Afro Iraqis
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Afro-Iraqis are
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
i people of African
Zanj Zanj ( ar, زَنْج, adj. , ''Zanjī''; fa, زنگی, Zangi) was a name used by medieval Muslim geographers to refer to both a certain portion of Southeast Africa (primarily the Swahili Coast) and to its Bantu inhabitants. This word is al ...
heritage. Historically, their population has concentrated in the southern port city of
Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...
, as Basra was the capital of the slave trade in Iraq. Afro-Iraqis speak
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
and mostly adhere to Islam. Some Afro-Iraqis can still speak Swahili along with Arabic. Afro-Iraqi leaders claim that there are roughly between 500,000 and 1,500,000 Afro-Iraqis, however this is not verified by official figures. Their origins date back to the time of the
Arab slave trade History of slavery in the Muslim world refers to various periods in which a slave trade has been carried out under the auspices of Arab peoples or Arab countries. Examples include: * Trans-Saharan slave trade * Indian Ocean slave trade * Barbary s ...
between the 9th century AD to the 19th century AD. Many are from the district of Zubair, descendants of the people who came to Iraq from East Africa. Some came as sailors, whereas others came as traders, immigrants, religious scholars, or enslaved people over the course of many centuries, beginning in the 9th century CE.


Mythic origins

Arab myths agree that the
Cushitic The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa, with minorities speaking Cushitic languages to the north in Egypt and the Sudan, and to the south in Kenya and Tanzania. As o ...
king
Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
crossed from beyond the waters of Ethiopia in the earliest times with an army, and established a civilization. Many existing sites in Iraq are still named after Nimrod. The Quran does not mention
Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
by name, but Arab stories about Nimrod have resulted in him being referenced as a tyrant in Muslim cultures.
Jewish tradition Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites"" ...
recounts the tale of King Nimrod as well. It is stated in the book of Genesis that Nimrod was a mighty hunter of great renown and the first to build cities over the face of the world. He ruled in
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...
, which includes modern-day Iraq. Because of the legendary Nimrod's Cushitic origin (often identified with the historical
Kingdom of Kush The Kingdom of Kush (; Egyptian: 𓎡𓄿𓈙𓈉 ''kꜣš'', Assyrian: ''Kûsi'', in LXX grc, Κυς and Κυσι ; cop, ''Ecōš''; he, כּוּשׁ ''Kūš'') was an ancient kingdom in Nubia, centered along the Nile Valley in wh ...
in what is today southern Egypt and northern Sudan), many believe that Afro-Iraqis now living in areas are his literal descendents. This is unlikely to be literally true for all afro-iraqi citizens, as their presence in Iraq dates back only to the 9th century CE, whereas the Kingdom of Kush ended in the 6th century CE.


Social condition

The Arab Muslim institution of slavery allowed enslaved people to own land, and enslavement was not generally hereditary. Conversion to Islam sometimes enabled enslaved people to escape their condition. Skin color played a distinctive role even amongst slaves, however, and
discrimination based on skin colour Discrimination based on skin color, also known as colorism, or shadeism, is a form of prejudice and/or discrimination in which people who share similar ethnicity traits or perceived race are treated differently based on the social implications t ...
existed, and continues to be a problem in Iraqi society. Today, many Afro-Iraqis activists report that they are denied job opportunities on the basis of their skin colour and ethnic background. Afro-Iraqis are well known as street musicians, as they historically experienced employment discrimination. Afro-Iraqis are also frequently called “
Abeed Abeed or abīd (, plural of ʿabd, ), is an Arabic word meaning "servant" or "slave". The term is used sometimes in the Arab world as an ethnic slur for Black people, and dates back to the Arab slave trade. In recent decades, usage of the word has b ...
”, a pejorative meaning "slave" in
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
.


Heritage

Most Afro-Iraqis still are able to maintain rituals related to healing that are of Zanj origin. The languages used in these rituals are Swahili and
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
. Percussion instruments such as drums and tambourines are used in these ceremonies. Songs such as ''Dawa Dawa'' are in a syncretic mixture of Arabic and Swahili. The song, which is about curing people of illness, is used in the ''shtanga'' ceremony, for physical health. Another ceremony, called ''nouba'', takes its name from the Arabic word for ''paroxysm'' or ''shift'', as Sophi performers take turns at chanting and dancing to ritualistic hymns. There are also unique ceremonies to remember the dead and for occasions such as weddings. Although the vast majority of Afro-Iraqis are Muslim, a shrinking minority still practices these traditions. Few Afro-Iraqis can still speak Swahili.


See also

*
Afro-Arab Afro-Arabs are Arabs of full or partial Black African descent. These include populations within mainly the Sudanese, Emiratis, Yemenis, Saudis, Omanis, Sahrawis, Mauritanians, Algerians, Egyptians and Moroccans, with considerably long est ...
*
Afro-Iranians Afro-Iranians ( fa, ایرانیان آفریقایی‌تبار) are Iranian people of African Zanj heritage. Most Afro-Iranians are concentrated in the coastal provinces of Persian Gulf such as Hormozagan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Bushehr an ...
* Afro-Turks *
Afro-Palestinians Afro-Palestinians are Palestinians of Black African heritage. A minority of Afro-Palestinians which number around 350-450 reside in an African enclave around the Bab al-Majlis, in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem.Jonarah Baker'The African-Pal ...
*
Arab slave trade History of slavery in the Muslim world refers to various periods in which a slave trade has been carried out under the auspices of Arab peoples or Arab countries. Examples include: * Trans-Saharan slave trade * Indian Ocean slave trade * Barbary s ...
*
Afro-Saudis Afro-Saudis are Saudi people of Black African heritage. Afro-Saudis are the largest Afro-Arab group. They are spread all around the country but are mostly found in the major cities of Saudi Arabia. Afro-Saudis speak Arabic and adhere to Islam. T ...
* Swahili people *
Zanj Zanj ( ar, زَنْج, adj. , ''Zanjī''; fa, زنگی, Zangi) was a name used by medieval Muslim geographers to refer to both a certain portion of Southeast Africa (primarily the Swahili Coast) and to its Bantu inhabitants. This word is al ...
* Zanj Empire


References

A Legacy Hidden in Plain Sight
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External links


The hidden Black Iraq
{{African diaspora Ethnic groups in Iraq African diaspora in the Middle East African diaspora in Asia