دانلود کتاب اقلیت های مذهبی در عراق

Th e literature about religious communities in Iraq usually suff ered from the same sectarian attitude aff ecting parts of Iraqi society: Westerners in general tend to treat them in isolation, as though Christians, Kakais, Yezidis and other communities were closed inside watertight compartments without any interaction between them. Two years of fi eldwork carried out between 2016 and 2018, show that the reality on the ground is very diff erent. Without compromising the richness inevitably originating in diversity, all these groups interact in a very dynamic way and are animated by the same desire for a new, more tolerant society. Th is book aims at showing the lacunae left by both media and academia with a fi eldwork which off ers a more nuanced and deeper investigation into the way the communities live and cope with past and present intimidations. In their own words, members of these communities tell stories of resilience against oppression, creativity in the darkest moments, hope amidst death, the fi nal affi rmation of faith in life against violence. All of them are now reunited in a common, almost heroic eff ort of reconstruction and peace-building, impossible to realize without a newfound interfaith dialogue. In over two years, I have interviewed more than a hundred people between representatives of the religious communities, academics, activists, politicians, policy-makers, citizens and refugees. Among them were victims and perpetrators, men, women and children, who have been overwhelmed by the tragic events of the past few years. Th rough these religious minorities’ narratives and archaeological sites, I travelled to the remotest villages of Mesopotamia to fi nd out how, aft er centuries, the monasteries and Christian churches still mark the rhythms of the villages destroyed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and now only partially reconstructed; and I visited the sacred places of the Kakais in the Zagros Mountains, almost unknown to most travellers and that only a few Westerners have reached. I visited Lalish, the sacred place of the Yezidis, to listen to how the community is coping with the last wave of deadly violence. I talked to Sunni Muslims about the discrimination they endured, and who from perpetrators have become victims of violence and intolerance. Th anks to a privileged access to the communities, this book off ers the reader a unique insight into the micro-history of the fl ourishing religious minorities living in Iraq and of their persecution. Th e book relies on the consultation of chronicles and archives, and archaeological and art history, as well as local culture and narrative to portray how their faith has helped them to survive and preserve their identity during the various moments of rupture and continuity in Iraq’s history. It off ers the reader the unique opportunity to embark on a fascinating journey to the land of the Christians, Chaldeans, Yezidis, Sunni Muslims and Shabbak, but also of the Kakais, the most secretive religious group of Iraq, who have revealed to a Western audience their sacred places, faith, rites and eff orts for recognition. It examines the relationship between religious communities and civil society and how they have woven networks of aid and protection that have been little studied so far. I am aware that not all the minorities currently present in Iraq are treated in this book. Th is is because I did not want to fall into the temptation of writing a compendium of religions. By choosing specifi c groups, I wanted to focus on communities that are questioning their past and their present and are rebuilding their future in a not always peaceful confrontation with political powers and within themselves.