What are Iraqi Christians?
The Christians of Iraq are considered to be one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world. The vast majority of Iraqi Christians are indigenous Eastern Aramaic-speaking ethnic Assyrians who claim descent from ancient Assyria, and follow the Syriac Christian tradition.
What denomination are Christians in Iraq?
Iraqi Christians are divided into four church bodies: “Chaldeans” (Chaldean Catholic Church) “Assyrians” or “Nestorian” group (Assyrian Church of the East) and (Ancient Church of the East) “West Syriac” or “Jacobite” group (Syriac Orthodox Church)
What religion is Iraq mostly?
Although Iraq is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, it is both religiously and ethnically diverse. More than 95 percent of the population is Muslim, but this total is divided between Shiites who constitute about 55-60 percent and Sunnis who represent 35-40 percent.
What was Iraq called in biblical times?
During ancient times, lands that now constitute Iraq were known as Mesopotamia (“Land Between the Rivers”), a region whose extensive alluvial plains gave rise to some of the world’s earliest civilizations, including those of Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria.
What religion was Saddam?
Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq was ruled by the Baath party, a secular government. Hussein himself was a Sunni Muslim; Sunni Muslims comprise about 35 percent of Iraqis.
Who is the Yazidi God?
While the Yazidis believe in one god, a central figure in their faith is Tawusî Melek, an angel who defies God and serves as an intermediary between man and the divine.