President Barzani extends greetings to Yarsanis on Qultas

Shafaq News/ President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday extended greetings to the members of the Yarsan community in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as they celebrate the Qultas holiday.

In a congratulatory message released by his bureau, President Barzani extended greetings "our dear Yarsan citizens and citizens from all components in Kurdistan."

The president pledged to "always support and protect their rights, and Kurdistan will remain a country for everyone—a haven for coexistence, diversity, and tolerance."

Kakais follow Yarsanism, a religion founded in the late 14th century in what is now western Iran, and primarily reside in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Members residing in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s disputed territories are usually considered ethnic Kurds.

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 Kakais live in various parts of the country, mostly in the disputed territories.

They are among the many minorities in Iraq that have been systematically targeted by the Islamic State, but have not garnered the same level of news coverage and attention as other more well-known groups. A significant number of Kakai families evacuated their villages in Kirkuk’s Daquq district following the militant group’s rise to prominence in 2014.

They eventually took up arms and, along with Kurdish Peshmerga forces, held the frontline against militants of the terrorist organization that continued to operate in surrounding areas, even as Baghdad retook the country.