(30 Aug 2019) Followers of the obscure and ancient Mandaean faith have gathered for their first baptism ceremony in several months.
As a fairly new community in Jordan and refugees from Iraq, they suffer from societal alienation due to both their refugee status and not being recognised as a legitimate religion by the Hashemite Kingdom.
The water is ready for the day's rituals.
At a private farm in an undisclosed location south of Amman, coordinator Sameer Saddam Saif arrives with a small group of young men to perform a baptism.
The pond is a key aspect of Sabian Mandaean customs.
Sameer explains that all Mandaean rituals are performed in running water - the faith holds that only flowing water can baptise the faithful, and that it should be clear, pure and fit for human consumption.
Sabian Mandaeans have struggled to preserve their culture since fleeing Iraq.
They have also struggled to access regular work and schooling.
"Recently a problem arose that the school does not accept students if they do not have residency," he explains.
"Of course, you know that the majority of us are under the protection of UNHCR Refugee Affairs - we don't have residency," he says.
"If we don't have residency, our children cannot attend the school, so this is the only problem we have in Jordan."
Until 2003, nearly all the world's Mandaeans lived in Iraq, but the cycles of conflict since the US invasion have driven minorities out of the country for security reasons and economic opportunity.
Though the baptism would normally be performed every Sunday in the community's home country, the Sabian refugees face major obstacles in Jordan.
Firstly, the geographical makeup of southern Iraq, and the Shatt al-Arab waterway supports Mandaean practices like baptism more readily.
Jordan's available water sources for such rituals are much scarcer.
Secondly, the religion is not known in Jordan.
"The government does not admit us as a religion, just Islam, Christianity and Judaism," explains Ashkandar Abu Ram, who is assisting with the ceremony.
"We were baptising in Wadi Shoaib, but they were scared of us because society does not know about us, the Saabians, as a religion," he explains.
The community is reliant upon permission given to them by owners of private property, as well as the arrangement of a Sabian religious leader who can officiate at weddings and other ceremonies.
The nearest religious leaders live in Iraq or Turkey.
""The Jordanian government banned us from practising baptism in Wadi Shoaib," explains Abu Ram.
"We came here to this farm, this private farm - here there are small ponds."
The relocation process for refugees in Jordan is notoriously slow - it can be years between each bureaucratic step.
Baptism participant Azeer Ahmad says they are very much outsiders here.
"We are not acclimated in Jordan, they don't know our traditions, they consider us as strangers. They think of us as something different from them," he says.
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