Salwan Alkhamas
Ganzibra Salwan Alkhamas (الكنزبرا سلوان الخماس) is an Iraqi-Swedish Mandaean priest.
Early life and education
He was born on March 27, 1970 in Basra Governorate, Iraq. He completed his primary and middle school studies in Basra Governorate, then moved to Baghdad during the Iran-Iraq War with his family in 1986, when his father, Shakir Abdul Karim Alkhamas, died. In the same year, he completed his preparatory studies, the scientific branch, in Baghdad, then moved again to his hometown to complete his university studies, where he studied at the College of Administration and Economics, Department of Accounting.
Career
Iraq
When he moved to Baghdad in 1986, he studied religiously at the hands of his paternal grandfather, Maksar Shafaf, and his grandfather, Yusuf Khassaf. After that, he entered the first religious educational courses in the Sabian-Mandaean Mandi in Baghdad, and on November 11, 1989, he was consecrated as a priest with the rank of Tarmida, initiated by Ganzibra Abdullah bar Ganzibra Nejm.
After completing his priestly initiation, which lasted for 180 days, in 1990 he was appointed as a Mandaean priest in Basra Governorate, which did not have any Mandaean priests at the time. In 1991, he became head of the Spiritual Council in Basra Governorate.
He had distinguished relationships with all official and religious institutions in the governorate, which invested in developing the Mandaean mandi and the institutions of the Spiritual Council.
During his presidency of the Spiritual Council and through his distinguished relationships, he obtained a plot of land for the Mandaean mandi there with an area of 2,000 square meters, and implemented the first Mandaean investment project, represented by building a store complex in the Mandaean cemetery in the 5-mile area.
In 1995, he moved to Baghdad, and worked as secretary of the General Spiritual Council in Iraq, and head of the religious committee for Mandaean youth affiliated with the Spiritual Council. He was a lecturer at the Mandaean school, founded *Himnutha* magazine and became its first editor-in-chief.
Sweden
In 1998, he moved to Stockholm, Sweden, at the request of the Mandaean community in Sweden, as there were no Mandaean priests in Sweden at the time. Since his arrival, he has established the first Mandaean religious association in Sweden (Mandeiska församlingens i Sverige) with a group of Mandaeans. In 1999, he registered the association. With many religions, as well as Swedish official organizations, these relationships resulted in establishing the first Mandaean mandi (temple) in Sweden and Europe, in the city of Sandviken, West Reykland province, Sweden.
In 2010, he attained the rank of Ganzibra (bishop) and became president of the Sabian-Mandaean Council in Sweden. In 2012, he became the Mandaean head priest (Rishama) in Sweden and Finland and head of the Board of Directors and the Spiritual Council.
Between 2010 and 2020, during his presidency of the religion in Sweden and Finland, the religion had 10 sub-councils affiliated with the Mandaean association in Sweden and Finland, distributed among the Swedish cities of Stockholm, Sandviken, Västerås, Eskilstuna, Halsbær, Yittburri, Osby, Landskrona, Lund, and also in Finland. There are four mandis (houses of worship).
Ganzibra Salwan Alkhamas initiated four priests from 1989 to 2020, namely Tarmida Majid Dakhil, Tarmida Asaad Dakhil, Tarmida Maksim Al-Saeedi, and Tarmida Thamir Jabbar Shamkhi.
Ganzibra Salwan Alkhamas was married to Mona Atshan Bakhash, who died in a traffic accident in 2008. He had five children with her, two daughters, Ezlat and Erhimat, and three sons, Shishlam, Yawar Ziwa, and Anush Uthra. Eight years later, he married Sharat Jizan, with whom he has a daughter named Helena.
Ganzibra Salwan Alkhamas works at the headquarters of the Mandaean Administrative Council in Södertälje, Sweden.
