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Babylon Movement

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Babylon Movement
حركة بابليون
LeaderRayan al-Kildani
Founded2014; 10 years ago (2014)
HeadquartersBaghdad, Iraq
Military wingBabylon Brigade
ReligionSyriac Christianity, Shia Islam (official, de-facto)
Parliament
4 / 329 (1%)

The Babylon Movement (Arabic: حركة بابليون) is a political party situated in Iraq. Founded in 2014, it is the political wing of the Babylon Brigades, a Christian militia that was formed as part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces. Rayan al-Kildani currently leads the party since founding it in 2014.[1][2][3]

The party, through its incorporation into the Popular Mobilization Forces, has close ties to the Badr Organization and IRGC.[4] Since the defeat of ISIS, the Babylon Movement has been accused a multitude of human rights abuses, including illegal land seizures in the Nineveh Governorate and election corruption.[5] [6] While the party claims to represent the interests of Iraqi Christians, primarily the Assyrian people, a majority of the party's voters and members are Shia Muslim, since a ruling in 2009 designated that any Iraqi could vote for designated minority seats.[7]

Babylon Brigade
كتائب بابليون
LeadersRayan al-Kildani
Allegiance Iraq
Group(s)
  • 50th Brigade[8]
Size1,000+[9]
Part of Popular Mobilization Forces
Allies
Opponents Islamic State
Nineveh Plain Protection Units
Battles and warsWar in Iraq (2013–2017)

History

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The Babylon Movement was founded in 2014, initially as a militia group in order to defend the Nineveh Plains from the onset of ISIS. His movement had been the only Christian component of the Popular Mobilization Forces, and had about 1000 fighters.[12] [13] The brigade had taken part in the large scale defense of the Nineveh governorate with the Battle of Mosul, and helped to liberate the city from ISIS.

The Babylon Movement entered the Iraqi parliamentary elections in 2014 and 2018, however they weren't able to attain any results until 2021. Allegations have been leveled towards al-Kildani regarding vote corruption in the attainment of these seats in the election.[14] He obtained similar results in the 2023 Iraqi governorate elections.[15]

On July 18, 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the al-Kildani for alleged human rights violations, including harassment and blackmailing of women and illegal land seizures.[16]

Relations with the Chaldean Catholic Church and Assyrians

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Further information: Rayan al-Kildani

The Chaldean Catholic Church issued a statement confirming that it has nothing to do with the Babylon Brigades, nor al-Kildani as its leader or its members in the Iraqi parliament, and that it doesn't represent them.[17][18] The Babylon Movement has previously engaged in public spouts with Cardinal Sako of the church, with both sides accusing each other of stealing properties for the benefit of themselves and/or their respective organization.[19]

It was also denied by Assyrian Christian MPs such as Imad Youkhana and Yonadam Kanna, where the representatives stated that the Babylon Brigades and their leader do not represent Christians, that Rayan himself is far from Christianity and the battalions led by him represent him personally.[2][3][1] The movement has been implicated in several instances of prior human rights violations against Assyrians, including looting of villages, kidnapping of members of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, and the Bakhdida wedding fire.[20] [21]

The Babylon Movement has also been noted for its hijacking of Assyrian political representation in Iraq. In 2024, al-Kildani instituted a mass change of political leadership in the Nineveh Plains with Babylon Movement proxies, replacing 15 leaders appointed by the Kurdish-backed Nineveh Provincial Council.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b وكالة انباء براثا. Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b مقابلة النائب يونادم مع موقع الحركة الديمقراطية الاشورية. Archived 4 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b مقابلة النائب يونادم كنا على قناة الشرقية نيوز. Archived 2020-03-14 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "A Mostly Non-Christian Militia Won 2 Of Iraqi Christians' Parliamentary Seats". HuffPost. 23 May 2018. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 30 Aug 2019.
  5. ^ "Inside Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Church battle with Iran-backed Christian group". Al-Monitor. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor: JULY 11 – JULY 18, 2019". Enabling Peace in Iraq Center. 18 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Iraq: Beware of Rayan al-Kildani and his "Christian" Babylon Movement". Bitter Winter. 27 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (October 31, 2017). "Hashd Brigade Numbers Index". Rubin Center. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  9. ^ Kaplan, Michael (July 13, 2015). "In Iraq, Christian Militia Battles Islamic State Militants: 'ISIS Terrorists Are Our Enemy'". IB Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "الهديل - الهديل- تعرّف على أبرز فصائل الحشد الشّعبي... هذا هو تعدادها وأبرز قادتها". Archived from the original on 2020-09-06. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  11. ^ Bennett-Jones, Owen (April 11, 2016). "The Christian militia fighting IS". BBC News. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  12. ^ "In Iraq, Christian Militia Battles Islamic State Militants: 'ISIS Terrorists Are Our Enemy'". ibtimes. 2015-07-13.
  13. ^ "Iraqi Christians Form Babylonian Brigades Militia, Battle ISIS". NBC News. 12 July 2015.
  14. ^ "Former Syriac Member of Iraqi Parliament Joseph Sliwa on Iraqi election results: The five 'winners' of Christian quota seats do not represent Christians". Syriac Press. 20 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Babiliyoun Movement Hijacks All Four Christian Minority Seats". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 2 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Treasury Sanctions Persons Associated with Serious Human Rights Abuse and Corrupt Actors in Iraq". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  17. ^ بيان البطريركية الكلدانية. Archived 9 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ قناة عشتار الفضائية. [dead link‍] Archived 25 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ "A feud between a patriarch and a militia leader adds to the woes of Iraqi Christians". abcnews. 4 August 2023.
  20. ^ Beth-Addai, Yacoub. "Rayan al-Kildani Faces Election Backlash in the Months After Wedding Hall Fire". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  21. ^ Beth-Addai, Yacoub. "Nineveh Plains Christians Defend Against the Babiliyoun Militia". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  22. ^ Gavlak, Dale. "Iran-linked militia leader wresting control of Iraq's Ninevah Plains after IS defeat". VOA News. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
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