Demographics of Iraq
97% of Iraqis follow Islam: 61% Shia and 34% Sunni. 1% of these describe themselves as "Just a Muslim". According to the CIA Factbook, Shias make up 60% of population, while Sunnis 35%. Christianity accounts for 5%, and the rest practice Mandaeism, Yazidism and other religions.
Sectarian violence in Iraq
Between October 2003 and March 2005 alone, 36% of the 700,000 Iraqis who fled to Syria were Assyrians and other Iraqi Christians, judging from a sample of those registering for asylum on political or religious grounds. Furthermore, the small Mandaean and Yazidi communities are at the risk of elimination due to ethnic cleansing by Islamist extremists.