Iraq PM includes Sabean-Mandaeans in 1 million housing land allocation project

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zeydi met on Tuesday with Sheikh Sattar Jabbar al-Halaw, the spiritual leader of the Sabean-Mandaean community in Iraq and abroad, along with an accompanying delegation of clerics and community elders, his office said. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Press Office, Zeydi told the delegation that Iraq's strength lies in its diversity and multi-component social fabric. He said the Sabean-Mandaean community forms a distinctive and fundamental part of Iraq's social fabric and stressed that all components are equal in rights and responsibilities. The prime minister reiterated the government's commitment to preserving this diversity and safeguarding the rights of all components. During the meeting, he also directed that Sabean-Mandaean community members be included in the government's 1 million housing land allocation project, with the stated aim of providing suitable housing, strengthening stability and supporting dignified living conditions for community members. Sheikh Sattar Jabbar al-Halaw and the accompanying delegation expressed appreciation for the government's efforts to combat corruption, protect public resources, strengthen Iraq's Arab and international standing, and reinforce state authority and sovereignty, the statement added.