Three masked gunmen shot attacked Ashura commemoration in a Shia mosque in al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. According to witnesses, gunmen opened fire on crowed leaving the commemoration in the village of al-Dalwa that killed 5 and injured nine. Shia Muslims are currently commemorating Ashura. The Ashura commemorations mark the killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, by the army of the Caliph Yazid in 680 AD. Shia Muslims wear black and commemorate to honor all violence victims and advocate for peace.
Shia Muslims in Saudi have always been attacked and threatened by their government. This minority that makes up to 20% of the population are treated as second class citizen.
Although Shia have always faced oppression and discriminations Monday’s shooting was the first direct assault against them by unknown gunmen.
Update:
November 6, 2014
The death toll increased to eight Shia Muslims as some of the injured died. So far seven people have died due to shooting in front of the Shia Islamic Center and one was found shot and dead in his car in a neighboring village. Number of children and teenagers are among the victims.
Number of Saudi clerics, have motivated Shia rights violations by their hate speeches. The Saudi government did not condemn any of such actions, instead fed the violations by arresting number of Shia influential leaders and peaceful activists such as Sheikh Nimir and sentencing him to death.
The recent shooting could be the result of the government’s public humiliation and oppression of Saudi Shia population, therefore this government is responsible for all violations towards this population. In order to stop and prevent such violations the Saudi government must protect the rights of Shia Muslims and also treat them as rightful citizens with respect to their religious belief and practices says director of SRW, Musltafa Akhwand.
