In an introductory tour of Mandaean customs and traditions, Sheikh Mohammed Shaker Abboud Al-Khihili, a Mandaean religious leader, welcomed the “Knights of Dialogue” at the Mandi of the Mandaeans in Basra.
Sheikh Mohammed warmly received the participants of the “With Dialogue We Endure and Rise” camp, implemented by Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development in partnership with KAICIID and the House of Coexistence. He gave them an introductory overview of the Mandaean faith, followed by a tour of the Mandi’s details and icons, offering a comprehensive explanation of the customs and rituals performed in each part of the Mandi during occasions such as Mandaean marriage ceremonies and baptisms.
He also answered the questions of the camp’s participants regarding the Mandaeans’ spiritual relationship with water, as well as the most prominent millennia-old rituals that the Mandaeans continue to preserve to this day.
At the end of the visit, the participants presented Sheikh Mohammed with a stone from Mount Sinjar as a token of appreciation, symbolizing their pride in this mountain, which represents a symbol of Yazidi resilience, attachment to land, country, and identity.
It is worth noting that the #With_Dialogue_We_Endure_and_Rise camp is implemented by Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development, in partnership with KAICIID and the House of Coexistence. The camp was launched in Baghdad with the participation of youth from Sinjar, later joined by youth from Baghdad in its first phase, and then continued to Basra, where young men and women from the city joined the team. The program will soon continue its journey across other Iraqi cities, aiming to promote dialogue as a mechanism for peacebuilding among followers of different religions and for rejecting hate speech
