Source:

US State Department: Mandaeans are regarded as Christians; included among the countrry's three recognized religious minorities [ID 8874]

"According to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees Background Paper on Iran, the Mandaeans are regarded as Christians, and are included among the country’s three recognized religious minorities. However, Mandaeans regard themselves not as Christians, but as adherents of a religion that predates Christianity in both belief and practice. Mandaeans enjoyed official support as a distinct religion prior to the revolution, but their legal status as a religion since then has been the subject of debate in the Majles and never has been clarified. The small community faces discrimination similar to that faced by the country’s other religious minorities."

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Sabean (Mandean) religious community faces discrimination and restricted religious freedom ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23033]

"All religious minorities suffered varying degrees of officially sanctioned discrimination, particularly in employment, education, and housing. In June 2006 the UNSR for Adequate Housing visited the country and reported that rural land, particularly that belonging to minorities, including many Baha'is, was expropriated for government use, and owners were not fairly compensated. With the exception of Baha'is, the government allowed recognized religious minorities to conduct religious education of their adherents, although it restricted this right considerably in some cases, including Mandeans.

[…] The legal system previously discriminated against recognized religious minorities in relation to blood money; however, in 2004 the Expediency Council authorized collection of equal blood money for the death of Muslim and non-Muslim men. All women and Baha'i and Sabean-Mandean men remained excluded from the revised ruling.

[…] There were reports that Mandeans experienced discrimination in the form of pressure to convert to Islam and problems accessing higher education."

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Sabean-Mandaeans number 5,000 to 10,000 persons ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21128]

"Sabean-Mandaeans number 5,000 to 10,000 persons. The Government regards the Sabean-Mandaeans as Christians, and they are included among the three recognized religious minorities; however, Sabean-Mandaeans do not regard themselves as Christians."

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Legal system dicriminates against Sabean-Mandaeans ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21192]

"The legal system discriminates against religious minorities. Article 297 of the amended 1991 Islamic Punishments Act authorizes collection of equal "blood money" (diyeh) as restitution to the families for the death of both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Prior to the 2004 change, the law gave a lesser monetary amount as "blood money" for non-Muslims than for Muslims.

All women, as well as Bahá'í and Sabean-Mandaean men, are excluded from the equalization provisions of the bill.
"

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Sabean-Mandaean religious community reportedly faces intensifying harassment and repression by authorities ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21275]

"The small Sabean-Mandaean religious community reportedly faced intensifying harassment and repression by authorities, including reported government closings of Sabean-Mandaean places of worship (Mandi). There were also reports of religious freedom violations, such as forced observance of Islamic fasting rituals and praying in an Islamic fashion, which are in violation of Sabean-Mandaean teachings."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Mandeans experience discrimination in form of pressure to convert to Islam and problems accessing higher education ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 20834]

"The Mandeans, whose religion draws on Christian Gnostic beliefs, number approximately 5,000 to 10,000 persons, primarily in the southwest. There were reports that Mandeans experienced discrimination in the form of pressure to convert to Islam and problems accessing higher education."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Discrimination against Mandaean/Sabaeans ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17642]

"According to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees' (UNHCR) background paper on the country, the Mandaean Sabaeans were regarded as Christians and were included among the country's three recognized religious minorities. However, Mandaean Sabaeans regarded themselves not as Christians but as adherents of a religion that predates Christianity in both belief and practice. Mandaean Sabaeans enjoyed official support as a distinct religion prior to the Revolution, but their legal status as a religion since then was the subject of debate in the majlis, which has not been clarified. The small community faced discrimination similar to that faced by the country's other religious minorities. There were reports that members of the Mandaean Sabaeans community experienced societal discrimination and pressure to convert to Islam, and they often were denied access to higher education. Mandaean Sabaeans refugees reported specific religious freedom violations and concerns, such as being forced to observe Islamic fasting rituals and to pray in Islamic fashion, both in direct violation of Mandaean Sabaeans teaching."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Increase of harassment and repressions by authorities ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17783]

"The small Mandaean Sabaean religious community reportedly faced intensifying harassment and repression by authorities."

Document(s): Open document

25.05.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Gozinesh - Discriminatory law and practices ("Annual Report 2005") [#32306],  [ID 8872]

"[...]
The gozinesh provided the legal basis for discriminatory laws and practice. Religious and ethnic groups which were not officially recognized – such as the Bahai’s, Ahl-e Haq, Mandaeans (Sabaeans) and Evangelical Christians – were automatically subject to gozinesh provisions and faced discrimination in a range of areas, including access to education.
[...]"

Document(s): Open document
Open document

10.2002 - Source: UK Home Office

UK Home Office: Mandeans are included among the recognized religious minorities ("Country Assessment - October 2002") [#9556],  [ID 8873]

"5.63. The Iranian Mandeans are included among the recognised religious minorities and live mainly in Khuzistan, near the Iraqi border. They work mainly in agriculture and with precious metals, are a low-profile group and are small in number. The small community faces discrimination similar to the countries other pre Islamic religious minorities. Mandaeans enjoyed official support as a distinct religion prior to the revolution, but their legal status as a religion since then has been the subject of debate in the Majles and never has been clarified."

Document(s): Open document

01.09.1998 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Sabeans (Mandeans) ("Update on the UNHCR Background Paper on Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Iran") [#812],  [ID 8875]

"[...]Also known as Mandeans and “Christians of Saint John the Baptist”, the Iranian Sabeans are included among the recognized religious minorities (Keddie, 1995, 150). They are said to live mainly in Khuzistan, near the Iraqi border, reportedly work in agriculture and with precious metals, and are reportedly “neither numerous nor politically important” (Ibid.). In 1995, C. Chaqueri of Encyclopedia Iranica indicated that Sabeans are “ill-treated and discriminated against by the Iranian authorities, given that they fall into the category of ‘undesirables’” (telephone interview, 23 January 1995).[...]"

Document(s): Open document