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The Holy Koran, Sura 11/62:
Those who believe (in the Qur-an), / And those
who follow the Jew ish (scriptures), / And the
Christians and the Sabians^ - / Any who believe in
God / And the Last Day / And work righteousness
/ Shall have their reward / With their Lord: on
them / Shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
This photograph shows the religious community o f the Sabians
at a baptism on the Tigris. The Koran mentions the Sabians four
times. The Jews and Christians are also "People o f the Book"
according to Mohammed and have always been respected as
such by Islam.
Following the conquest o f eastern Anatolia by the Arabs, the
Caliphs of Damascus became the masters of the Armenians.
Photo: the Omaijad Mosque in Damascus.
The "devil worshippers" who have their places of worship in
the mountains o f eastern Anatolia and in the Zagros Mountains
o f Iraq were one of the most remarkable religious communities
o f the Ottoman Empire. Their cult, which has many shamanis-
tic elements, combines aspects o f Christianity, Judaism, Islam,
and Zoroastrianism. Although they could hardly be called
"People of the Book" in the sense intended in the Koran, they
have managed to preserve their peculiar character through all
the vicissitudes of history.
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