Believers in the Mandean faith reside largely in Iraq and Iran. Following the breakdown of law in post-invasion Iraq, many have been fleeing the country to avoid persecution.
Mandeans, described in this Wikipedia article, are the last remaining gnostics. They believe John the Baptist is a great prophet, but do not believe in Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. They number in the tens of thousands, and now face great danger in Iraq:
Mandeans have traditionally been protected under Islamic law, as believers in one god - like Jews and Christians.
But since the war in Iraq, they have found themselves targeted by Sunni and Shia Islamic extremists, and by criminal gangs who use religion to justify their attacks.
One leaflet which Mandeans said had been distributed to homes in Baghdad gave this warning to both them and Christians (who form another of Iraq's minorities):
"Either you embrace Islam and enjoy safety and coexist amongst us, or leave our land and stop toying with our principles. Otherwise, the sword will be the judge between belief and blasphemy."
Right there is the value of civil society, defined by its absence.