Ajam of Iraq
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (~ 600,000 - 700,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Karbalā', Najaf, Baṣrah | |
| Religion | |
| Shīʿa Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Ajam of Bahrain |
Ajam of Iraq are Iraqi citizens of Persian Iranian national background or descent. Iranians have had a long presence in Iraq, dating back to antiquity.
Saddam Hussein deported many Iraqi Ajam in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the 1970s, Saddam Hussein deported between 350,000 to 650,000 Shia Iraqis of Iranian ancestry (Ajam). Most of them went to Iran. Those who could prove an Iranian/Persian ancestry in Iran's court received Iranian citizenship (400,000) and some of them returned to Iraq after Saddam.
Iraqi Persians belong to Twelver Shīʿa Islam . The same religion, sect, and school that most Iraqis belong. Even today there are millions of Iraqis that are of Persian descent.
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