Kawliya

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Kawliya or Qawliya (Arabic,كاولية or كاولي) are a small Roma minority in Iraq. Qawliya means gypsy in Arabic. The Qawliya are known for their dancers and music. They trace their roots to Spain and India and made Iraq their home almost 150 years ago.

Many of the Qawliya live in poor tribal areas between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

The Qawliya dance is usually played with the Iraqi Chobi style of music. The dancers dress in bright colored dresses and spin their long hair to charm the space in which they perform.

The Qawliya had some protection living under the rule of Saddam Hussein as they supplied alcohol, dancers and prostitutes for elite Ba'ath parties. Since the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003 it has been difficult for Iraq's Qawliya population to seek autonomy and safety. Some of the poorest Qawliya areas, known for their red light districts, became easy targets for religious militia groups. Many of their villages have been destroyed or taken over by such militias, and this has forced Qawliya to flee to the north. One of these destroyed villages was itself called Qawliya, located about 100 miles southeast of Baghdad.^[1]

The fate of the Qawliya is unknown since many Iraqis view them as second class citizens.^{[citation needed]}