PM Barzani, Kaka'i religious figure discuss coexistence in Kurdistan Region
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday received senior Kaka'i leader Said Raheem Said Azim and his accompanying delegation, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The meeting discussed the situation of the Kaka'i in general and in the Kurdish areas outside the KRG, in particular.
Furthermore, they discussed the importance of protecting the rights of the religious group and promoting coexistence between all communities in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Kaka’is follow Yarsanism, a religion founded in the late 14th Century in western Iran. While its adherents are referred to as the Yarsani, the Kaka’i label is exclusive to Iraq.
Although they primarily reside in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, members residing in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s disputed territories are usually considered ethnic Kurds, while the Kaka’i label is seen as their religion.
Having suffered religious persecution for many years, both historically and in recent decades, members of the community have often sought to avoid attention by keeping their practices relatively secret. While exact figures are unknown, it is estimated that at least 100,000 Kaka’is live in various parts of the country, mostly in the disputed territories such as Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Makhmour.
They are among the many minorities in Iraq that have been systematically targeted by ISIS, but they have not garnered the same level of media coverage and attention as other more well-known groups, such as the Yazidis. A significant number of Kaka’i families evacuated their villages in Kirkuk’s Daquq district following the terror group’s rise to prominence in 2014.
