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Iraq's Gypsy communities face discrimination

Iraq’s Gypsy communities must lead clandestine lives to avoid persecution by the wider society in Iraq, particularly at the hands of religious extremists and conservatives.
Iraqi gypsy families gather outside their shack that serves as their home in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya January 4, 2006. Scorned by religious Muslims and barely tolerated by the rest of society, Iraq's Gypsies have a precarious existence. Lacking education or skills, they form one of the lower rungs of Iraq's social system. To match feature IRAQ GYPSIES REUTERS/Imad Al-Khozai - RTR17RDG
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The Gypsy village of Fawar is located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Diwaniyah. Prior to 2003, Fawar had strong links with its surroundings. However today, visiting this village has become risky because people are suspicious of whoever goes there and visitors are accused of looking for sex and Gypsy dance parties.

The atmosphere surrounding the village has changed since 2003, when Saddam Hussein's regime was overthrown following the US occupation. An air of hostility and conservatism now characterizes and prevails in the village.

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