BAGHDAD — Ever since their old school was destroyed in 2004 by unknown armed groups, the children of al-Zuhoor in the province of Diwaniyah, southern Iraq, have had nowhere to go. A month ago, al-Nakheel Primary School in Diwaniyah province opened its doors to the delight of the entire village.

The village of al-Zuhoor, 180 kilometers (112 miles) south of Baghdad, is populated by Dom, the people commonly referred to as the Gypsies of Iraq. Domari, the Doms' language, belongs to the Indic language family, evidence that the Doms' ancestors originated in northwestern India and migrated east. The Dom settled in the Middle East, while others who traveled in other migration waves and settled in Europe are today's Roma or Romani.

Iraq's Ministry of Human Rights places the number of Dom there between 50,000 and 200,000. They often face discrimination and deprivation of basic rights. They lead mostly isolated lives, fearing persecution by religious conservatives. Some have left for nearby countries and Europe.

The school in the Dom village is the result of the efforts of a human rights group called I am Human with the help of UNICEF, which provided some of the books and teaching materials. Before the school's official opening, the group set up tents and distributed some educational materials. Some volunteers taught informal lessons in the tents.