfi Abed Al Nabi L'abi Khalawi was shot with 3 shots 2 to the head and on to the spines He died later in the hospital . No belongings were stolen.
Other recent atrocities:
On August 18th 2014, a man aged 25 named Nowar Hussein Rathi was kidnapped , tortured and then killed after his family paid the ransom of $50,000
On August 16th 2014 a man named Mr Wisam Weshah Al Mohena was kidnapped in Al Shatrrah in the Nasriyah province, was only released when a big ransom was paid.
on August 1st 2014 a man named Mr Hossam Naji Swadi was kidnapped, in Missan Omarrah in the south of Iraq, he was taken with gold goods valuing in the region of $50,000, was held to ransom for $60,000 which was paid by his family yet he was not set free and no one knows his whereabouts.
On February 26th 2014 a tragic, and most importantly avoidable incident happened in Al Mahmodia south of Baghdad, to a man named Mr Aid Nezal Khaleff Al Kohieli, who had returned to Iraq from Sweden as he was rejected asylum was killed with no belongings or valuables and left a family behind.
On February 2nd 2014 another man, Mr Samir Sami Yassien was killed in Baghdad with no valuables or belongings were took.
On January 17th 2014 A heart breaking story of a young man called Rami Jebar Swadi aged only 21, was killed in the south of Basra, they cut his throat and burned his body.
Since the beginning of the year we have recorded that more than 50 families been displaced with a lot of bereavements and financial losses.
The most striking thing about the killings of Mandaeans in Iraq is that it ranges from monetary gain by the extremists to the more sinister reason of ethnically cleansing the population of Iraq to get rid of the entire population of Mandaeans.
The Mandaean Community in Iraq is currently and more than ever in its history under real threat of being wiped out at the hands of IS and other religious extremist groups. As we could notice that all areas of Iraq are affected and there is increasing intensity and severity of the atrocities.
As the constant threat from IS grows in Iraq, as does the crimes committed against some Mandaeans. Crimes against them such as looting of their houses, forced conversions, kidnappings for ransom, threats to leave the area continue to go on without intervention from the government or the police, all matters are reported to the police and noted, but not investigated.
Frequent circulars from the MHRG were circulated very widely updating the international community about the continuous plight of the Mandaeans,
Dr Nashi General Secretary of the Mandaean Association Union in Exile met together with other Iraqi minorities with officials in the Pentagon on the September 22nd 2014 .
Representative from the MHRG attended the UPR Precessions organised by OHCHR from the October 7th 10.2014 in Geneva.
Representatives from the MHRG attended the Peace Summit in Seoul Korea from September 23rd-26th 2014.
What is needed
1. Urgent actions are needed by the international community to protect the religious minorities in Iraq by putting them under the international protection whether through UN Security Council resolution or individual governments mandates like USA, Australia and UK and holding the Iraqi Government accountable.
2. The formation of The Minority security Council which comprise of representatives from the different minorities, the armed forces, the police force, the office of the Prime minister and Ministry of Human Rights and international representation from UN to oversee the immediate security issues. Along with long term welfare and security of those minorities including their rights as ethnic, linguistic and as indigenous people of Iraq as implemented by the UN articles on religious ethnic and linguistic minorities rights and indigenous people.
3. Iraqi Government should give legal, economic, cultural and socio-religious rights for the Mandaeans and other religious minority groups both as citizens and as indigenous people of Iraq.
4. Iraq Government should take care and support the refugees/displaced inside and outside of Iraq, until that time that it is deemed safe to return to their homes.
5. The start of religious tolerant campaign among Iraqis that identifies all Iraqi religions as equal citizens and fight hatred and divisiveness. The campaign should start in all media, religious establishments and the national curriculums in schools.
6. Correction of voting system for parliament that minority and not everybody else will choose the representative of a minority.
7. The properties and entitlements of refugees whether inside or outside Iraq should be protected by the government of Iraq.
8. Expediting the resettlement process for the Mandaean refugees in Syria by the UNHCR and IOM.
9. The International community, should allow the affected families in Iraq who want to leave and resettle somewhere else to do so and start the resettlement process inside Iraq.
Although Mandaeans neglected to document their history and have lost much of their oral traditions, they were quite eager to keep their religious heritage by copying their manuscripts. They therefore adopted strict regulations for copying their sacred manuscripts, to maintain and preserve them from one generation to the next.
The Ginza Rabba, or “Great Treasure”, is Mandaeans’ largest collection of religious principles and instructions. According to their beliefs, the Ginza was the first revelation of God to Adam and thus considered as their holy book. Among Mandaeans, the book is also known as Sidra Rabba, the great codex or Sidra ’d Adam, the codex of Adam.
As unique as these people are, their holy book is specially arranged: it consists of two volumes, the yamina or “right” and smala or “left” Ginza. The “right” volume is larger and contains 18 chapters divided into individual tractates, whereas the “left” volume includes 3 main chapters containing many hymns. The way of binding both volumes together is very particular and used by the Mandaeans only for this book. Both parts have to be bundled together in one tome; the “left” part is placed upside-down to the “right” part, so that both parts can be read from right-to-left according to the Mandaic alphabet.
The Ginza Rabba varies in its contents and deals with spiritual, even metaphysical aspects. It also deals with the mortal life of human beings and describes ancient visions concerning life after death. In particular, the “right” volume depicts the Mandaean theology, cosmogony and anthropogeny, i.e. the Mandaeans’ dogma of monotheism and the creation story of the cosmos and mankind; in this part, Mandaean ethics are outlined by a detailed account of moral duties. On the other hand, the “left” volume is concerned entirely with the return of the soul to its origin in the world of light; it is about the ascent of the soul after death and the idea of eternal life.
Generally, the Ginza Rabba represents consecutively the principles of the Mandaean doctrine: the belief of the only one great God, Hayyi Rabbi, to whom all absolute properties belong; he created all the worlds, formed the soul through his power, and placed it by means of angels into the human body. So he created Adam and Hawa/Eve, the first man and woman. Since the soul was brought down to the material world, it has to stay for a defined period of time in the human body and is obliged to suffer its worldly fate; however, the soul as a part of the divine creation should encourage human beings to do good deeds and to confront evil with God’s help. God therefore sent the saviour to protect the soul, along with messengers to guide the people to a pious life according to His will. When the soul completes its predestined lifespan, the saviour will come to accompany it back from the body to its origins, whereupon it has to pass through several stations of purification.
In more recent times, Mandaeans have been facing serious difficulties in reading and understanding the Ginza Rabba, and explaining its contents to their children and neighbors because of its original Mandaic language.
In the past, there were several serious attempts to translate the Ginza Rabba into foreign languages by scholars as part of their studies of Mandaean religion. This began with the attempt of the Swedish Orientalist Mathias Norberg to translate it into Latin in 1815/1816. The first printed version of the Ginza Rabba was copied by the German Orientalist Heinrich Julius Petermann in 1867. Then the German scholar Wilhelm Brandt attempted to translate the whole book into German, but only published some portions in 1839. His colleague Mark Lidzbarski produced the first translation of the whole book into German in 1925. Other scholars included in their publications some passages translated into English, usually relying upon the German version.
Despite these considerable efforts, Mandaeans were unable to use these editions in Iraq and Iran due to the unfamiliarity of German and Latin there. As the result of an increasing need to have a comprehensible Ginza in Iraq, the headship of the Mandaeans decided to translate the Ginza Rabba into Arabic.
Since the last quarter of the twentieth century, the Mandaeans have been forced to leave their homelands. They have escaped to many countries, so that three-quarters of them are now living in the Diaspora.
Due to their emigration to foreign countries, the new generation of Mandaeans is becoming fully integrated into their new societies. They are deeply influenced by the cultures and the languages of these new “homelands”. However, they have to sustain their identity by means of understanding their own religion and presenting their faith to other interested people.
As a result of this, it became necessary to translate the Ginza Rabba into English, so that coming generations will maintain their religious education in a language which is of common use.
Even though this edition represents a translation of the meaning, reflecting the intentions behind the original text rather than a literal translation, we were quite careful and attentive towards conveying the spiritually worded text from its Mandaic origins to an understandable language. The Ginza Rabba should be easily read and understood by everyone; our aim is to make its ancient heritage coherent with modern usage, so that readers are not confused.
This project was according to the permission and supervision of Rishema Sattar Jabbar Hillo the head of the Mandaeans in the world and Rishema Salah Jabbar Tawos the head of the Mandaeans in Australia. I would like to thank them for involving me in this important project.
http://www.amazon.de/Ginza-Rabba-Prof-Qais-Al-Saadi/dp/B00A3GO458
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOXWHyvSm8U[/youtube]
PRESENTATION AT THE LONDON UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE
CHAIRMAN SIR HAROLD WALKER (EX. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ)
May the 5th 2007
The Sabean Mandaean are one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the middle east.
The name Mandaean is derived from Aramaic which means knowledge. Their Arab neighbors call them Sabean from the Arabic word Saba meaning cleansing in the water as they do so during prayers and baptism.
The religion has strong ties with ancient Gnostic and has many aspects in common with Judaism, Christianity and Islam but is also different. It is in fact the only living Gnostic religion today. There is strong emphasis on dualism of the world of light and that of darkness. Adam is considered the first prophet and Yahia (John the Baptist)is the Greatest Teacher.
The Mandaean language is Aramaic which is the language of the liturgy and still spoken by some of the Mandaean of Iran.
Mandaean value family, marriage children and pay great emphasis to peaceful existence and pacifism. They have lived in southern Iraq and Iran for centuries practicing their faith peacefully. Their numbers were estimated in seventies
to be around 60,000-70,000.At present their numbers inside Iraq is much less.
In recent times and particularly since 2003, thousands have fled Iraq to the neighboring countries for safety. According to UNHCR and I cote "The Mandaean who carry no weapons, who will not kill and have no social establishment to defend them are the first and an easy target". According to the human right watch the majority have already left Iraq.
The killing, the kidnapping, the rape of women and young girls ,the forced conversion and the ransacking of their shops and properties have escalated deliberately and disproportionately to their small numbers. Fatwas issued by some Islamic clerics calling the Mandaean kafar(blasphemous), negis (impure),accusing them of witch craft and calling on Muslims to convert them to Islam.
In march 2007 the BBC reporter Angus Crawford filed a report from Damascus .He spoke of this community facing extinction at the hands of extremists who are trying to wipe them out through forced conversion ,rape and murder.
The recent escalation of sectarian violence in Iraq is forcing many communities to leave causing huge refugee crises in the neighboring countries according to the UNHCR recent conference in Geneva last month. Estimates of 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria and a million in Jordan and others in Egypt and EUA, in addition to two million internally displaced are latest casualties of the conflict.
Among the most vulnerable are the Iraqi minority communities according to Minority Right International UK most recent report mostly the Christians, Mandaean, yazids and others. Although they make up 3%of the population but according to the UNHCR office in Syria they represent a third of those registered for asylum. This exodus has not only caused hardship and uncertainty but could mean the end for these ancient communities and will adversely change the ethnic mix of the Iraqi society for ever.
I was in Syria early this year. I witnessed the miserable conditions these communities live in .No school or formal education for their children. No work permits for the young adults. No health care for the elderly and sick. They are living on their meager saving which they brought with them from Iraq which is running short by the days. There are mechanisms in place to support those who experience torture and violence.
I met women who have been raped, children who have been kidnapped, old women moaning the loss and death of their sons, adults whose bodies still carry the wounds of the bullets.
Selwan is only 9 years old with half of his face and body burnt after kidnapping when his parents could not afford to pay the thousands of dollars ransom. And Lowai who is 19 and who was forcefully dragged out of his college and circumcised to convert him to Islam. A 34 years mother of three (not to be named) who was raped by 4 men in front of her husband because they knew her to be a Mandaean who refused to wear the Veil. I met a Mandaean jeweler who was blinded by acid been thrown in his face while his shop was ransacked.
Like them I felt that very little has been done by the outside world so far to help their situation.
These minority religious groups who are refugees can not go back to Iraq .There is no safe place for the Mandaean for example to return to inside Iraq.
Western governments have a moral duty to settle them in safe countries as happened during the Balkan war, otherwise these ancient ethnic and religious minority groups will disappear for ever and what a loss and tragedy for the mix and diverse cultural ethnicity of Iraq and the world if this is would be allowed to happen.