Ajam of Iraq
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (~ 600,000 - 700,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Karbalā', Najaf, Baṣrah | |
| Religion | |
| Shīʿa Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Ajam of Bahrain |
Ajam of Iraq are Iraqi citizens of Persian Iranian national background or descent. Iranians have had a long presence in Iraq, dating back to antiquity.
Saddam Hussein deported many Iraqi Ajam in the 1970s and 1980s.
History
In the 1970s, Saddam Hussein deported between 350,000[1] to 650,000 Shia Iraqis of Iranian ancestry (Ajam).[2] Most of them went to Iran. Those who could prove an Iranian/Persian ancestry in Iran's court received Iranian citizenship (400,000) and some of them returned to Iraq after Saddam.[2]
Culture
Iraqi Persians belong to Twelver Shīʿa Islam . The same religion, sect, and school that most Iraqis belong. Even today there are millions of Iraqis that are of Persian descent.
See also
References
- ↑ U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
- 1 2 "Hamshahri Newspaper (In Persian)". hamshahri.org. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
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