The Shabaks

The Shabaks,an ethnic group in Iraq,number around 3,00,000 in 2021.They speak a mixture of Arabic,Persian,Kurdish and Turkmen.They mostly practise Shia Islam.

                                       Their origin is unclear.Many Iraqis see them as foreigners.But the Shabaks consider themselves a distinct group with unique religious traditions.

                                        The Shabaks are a long-persecuted religious minority.Saddam Hussein saw them as a threat;he began a campaign of forced assimilation and displacement against them and had many Shabaks locked away in detention camps.

                                      As nonSunni Muslims The Shabaks were also persecuted by ISIS.The Shabaks actually formed militia units to beat back ISIS and drive them out of their territory.