Ethnic cleansing in Iraq, particularly against the Sunni Arab population, became a significant issue in the years following the 2003 U.S. invasion and especially during the sectarian civil war (2006–2008). The breakdown of the state, the rise of militias, and the political vacuum created an environment where Sunni communities were subjected to violence, forced displacement, and other forms of persecution.
Here are key aspects of the ethnic cleansing faced by Sunni Arabs in Iraq:
1. Rise of Sectarian Violence (2006–2008)
After the 2003 invasion, Iraq's political landscape shifted dramatically. The Shiite-dominated government under Nouri al-Maliki and the rise of Shiite militias like Mahdi Army (led by Muqtada al-Sadr) escalated tensions.
Sunnis, especially in mixed cities like Baghdad, Anbar, and Diyala, found themselves marginalized, accused of supporting Saddam Hussein’s regime, and perceived as enemies by many Shia militias.
The bombing of the Al-Askari shrine in Samarra in 2006 triggered large-scale sectarian violence, with Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad and other cities being attacked by Shiite militias.
Sunni homes were burned down.
Sunni families were killed or forced to flee their homes.
Entire Sunni villages were depopulated as militias targeted them for their perceived allegiance to Saddam Hussein’s regime or support of insurgent groups.
2. Forced Displacement of Sunnis
As sectarian violence escalated, Sunnis were pushed out of Shiite-majority areas and vice versa. Many Sunni communities in Baghdad, Diyala, and Basra became victims of ethnic cleansing.
Thousands of Sunnis were forced to flee their homes to Sunni-majority areas like Anbar, or across the border to Syria and Jordan.
In some cases, Sunnis were given an ultimatum: leave or face death.
Families had their properties looted and destroyed, and many faced targeted killings.
3. Attacks by Shiite Militias
Militant groups loyal to Iran or the Shia-led government were often accused of participating in these sectarian crimes.
Badr Organization, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and other Iran-aligned groups were linked to attacks on Sunni areas and civilians.
Sunnis were targeted for assassination, abduction, and torture by these militias.
Reports from human rights organizations describe "death squads" operating under the cover of government forces, with Sunnis being arrested and disappeared.
4. The Role of Al-Qaeda and the Rise of ISIS
The rise of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), which later morphed into ISIS, added to the suffering of Sunnis.
ISIS used the sectarian violence as an opportunity to take control of Sunni-majority areas like Mosul, Ramadi, and Tikrit, but its rule brought its own forms of terror, often alienating Sunnis through extreme violence and brutal tactics.
Sunnis were caught between the brutality of Shiite militias and the extremism of ISIS.
5. Systemic Discrimination After 2003
After the fall of Saddam Hussein, Sunni Arabs found themselves excluded from key positions in the new government, which was dominated by Shiite political parties and Kurdish factions.
The de-Ba'athification policy removed many Sunni professionals and officials from their posts.
Sunnis were increasingly marginalized politically, economically, and socially, which led to anger and frustration.
Sunnis in the military and security services were often purged or left vulnerable, adding to the sense of injustice.
6. Samarra Massacre (2014):
During the peak of sectarian violence in Iraq, Saraya al-Salam (which evolved from the Mahdi Army) was implicated in a series of atrocities, including mass executions and targeted killings of Sunnis in areas under their control, such as Samarra.
Though officially denied, reports from various human rights organizations indicated that Saraya al-Salam, under the leadership of Muqtada al-Sadr, engaged in violent reprisals against Sunni civilians, contributing to the displacement of thousands.
7. 2015 Samarra Kidnapping of Activists:
In 2015, multiple human rights activists and journalists critical of the Saraya al-Salam militia were kidnapped, particularly those who attempted to expose militia crimes in Samarra. Some activists reportedly were detained by the militia for speaking out against militia control in the city, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
8. Ongoing Violence and Displacement
Even after the decline of ISIS in 2017, Sunnis continue to suffer from the legacy of sectarianism.
Sunnis are still excluded from many political processes, while militias aligned with the Iraqi government continue to operate with impunity.
Sunni-majority areas still struggle to recover, facing lack of reconstruction, displacement, and economic hardship.
The perpetrators of sectarian violence often have not been held accountable, which has left deep scars in communities.
9.
Shafaq News reported on Wednesday that a source within the Iraqi police confirmed the killing of at least six family members by gunmen disguised in military uniforms in the Samarra district of Salah al-Din Governorate.
According to the source, gunmen wearing military uniforms opened fire on six people from the same family after breaking into their home in the Al-Abbasiya area of Samarra, resulting in their immediate deaths. The attackers then fled to an unknown location.
The victims included five siblings (four males and one female) and their mother. The details of the victims are as follows:
(A, J, A, M) born in 2006,
(Y, J, A, M) born in 2010,
(M, J, A, M) born in 2008,
(H, J, A, M) born in 2014,
(N, J, A, M) born in 2015, and their mother (R, A, H, K), born in 1988.
The security forces are continuing their search for the perpetrators, and the crime is being investigated as a criminal act.
In response to the tragedy, Interior Ministry spokesperson and Security Media Cell spokesman, Major General Muqdad Meiri, announced that Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari had instructed the formation of an investigative committee headed by the Ministry's Deputy for Police Affairs to investigate the circumstances surrounding the massacre of the entire family in Samarra. The committee has already begun its work.
The Security Media Cell also issued a statement indicating that important leads have been uncovered in the case, and several suspects have been arrested in connection to the crime, which preliminary information suggests was criminal in nature.
The statement confirmed that investigations are ongoing to reach the final conclusions and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Additionally, an Iraqi security source told Shafaq News that three individuals suspected of being involved in the family’s murder in Samarra had been arrested. The arrests occurred on the outskirts of Samarra district.
10.
The residents of Samarra, a predominantly Sunni city, have expressed concerns about the systematic demographic change that certain influential sectarian groups are attempting to implement in order to turn the city into a new religious center for Shia Muslims in Iraq. These groups have been using the Shia families who have recently moved to the city, particularly those involved in raising buffaloes, to carry out this agenda.
Key Developments in Samarra:
Demographic Change and Sectarian Division
Samarra has been experiencing a systematic demographic change and sectarian division, largely driven by Iran and its affiliates. There is growing fear among Sunni residents that these changes are part of a broader plan to shift the sectarian balance in the city, transforming it into a new religious center for the Shia.
Relocation of Shia Families
The Salah al-Din Provincial Council has recently decided to relocate Shia families from Samarra, Tal al-Dhahab, Sayed Ghareeb, and Dujail—areas located north of Baghdad. These families had moved to the area in 2014, under the pretext of water shortages in the Marshes of southern Iraq. However, the local Sunni population views this as an attempt to change the city's sectarian makeup.
Council Decision
The council has voted to confiscate livestock that roams within cities or along their outskirts, imposing fines on livestock owners who cause traffic accidents. The decision also instructed the Samarra Operations Command and all security agencies to implement the directive, beginning immediately.
Concerns Over Sectarian Manipulation
While the official justification for the relocation is the environmental damage caused by the buffalo herders, Sunni residents fear that this move is part of a broader sectarian manipulation, aiming to alter the demographic composition of Samarra, a city that has long been a Sunni stronghold.
11. Fear of Displacement
The local Sunni population in Samarra fears that the city's transformation could follow the pattern of other provinces, like Diyala and Nineveh, where Shia militias used the fight against ISIS as a pretext to displace Sunni residents, leaving behind a sectarian divide.
Political and Sectarian Tensions
Despite official denials from Shia officials in the Iraqi government regarding any plans to alter the demographic makeup, the ongoing challenges in Samarra—such as the inability of Sunni residents to return after the defeat of ISIS—suggest that efforts are being made to settle Shia families in the area.
Judicial Actions
In January, Ahmad Abdul-Jabbar al-Karim, the head of the Salah al-Din Provincial Council, filed a lawsuit against the head of the Shia Endowment and the Military Shrine of Samarra (the Imams Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari shrines) for damages caused by the closure of shops and roads, which led to financial losses for local Sunni families. He claimed that the actions of the Shia authorities had caused considerable harm to the residents of Samarra.
التطهير العرقي في العراق، وخاصة ضد السكان العرب السنّة، أصبح قضية بارزة في السنوات التي تلت الغزو الأميركي عام 2003، وبلغ ذروته خلال الحرب الأهلية الطائفية بين عامي 2006 و2008. أدى انهيار الدولة، وصعود الميليشيات، والفراغ السياسي إلى خلق بيئة عُرضت فيها المجتمعات السنية للعنف والتهجير القسري وأشكال متعددة من الاضطهاد.
إليك أبرز جوانب التطهير العرقي الذي تعرض له العرب السنّة في العراق:
١. تصاعد العنف الطائفي (2006–2008)
بعد غزو العراق عام 2003، شهد المشهد السياسي العراقي تحولاً جذرياً. أصبحت الحكومة تحت سيطرة الأغلبية الشيعية بقيادة نوري المالكي، وظهرت ميليشيات شيعية قوية مثل جيش المهدي بقيادة مقتدى الصدر، مما زاد من حدة التوترات الطائفية.
أصبح السنّة، خصوصاً في المدن المختلطة مثل بغداد والأنبار وديالى، مهمشين سياسياً وأمنياً، واتُّهموا بدعم نظام صدام حسين، واعتُبروا أعداء من قبل العديد من الميليشيات الشيعية.
فجّر تفجير مرقد الإمامين العسكريين في سامراء عام 2006 موجة عنف طائفي واسعة.
تعرضت أحياء سنية في بغداد ومدن أخرى لهجمات من قبل ميليشيات شيعية.
تم إحراق منازل السنة وقتل أو تهجير عائلات بأكملها.
أُفرغت قرى سنية بالكامل بسبب استهداف سكانها على خلفية مزاعم دعمهم للنظام السابق أو الجماعات المسلحة.
٢. التهجير القسري للعرب السنّة
مع تصاعد العنف الطائفي، تم دفع السكان السنّة للخروج من المناطق ذات الأغلبية الشيعية، والعكس صحيح.
أصبحت مجتمعات سنية في بغداد وديالى والبصرة ضحايا لعمليات تطهير عرقي منظمة.
أُجبر آلاف السنّة على الفرار إلى مناطق سنية مثل الأنبار أو إلى خارج البلاد (سوريا، الأردن).
في بعض الحالات، تم تهديد العائلات السنية: "إما أن ترحلوا أو تُقتَلوا".
تم نهب وتدمير ممتلكات كثيرة، وتعرض العديد منهم للقتل المستهدف.
٣. هجمات من قبل الميليشيات الشيعية
اتُهمت ميليشيات مرتبطة بإيران أو بالحكومة العراقية ذات القيادة الشيعية بتنفيذ جرائم طائفية ضد السنّة.
ميليشيات مثل منظمة بدر وعصائب أهل الحق ارتبطت مباشرة بهجمات على مناطق سنية ومدنيين.
تعرض السنّة لعمليات اغتيال وخطف وتعذيب على يد هذه الجماعات المسلحة.
وثقت منظمات حقوق الإنسان وجود "فرق موت" تعمل تحت غطاء قوات أمنية حكومية، حيث تم اعتقال وإخفاء العديد من المواطنين السنّة دون محاكمة أو معلومات عن مصيرهم.
٤. دور القاعدة وصعود داعش
أدى صعود تنظيم القاعدة في العراق (AQI)، والذي تحول لاحقًا إلى تنظيم داعش، إلى تفاقم معاناة السنّة.
استغل داعش العنف الطائفي للسيطرة على مناطق ذات أغلبية سنّية مثل الموصل، والرمادي، وتكريت، لكن حكمه جلب معه الرعب، من خلال ممارساته الوحشية التي نفرت حتى المجتمعات السنّية.
وجد السنّة أنفسهم عالقين بين وحشية الميليشيات الشيعية وتطرف داعش.
٥. التمييز الممنهج بعد عام 2003
بعد سقوط نظام صدام حسين، تم تهميش العرب السنّة من مواقع القرار في الحكومة الجديدة التي سيطرت عليها الأحزاب الشيعية والفصائل الكردية.
سياسة "اجتثاث البعث" أزاحت آلاف المهنيين والمسؤولين السنّة من وظائفهم.
تزايد التهميش السياسي والاقتصادي والاجتماعي للسنّة، مما أدى إلى شعور بالغضب والإحباط.
تم طرد العديد من الضباط السنّة من الأجهزة الأمنية والعسكرية، أو تُركوا دون حماية، مما زاد الإحساس بالظلم.
٦. مجزرة سامراء (2014)
في ذروة العنف الطائفي، تم اتهام سرايا السلام (التي تطورت من جيش المهدي) بارتكاب جرائم كبرى، من بينها الإعدامات الجماعية والاغتيالات بحق السنّة في مناطق تحت سيطرتهم مثل سامراء.
ورغم نفي ذلك رسميًا، إلا أن تقارير من منظمات حقوق الإنسان تشير إلى أن سرايا السلام بقيادة مقتدى الصدر مارست أعمال انتقامية عنيفة ضد المدنيين السنّة، مما تسبب في تهجير آلاف العائلات.
٧. اختطاف ناشطين في سامراء (2015)
في عام 2015، تم اختطاف العديد من الناشطين الحقوقيين والصحفيين الذين انتقدوا ميليشيا سرايا السلام، لا سيما أولئك الذين حاولوا كشف انتهاكات الميليشيا في سامراء.
تفيد التقارير أن بعض هؤلاء النشطاء احتُجزوا من قبل الميليشيا بسبب انتقاداتهم للسيطرة المسلحة في المدينة، ولا يزال مصير البعض منهم مجهولًا حتى اليوم.
٨. العنف المستمر والتهجير
رغم هزيمة داعش في 2017، لا يزال السنّة يعانون من آثار الطائفية.
ما زالوا مهمّشين عن المشاركة السياسية، وتواصل الميليشيات المرتبطة بالحكومة العمل دون محاسبة.
تعاني المناطق ذات الأغلبية السنّية من ضعف في إعادة الإعمار، وانتشار البطالة، واستمرار النزوح.
لم تتم محاسبة أغلب مرتكبي الجرائم الطائفية، مما ترك جروحًا عميقة في تلك المجتمعات.
٩. مجزرة عائلة في سامراء (2024)
ذكرت وكالة شفق نيوز أن مصدرًا في الشرطة العراقية أكد مقتل ستة أفراد من عائلة واحدة على يد مسلحين يرتدون زيًا عسكريًا في منطقة العباسية بسامراء.
اقتحم المسلحون المنزل وأطلقوا النار على العائلة، ما أدى إلى مقتلهم على الفور، ثم لاذوا بالفرار.
الضحايا هم:
أربعة إخوة وأختهم:
(أ.ج.ع.م) من مواليد 2006
(ي.ج.ع.م) من مواليد 2010
(م.ج.ع.م) من مواليد 2008
(ح.ج.ع.م) من مواليد 2014
(ن.ج.ع.م) من مواليد 2015
والدتهم: (ر.ع.ه.ك) من مواليد 1988
أعلنت وزارة الداخلية تشكيل لجنة تحقيقية برئاسة وكيل الوزارة لشؤون الشرطة، كما تم اعتقال عدة مشتبه بهم على أطراف مدينة سامراء. التحقيقات لا تزال جارية.