Free Republic

A newly deciphered magical amulet claims to stop evil spirits "who eat flesh and drink blood,"...About 1,600 years ago, the Mandaeans, who have lived in southern Iraq and Iran for millennia, wrote the incantation onto a lead amulet in their language Mandaic. When unfolded, the amulet looks like a long thin piece of lead.The discovery could shed light on the Mandaean religion, which is complex and blends together several beliefs. Both John the Baptist and archangel Gabriel are both important figures who practiced the religion. Modern-day Mandaeans often ritually immerse themselves in water as a form of purification, and they...

The Sabian Mandaeans - one of the oldest religious groups in the world - are facing extinction, according to its leaders. They claim that Islamic extremists in Iraq are trying to wipe them out through forced conversions, rape and murder. The Mandaeans are pacifists, followers of Adam, Noah and John the Baptist. They have lived in what is now Iraq since before Islam and Christianity. More than 80% have been forced to flee the country and now live as refugees in Syria and Jordan. Even there they do not feel safe - but they say western governments are unwilling to...

Iraq's Mandaeans 'face extinction' By Angus Crawford BBC News, Damascus Islamic militants forced Selwan to jump into a bonfire The Sabian Mandaeans - one of the oldest religious groups in the world - are facing extinction, according to its leaders. They claim that Islamic extremists in Iraq are trying to wipe them out through forced conversions, rape and murder. The Mandaeans are pacifists, followers of Adam, Noah and John the Baptist. They have lived in what is now Iraq since before Islam and Christianity. More than 80% have been forced to flee the country and now live as refugees...

I was just reading a story about the recent Amish tragedy in Bart, Pennsylvania, and what struck me about the article was the sense of forgiveness inherent among the Amish. After such a disturbing and senseless, soul-shattering act of violence, the Amish were not lashing out at the gunmen or the gunmen's family. Though most would. They were not seeking revenge for their loss. Where many have. A great tragedy had just befallen them, which no words can convey the magnitude of, in such a small community, events and people interwoven, interlocked, where everyone knew each others names, the memories...

IRAQ: THE PERSECUTION OF MANDAEANS By Elizabeth KendalWorld Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (WEA RLC)Special to ASSIST News Service AUSTRALIA  (ANS) -- Mandaeans follow the teachings and practice of John the Baptist. Since Ayatollah Al-Hakeem declared Iraq’s Mandaeans to be “unclean” and not “People of the Book”, the situation for Mandaeans in post war Iraq has become critical. It is not an exaggeration to say that their survival as a people is seriously at risk. “UNCLEAN” Before his assassination at the Tomb of Imam Ali in Najaf in August 2003, prominent Shiite leader and jurist Ayatollah Al-Hakeem decreed that Mandaeans...