Religion in Iraq

Yazidis, also spelled Yezidis (; ), are a Kurdish-speaking endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, with small numbers living in Armenia and Georgia. The majority of Yazidis remaining in the Middle East today live in Iraq, primarily in the governorates of Nineveh and Duhok.

thumb|Mandaic language|Mandaic [[incantation bowl from Southern Mesopotamia c. 200–600 CE – Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada]] Mandaeism (Classical Mandaic: ), sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnostic, Dualistic and ethnic religion with Greek, Iranian, and Jewish influences. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enos, Noah, Shem, Aram, and especially John the Baptist. Mandaeans consider Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem, and John the Baptist to be prophets, with Adam being the founder of the religion and John being the greatest and final prophet.

Yarsanism (), Ahl-e Haqq (; ), or '''Kaka'i''', is an inherited, syncretic religion founded by Sultan Sahak in the late 14th century in western Iran. The total number of followers of Yarsanism is estimated to be over half a million to one million in Iran. However, according to one source, there are as many as 3 million followers in Iran. The numbers in Iraq are unknown. However, according to one source there are 120 to 150 thousand followers in Iraq. The adherents are mostly Kurds, as well as some Shabaks, Laks, and Lurs.

The Suhrawardi order (, ) is a Sufi order founded by Abu ’l-Nad̲j̲īb Suhrawardī (died 1168). Lacking a centralised structure, it eventually divided into various branches. The order was especially prominent in India. The ideology of the Suhrawardi order was inspired by Junayd of Baghdad (d. 910), a Persian scholar and mystic from Baghdad.

religion in the country

overview of minorities in Iraq