Shabakism

Shabaks are a group whose ethnic origin is disputed. Some Shabaks identify themselves as a distinct ethnic group and others as ethnic Kurds. Shabak cultural traditions, however, are different from those of the Kurds and Arabs. They speak Shabaki and live in a religious community in the Nineveh Plains. The Shabak have always been regarded as a lower class people in Iraq, subject to discrimination from Iraqi authorities and from the Kurds they dwell among. Orthodox Sufis condemn Shabaks for not fasting, praying, or performing pilgrimage, and for engaging in activities like alcohol consumption as part of their beliefs. The ancestors of Shabaks were followers of the Safaviyya order, founded by the Kurdish mystic Safi-ad-din Ardabili in the early 14th century. The primary Shabak religious text is called the Buyruk or Kitab al-Manaqib (Book of Exemplary Acts), which is written in the Iraqi Turkmen Turkish language. Shabaks regard themselves as Shia Muslims. About 70% are Twelver Shia Muslims, and the balance are Sunni Muslims, primarily Shafi'i (like the Kurds) and a smaller portion Hanafi (like Sunni Arabs). Shabaks combine elements of Sufism with their own concept of divine reality which they beleive is more advanced than descriptions drawn from a literal interpretation of the Qur'an. Shabak spiritual guides are known as pirs, who are well versed in the prayers and rituals of the sect. Pirs are under the leadership of the Supreme Head or Baba. Pirs serve as mediators between divine power and ordinary Shabaks. Shabaks also consider the poetry of Ismail I to be revealed by Allah, and they recite Ismail's poetry during religious meetings. Ismail I, also known as Shah Ismail,  was the founder of the enduring Safavid dynasty of Iran. Ismail I was also a prolific poet who under the pen name Khaṭāʾī (in Arabic, "the wrongful") contributed greatly to the literary development of the Azerbaijani language. Most of the poems are concerned with love, particularly love of the mystical Sufi kind, but there are also poems propagating Shia doctrine.