Ethnic and Religious Background

Iraq's two largest ethnic groups are Arabs (75-80%) and Kurds (15-20%). Other distinct groups are Assyrians, Iraqi Turkmen, Armenians, Persians, Shabaks and Lurs. Arabic is the most commonly spoken language. Kurdish and Syriac are spoken in the north, and English is the most commonly spoken Western language.

Islam: Sunni & Shi’a

There are 2 main divisions in Islam: Sunni and Shi’a. This dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. The word "Sunni" in Arabic comes from a word meaning "one who follows the traditions of the Prophet."

On the other hand, some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.

The Shi’a Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali. Throughout history, Shi’a Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders, choosing instead to follow a line of Imams which they believe have been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or God Himself. The word "Shi’a" in Arabic means a group or supportive party of people. The commonly-known term is shortened from the historical "Shi’a-t-Ali," or "the Party of Ali." They are also known as followers of "Ahl-al-Bayt" or "People of the Household" (of the Prophet).

Sunni Muslims make up the majority (85%) of Muslims all over the world. Significant populations of Shi’a Muslims can be found in Iran and Iraq, and large minority communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon.

Shi’a Muslims believe that the Imam is sinless by nature, and that his authority is infallible as it comes directly from God. Therefore, Shi’a Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints and perform pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of divine intercession.

Sunni Muslims counter that there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders, and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims contend that leadership of the community is not a birthright, but a trust that is earned and which may be given or taken away by the people themselves.

Some Shi’a celebrate ‘Ashura’ and beat themselves, sometimes until blood flows, to show their devotion to Hussain who was Mohammed’s grandson and the third imam and who was killed in battle.

Shi’a, although the majority in Iraq, were suppressed by Saddam Hussain who was a Sunni. Now they have most of the power, but many are concerned about the relationship with Iran which is mainly Shi’a and quite militant.

Christians

Historic Christianity has been in Iraq for many centuries (long before Islam) and there was relative freedom for the churches under Saddam Hussein. There were about 1.3m Nestorian, Catholic and Orthodox Christians in Iraq until the fall of Saddam, with only 6 Protestant churches – all Presbyterian. Since then other protestant churches may have been started plus many new house churches. A huge proportion of Christians have left the country due to the pressure and uncertainty and so the figure of 1.3m is now severely reduced.

Kurds

The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. They are sometimes described as a people without a country. There are between 27 and 36 million Kurds and many want their own homeland. The Kurds in Iraq were oppressed by Saddam, but also fought among themselves. Now there is relative calm and Northern Iraq is reasonably safe. The Kurds are Sunni Muslims, though there are a number of churches with several hundred believers.