Iraqis Face Ongoing Sectarianism, Genocide-Related Religious Freedom Challenges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2025

Iraqis Face Ongoing Sectarianism, Genocide-Related Religious Freedom Challenges

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report:

Iraq Country Update – Since 2014, when the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched a genocide against Iraqi and Syrian religious and ethnic minorities, Iraq’s diverse population has continued to suffer ongoing aftereffects. The Iraqi federal government and semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government have each offered some forms of redress to genocide survivors. However, these survivors and other communities and individuals throughout the country suffer varying degrees of systematic and ongoing restrictions on religious freedom. This country update provides an overview of recent religious freedom restrictions, including new legislation that threatens to increase sectarianism and limit freedom of religion or belief for Iraqis of all religious backgrounds.

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State place Iraq on the Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom, pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). Over the course of 2025, many of these unfavorable conditions have persisted and, in some cases, escalated.

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