BAMRO

Balance Association for the Development of Human Rights allied with the Belgian International Organization for Human Rights and Development issued a jurist report entitled:

Monitoring the phenomenon of child abuse to the Sabean Mandaean in schools

Site visit: Mandi Sabeans and school students

Author of the report: Muhannad Khaled / Muhannad visit

Legal starting points:

. L.1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

L2 Convention on the Rights of the Child.

. L3 Convention on the rights of minorities.

. L.4 Iraqi Constitution and domestic law.

Executive Summary.

The phenomenon of discriminating and abusing students from the sect of “Sabean Mandaeans ”is a common characteristic that is spreading in elementary and middle schools in the province of Maysan. This has been inherited since the days of pre-System (2003) when a lot of violations against all the Iraqi people were widespread. As for the phenomenon of violating the rights of students from the “Sabean Almandaen” sect, it remained constant due to lack of awareness and lack of focus on this phenomenon because of its negative detrimental consequences on the peaceful coexistence between the Iraqi people and especially its devastating effects on children's psychological status at this particular stage of their life.

Descripting facts:

The elementary and middle schools in the province of Maysan witness a lack of teaching staff and a shortage in the modern educational supplies along with a neglect of artistic and sports activities .Moreover, most of the primary schools in the province of Maysan provide courses both in the morning and in the afternoon in order to accommodate all the students because of the lack of schools in the province .Besides, some of the teachers did not have the opportunities to receive appropriate educational training to pursue their education. Thus, most of these teachers are in bad need to better acquire educational competencies to deal with their children according to the recent modern educational theories. In addition , there is prevailing ignorance of clear and significant human rights principles .

Educational violence is not considered in the education system as an end in itself, according to interviews with the teaching staff; it is rather a way to guide students and educate them according to the social and moral model of society. And this is contrary to what is stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by Iraq on the date (15/06/1994).

Violations and problems:

L. 1. Some teachers are following traditional methods of teaching by removing students from Sabean sects outside the classroom in a lesson of Islamic education. This, obviously, hurts students and embarrasses them as it makes them feel and believe that they are completely different from their colleagues because of the difference of religion. This also generates a negative feeling at the other Muslim students when they see a teacher expells a Sabean classmate outside the classroom. Accordingly, an alienation from Sabean students is delibrately encouraged .

L.2 Most school administrations mention the word : non-Muslim in the card exam results card and this makes students feel the distinction from the rest of his fellow Muslims and makes the Muslim student feel that if his colleague is not a Muslim means he is “theist”.

L.3 There is a c lear discrimination against students from “Sabean sect” by their peers as there is no mixing nor clear cooperation in various activities.

L.4 The word (Sabean) is often combined with the first name of the students of the Sabean Mandaean causing them great embarrassment and reinforcing their sense of inferiority.

L.5 School administrations and teachers give no interest to the religious events of the children from the Sabean Almendaen sect and they do not offer congratulations or blessings while other religious events for Muslim students are celebrated and given special concern..

. L.6 Refusal to postpone exams or tests for Sabean students when they coincide with the days of religious events of the sect Alsabean although some of these occasions require special rituals such as: worship inside the house as in: Albannjah).

L.7 Lack of curriculum or academic subject that give information about other religions, including the Sabean and thus spreading the culture of peaceful coexistence and love within the school environment..

L..8 We have heard that there are some cases of irony on rituals and beliefs of the sect by some students because of the lack of awareness of the importance of respect for the rest of religions.

. L.9 Lack of interest by the school administrations to spread awareness and the culture of peaceful coexistence among students and to urge them to renounce hatred between students of the Sabean Mandaean community.

Indeed,there are several texts advocating the rights of children, both in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 26.2) (Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and support the peacekeeping activities conducted by the United Nations.)) and according to the Convention for Child Rights ( Article 29) the Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

A) The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential,

B) Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and principles highlighted in the Charter of the United Nations;

C) Respect for the child's cultural identity, language and values for development, and national values of the country to which the child belongs as well as the civilizations different from his or her own,

D) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons belonging to original peoples,

E) the development of respect for the natural environment.

In addition to the Iraqi constitution and local laws. However, action is not dependent only on the mere enactment of laws no matter how fair and sublime they might be.

Recommendations and proposals:

L. 1 The school administration must establish a human relationship between the pillars of education, especially between the teacher and the student, and not to use the methods of physical and verbal violence against the students, as well as to guide the students' behavior and understand their levels to solve their problems by modern educational methods away from the old traditional methods. In other words, the head of the educational pyramid is consistent with Non-violence in schools, but the problem remains latent in the student and the teacher being citizens who are still affected by society. Accordingly, The school departments should invest a minute or two for the school principal every Thursday to talk about peaceful coexistence and to mention that the students from the “Sabean sect” are our brothers in homeland and our brothers in monotheism and they have a holy book and a prophet exactly os other religions . Thus, intimacy and affection will be easily built among students and this will be reflected positively on the society in general.

L. 2 The need not to deprive the students and pupils from the Mandaean community from the Islamic study class and attendance of this class shall be kept to the student choice. .

L. 3 The need not to write a word (non-Muslim) in the result card (certificate) and the use of Sabia or Mandaean or character (S) only.

L. 4 The need to set up workshops for school principals and teachers of Islamic education about the principles and the basics of human rights, especially the rights of religious and ethnic minorities to reduce and eliminate these violations.

L. 5 The need to set up conferences and seminars for the leaders of the executive and legislative branches and prominent personalities in the province about peaceful coexistence and the rights of minorities.