March 5, 2021 As the Pope is set to visit Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Saturday, the Department of Defense’s Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and spokesman, John Kirby makes an Anti-Shia and xenophobic statement that has outraged religious and minority rights activists. In the Pentagon …
Read More »Incidents of Anti-Shiism, October 2020
Anti-Shiism, the targeting of Shia Muslims on the basis of their faith raves across international borders. In the month of October, Anti-Shiism in the forms of discrimination, persecution, and violence were reported in the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Shia Rights Watch notes that incidents of …
Read More »Incidents of Anti-Shiism, August 2020
In August 2020, Shia Muslims faced a total of 356 incidents of anti-Shiism. As a result of violence, 112 individuals were injured, 37 killed, based on their faith. Shia Rights Watch notes the recorded incidents are only cases of direct violence. Cultural and systemic forms of anti-Shiism cannot be quantified …
Read More »Anti-Shia protests in Karachi, Pakistan
Shia Rights Watch expresses immense concern in regards to recent anti-Shia protests in Karachi, Pakistan. Within the rally, affiliates of Sipah-e-Sahaba and Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan waved flags and shout derogatory slurs against Shia Muslims, calling them “infidels” and damaging not only identified Shia property but also the city’s public infrastructures. …
Read More »Bahrain’s Counterproductive Covid-19 Measures
Shia Rights Watch raises concerns for the state of human rights in the Holy Month of Muharram. In advance of the Holy Month, Bahraini authorities announced restrictive measures in religious congregation and public organizations expressing Muharram commemorations. Prominent organizers of mourning rituals have been summoned and threatened with detention. Some …
Read More »Muharram 2020 Advisory
Late August 2020 coincides with the Holy month of Muharram. Shia Muslims face heightened rates of human rights violations in this month as their open and visible rituals make them targets for anti-Shiism. In advance of Muharram 2020, threats of arrest and detainment of mourners have been announced by authorities …
Read More »Incidents of Anti-Shiism, July 2020
The month of July stood witness to 406 individual incidents of violence, mainly in the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq. Shia Rights Watch emphasizes that reports of anti-Shiism serve as the tip of the iceberg. Many cases of Anti-Shiism are not reported due to fear of …
Read More »Anti-Shiism Hinders the Combat of Coronavirus in Pakistan
While the world struggles to combat the novel Coronavirus, Anti-Shiism in Pakistan quells life-saving efforts. On June 17th, the family of a Coronavirus patient in critical condition reached out to the community in search of a recovered Coronavirus patient to donate blood plasma with antibodies. With much effort, a donor …
Read More »June 12, International Shia Day
June 12 marks International Shia Day, a day dedicated to recognizing hardships Shia Muslims as a minority group face. International Shia Day was first instituted in 2015 in commemoration of the massacre that occurred at Camp Speicher in 2014 in which ISIS militants escorted upwards of 3,000 Iraqi soldiers from …
Read More »Incidents of Anti-Shiism, May 2020
In the month of May, 59 incidents of Anti-Shiism occurred, resulting in a total death count of 79 people, the injury of 264, and the arrest of 3 others. Reported incidents were from the countries of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Shia Rights Watch notes that this report …
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