Religions of the Region
Aug 13, 2010
Islam:
The primary religion in Iraqi Kurdistan is Sunni Islam. Iraq in general is 97% Muslim, and while Sunni Islam is the largest branch of the religion worldwide, it is actually the minority within the country at about 32-37 percent.
The division between Sunni and Shia dates back to the death of Prophet Muhammad. Followers of Sunni Islam, also referred to as Orthodox Islam, believe that leadership of the Muslim nation should have been left to an elected official worthy of the position. As such, Abu Bakr, the Prophet's friend and advisor became the first Caliph to succeed Muhammad.
Shia, which is short for Shia-t-Ali or the party of Ali, believe that the succession of leadership should have stayed within the lineage of the Prophet. For followers of Shia, Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, was the rightful heir. According to Shia, Prophet Muhammad himself, suggested several times that Ali should take over the leadership of the religion after his death. Shia Muslims do not recognize elected officials within Islam, but follow a line of Imams (islamic leaders) said to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad.
Assyrian Christians:
Assyrians Christians (also known as Syriacs, surrey, or chaldeans) trace their roots to the Fertile Crescent region of ancient Mesopotamia. In modern day, the region is now predominantly Kurdish and spans northern Iraq, Southeast Turkey, and areas of Syria and Iran. The Assyrians are an ethnic minority representing only 3 percent of the entire Iraqi population, however, during the recent Iraq War, the United Nations reported that more than one million Iraqis fled the country with nearly 40 percent of that number Assyrian. The Assyrian people speak a version of neo-aramaic, derived from ancient Aramaic with dialects that include Chaldean, Turoyo, and Assyrian.
Yazidis:
The Yazidis are an ethnic and religious minority in Iraq that are often misrepresented to be devil worshipers. In actuality, many of their religious stories root from the same fables of other more common beliefs. Their stories differ, however, regarding their patron angel the Melek Taus or peacock angel. They believe that god left the earth in the care of seven angels and told them to obey Adam. The Melek Taus was the only angel to refuse stating that Adam was created from the soil and the angels were created from God's light. According to this angel the light could not be at the mercy of the soil. The Yazidis believe that this was the answer that God was looking for, proving that he was the most loyal angel, and made Melek Taus responsible for all of humanity.
Today, the Yazidis serve an important political role in the region. There numbers in disputed territories could act as a swing vote to sway cities such as Mosul towards the Kurdistan Regional Government over the Central Iraqi Government.
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