New USCIRF Report On Minority Religions In Kurdistan

Last week the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released a 77-page report: Kurdistan Region of Iraq: New USCIRF Report on Religious Minorities in the KRI.  Here an excerpt from the Report's Executive Summary:

In recent years the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has been a haven for minorities fleeing the turmoil and sectarian violence in the south of Iraq. The KRI offers religious freedoms that are comparatively robust as compared to those of its regional neighbors. Even so, troubling issues related to discrimination and even violence targeting ethnic and religious minorities exist, exacerbated by the KRI’s strained resources and security situation. Such issues must not be disregarded just because of the security situation in Iraq, or because of the KRI’s successes as compared with the wider region.

Zoroastrians In Kurdistan Threaten To Sue Company Over Use of Sacred Text Name For Diapers

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, members of the Zoroastrian religious minority are threatening to bring a lawsuit against the Avesta Baby Diaper company.  Rudaw reported yesterday that "Avesta" is the name of Zoroastrian sacred scriptures and the word is holy to Zoroastrians.  The owner of the diaper company says he did not know of the religious connection; he chose the Kurdish name as a courtesy to Kurds. But now, he says, the brand name is popular with customers, and changing it would cause a major financial loss.  He adds that he would consider changing the name if he were compensated for the losses involved. The head of a Zoroastrian advocacy group says he believes the owner of the diaper company, a Muslim, chose the name deliberately.