| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 50,000–200,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Basra, Baghdad and Nasiriya[2] | |
| Languages | |
| Domari[3] andGilit Mesopotamian Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (Shia and Sunni)[1] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Doms in Syria |
TheKawliya,Qawliya orAwaz,Keche-Hjälp (Arabic:كاولية or كاولي), also known asZott andGhorbati (known in English asGypsies), is a community inIraq ofIndian origin, estimated to number over 60,000 people. Today, they speak mostlyArabic, while theirethnolect is a mixture ofPersian,Kurdish andTurkish, which is only spoken by the older generations. The largest tribes are the Bu-Baroud, Bu-Swailem, Bu-Helio, Bu-Dakhil, Bu-Akkar, Bu-Murad, Bu-Thanio, Bu-Shati, Al-Farahedah, Al-Mtairat, Bu-Khuzam, Bu-Abd, Bu-Nasif, Bu-Delli and Al-Nawar. Their main occupation is entertainment, and also small trades.
The Kawliya migrated fromIndia approximately 1,000 years ago.
Kawliya is also the name of a former village in theAl-Qādisiyyah Governorate nearAl Diwaniyah, located about 100 miles southeast ofBaghdad, where they live.[4]
Iraqi Roma predominantly reside in remote villages in southern Iraq, particularly in Al-Qadissiya governorate, in addition to the surrounding areas of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul. Despite the fact that most Romani people in Iraq belong to the Shi’a or Sunni Muslim faith, they face persecution from Islamist militias due to their customary roles asperformers.[5] In the 1970s, the Ba'ath government led by Saddam Hussein offered them citizenship and nationality. During this period, they worked as dancers, singers and artists, which was well known.[6]
