Future of Iraq's Mindanao community pollution: Threatens minority group's religious ritual

Amid Iraq’s polluted rivers, one of the country’s oldest and most vulnerable communities struggles to preserve its spiritual identity. This report highlights the sacred rituals of the Sabian-Mandaean people — from wedding baptisms to their deep connection with water — and how environmental degradation is threatening their way of life. Once numbering around 70,000, the community has now dwindled to just 5,000. Yet despite the challenges, they remain committed to ancient traditions rooted in purity, knowledge, and the sacred flow of rivers. Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed reports. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #SabianMandaeans #Iraq #WaterCrisis #ReligiousRituals #TigrisRiver #CulturalHeritage #Pollution #MinorityVoices #EnvironmentalJustice #AlJazeeraEnglish