Mandeyānā Factbook (ESR) Under Construction
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The Theocratic Republic of Mandeyānā
Motto: Live for the Creator. Die for the Creator.
Head Of State: Supreme Leader Umar al-Izirti
Head Of Government: The Mandeyānā Theocratic Council
Government Type: Strict Mandaeist Theocracy
Official Language: Mandaic; the majority of the population is also fluent in Arabic and/or Farsi. Turkic dialects are also spoken heavily in some regions.
Major Religions: Mandaeism is official religion, legal status granted to most religions, with governmental representation of many Druze faiths as well. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are considered illegal, though it is estimated there is a sizable minority practicing these faiths.
Capital City: Ashgabat
Population Groups: 53% Arab (including Afghani/Uzbek), 28% Turkic, 18% Druze.
Population: Approximately 68,000,000
GDP: $450,000,000,000
GDP Per Capita: $6,617.64
Currency: Dhinar
Historic Overview
The Mandeyānā people have had a long, and often bloody history at the hands of foreigners, but it is in this that they take the greatest of pride. The Mandeyānā attribute their religion of Mandaeism as the purest and truest of all religions on earth, having been passed down from Adam, the first man, to his children, then through Noah and his chosen sons directly to the modern people. Mandaeism views Abraham, Muhammed, and Jesus all as false prophets, believing them to have twisted the words of the True Prohpets, the last and greatest of which was John the Baptist.
Mandaeism is an extremely dualistic faith, related closely to Manicheism and Druze religions of the Middle East; and because of their cultural differences and refusal to ascribe to any of the three major Monotheistic religions of the Middle East, the Mandeyānā were often persecuted by their neighbors. For many centuries, the Mandeyānā and Druze were forced to practice their religion in secret. The height of their persecution happened while their lands were controlled by the Ottoman Empire - an Empire which was fairly tolerant of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, but not of members of their faiths. Under the decree of the Ottoman Empire, all followers of "strange" religions were to be relocated to the eastern portion of the Empire, fearing that they would sympathize with and aid the Empire's European enemies.
Here in the East, the Mandeyānā and Druze were subjected to some of the most brutal conditions imaginable, over two million were systematically murdered and worked to death in a group of concentration camps concentrated in the Eastern Ottoman Empire, simply for staying committed to their own faiths. Near the end of WWI, however, with some degree of Allied support, the Mandeyānā and Druze started a rebellion in the East, overthrowing the Ottoman soldiers stationed there and forming their own nation in 1918.
Almost overnight, the nation was changed, as nationalist Mandeyānā and Druze went on a rampage of looting and destroying every mosque, church, and synagouge they could find, the few Ottomans still stationed there fleeing back to the West. Though there were some differences in their theology, the Mandeyānā and Druze remained on friendly terms; the government quickly became dominated by the Mandaeist Theological Council, but the Druze were allowed full freedom to practice their own religion as they saw fit - as in the Mandeyānās' minds, the Druze had shared in both their sufferings and triumphs together, and thus must be equally favored by the Creator.
In the years to follow, most world religions were legalized by the Council to practice - with three very notable exceptions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Not only did the Mandaeist Scriptures declare these religions were founded by false prophets who served an evil deity, but members practicing these religions had directly oppressed the Mandeyānā and Druze peoples for centuries.
Stationed between East Asia, and the mainly-Muslim Middle East to the west, The Theocratic Republic of Mandeyānā has traditionally aligned itself far more friendly with its neighbors to its east, seeing no reason for antipathy towards them, and trading quite freely excess oil reserves in return for the far more abundant food grown there.
Government
Government Type: Mandaeic Theocracy
Federal Government Branches: The Mandeyānā Theocratic Council, The Supreme Judicial Council.
The Mandeyānā Theocratic Council: A twenty-seven member Council that is head of both the Mandeyānā faith, and the nation as a whole. By tradition the names and identities of Council members are kept secret. Council members serve for life. In the event of the death of a Council member, the Council itself elects a new one. In the event of a tie, the Supreme Leader gets a vote to break it.
The Mandeyānā Theocratic Council votes on matters of national policy and religion almost interchangeably. In progressive years, they have been increasingly more tolerant towards members of non-Mandeyānā/Druze faiths, so long as they are not Abrahamic in nature, granting them full rights of citizenship and religious freedoms.
Though Mandaeist Faith is a requirement for being selected to the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council, there is a similar Druze Ministerial Council, selected by members of the Druze community. While the Druze Ministerial Council has no de facto power, it votes on issues it feels are critical to the welfare of the Druze community, and presents them to the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council. Traditionally, the two have had a very friendly relationship, and Druze bills pass almost by default. Other non-Abrahamic religions or interests groups are free to form their own Councils and submit bills to the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council. This is their closest equivalent to "political parties".
As the members are the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council are forbidden by faith and tradition from declaring their identities, they elect a Supreme Leader as their representative every 8 years. Aside from having a deciding vote in cases of a tie in election of a new Council Member, the Supreme Leader has little true power, but is generally just a figurehead. All state governors must be approved by the Supreme Leader, however.
The Supreme Judicial Council: A thirteen member Council whose role is to interpret the constitutionality and Mandeyānā Orthodoxy (which more or less are identical) of all laws, reviewing and confirming the decisions of the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council. In this role, their duties are essentially ceremonial, as the constitution and Mandeyānā Orthodoxy are written and amended directly by the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council.
They are also the highest court to which any case, civil or criminal in nature, may be appealed to. Members of the Supreme Judicial Council are chosen by the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council and serve for life. When one or more members die, new ones are simply chosen by the Theocratic Council to replace them.
Number of States: 39
State Governmental Branches: Executive, Legislative, Judicial.
Executive: Each state has its own governor, elected by popular vote by all eligible. In most states the law stipulates that to be a candidate for governor, one must be of Mandaeist and/or Druze faith, but there is some variance between them; though obviously those of Abrahamic faith are barred in all states. The governor's duties are primarily to provide order in his state, and submit an annual report to the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council for purpose of resource allocation in the following financial year. The governor has veto power over any state legislation passed in his state. The state's Legislative Council can overwrite this veto only with a 2/3 vote in favor of the bill.
Legislative: Each state has its own Legislative Council; members are elected locally from each of many smaller regions within each state. There are no religious stipulations on who can run for their state's Legislative Council (barring of course members of Abrahamic Faiths). The Legislative Council writes bills relating to state matters, passing them with a majority vote, and overwriting a veto with a 2/3 vote.
Judicial: Each state has its own Judicial Council, its members nominated by the state's Legislative Council and approved by the Supreme Judicial Council. Members confirm the constitutionality of state laws that have been approved by the Executive or overwritten through a 2/3 vote in the Legislative Council.
Political Parties: Non-existent in traditional form, however, there are several large independent Councils representing different religious and/or ideological groups whose bills are entertained by the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council.
The Druze Ministerial Council (DMC): The oldest and most renowned of these Councils, the DMC has the closest ties of any such Council to the Mandeyānā Theocratic Council. The DMC consists of 100 members, consisting of 2 seats for every one of the "50 cultural zones" designated by the DMC. All adult members of the Druze faith are by default eligible to vote and run for positions of Representatives on the DMC.
The Native Mandeyānān Council (NMC): Another prominent independent Council, in all technicality, a coalition of several earlier Councils, in this case representing the interests of the non-Arab peoples native to the land that is now Mandeyānā. The NMC consists of 117 members (3 from each state). All adult members of non-Arab people groups are by default given a vote, unless registered with another Council.
The East Asian Council (EAC): Non-existent in the early history of Mandeyānā, in recent years, with growing relations with Eastern Asia, this Council has become quite prominent as well. Representing minority members both of East Asian descent in the region, and of East Asian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Jainism, Shihkism, and several smaller religions), anyone falling into any before stated category, of adult age is eligible to vote for Representatives and are eligible to run for the said positions. The EAC consists of 78 members, 2 from each state.
The Mandeyānā Socialist Council (MSC): The most powerful purely political Council, the MSC has a relative monopoly in Mandeyānā. As Mandaeism teaches its followers to share their resources collectively, yet honors those that work diligently, the MSC seems to be most favorable according to this doctrine. The MSC consists of 79 members, 2 from each state, and one elected nationally. Any adult can apply to vote for members of the MSC, so long as they did not actively participate in another Council's elections that voting year.