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Are Iraqi Mandaeans better off in Jordan?

Because of discrimination, Iraq’s Mandaeans practice their religion in secrecy in Jordan.
A Mandaean priest baptises a worshipper in the Tigris river during the Benja festival in Baghdad March 16, 2016.  REUTERS/Ahmed Saad - GF10000347584
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AMMAN, Jordan — Bashir Nader, a 55-year-old Iraqi, lives with his family in al-Hashmi al-Shamali neighborhood in Jordan’s capital, Amman. Nader fled the city of Samarra in 2016 to escape the Islamic State (IS) and Shiite militias who targeted the Mandaean community.

Mandaeism is an independent religion, and its followers claim it is the oldest monotheistic religion. Its followers revere Adam, Adam's son Seth, Noah's son Shem, Abraham and John the Baptist, who is the last of their prophets.

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