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Who is Responsible?

Mapping Responsible Parties of Anti-Shia Violence from January – July 2015

Since the beginning of 2015, Shia Rights Watch has collected data on incidences of anti-shi’ism around the world. By our records and reports there have been a total of 2,959 Shia killed and 3,662 wounded in various bombings, attacks, and shootings in the seven months beginning January 1st and going until the end of July. Additional incidences of mosques being vandalized or demolished, citizenships being revoked, hate speeches, employment discriminati
on, and abductions have also been reported.

Of these events, various parties have declared responsibility for attacks that have claimed a total of 1,209 lives and left 1,281 wounded. Governments, as well as terror groups, have been responsible for many attacks and were named as responsible parties in instances of citizenship removal, illegal incarcerations, and violent suppression of peaceful attacks.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed thirty of the attacks that have occurred this year and are responsible for over  1,016 of the deaths recorded to date.

The group has claimed two of the largest attacks of 2015: the March 20th mosque attacks in Sana’a Yemen which resulted in 142 deaths with 350 wounded, and the July 18 bombing of Ramadan celebrations in Diyala, Iraq which resulted in the death of 120 men, women, and children, leaving 130 more wounded. The terrorist group also claimed responsibility for the Kuwait suicide bombings that took place at a Shia mosque as worshippers were gathered for prayer. This attack left 27 dead and 227 wounded. Moreover, on May 28th a mass grave was discovered in territory former controlled by ISIS. Over 470, mostly Shia, bodies were discovered.

More recently, there have been five bombings in late July that many officials are attributing to ISIS, although nobody from the organization has released a statement confirming their involvement yet. Between July 10 and July 25 there were 4 bombing attacks in Shia neighborhoods in Iraq, as well as a suicide bombing at a crowded swimming pool in Northern Iraq that targeted the Shia Turkmen minority. Combined these attacks left 81 dead and 180 wounded. The method and location of attacks is consistent with previous ISIS attacks and due to the recentness of the events it is too early to rule out ISIS involvement.

In recent months it has become clear that ISIS is one of the primary sources of chaos in the region. However, the Taliban is still very active in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since January 1st the terrorist group has claimed six attacks. The January 9th attack on a mosque in Rawalpindi resulted in 7 deaths followed by the February 13th attack in Peshwar that left 19 dead and 60 wounded. On June 10th the group abducted nine Shia in Damarda Afghanistan and forty-five days later on July 25th they kidnapped eighteen more Hazara Shia from Baghlan Afghanistan. Since the second abduction five victims have been released and negotiators are still working to get the rest home safely. While these attacks are heinous in nature the worst of the Taliban attacks occurred on June 20th as they beheaded six Shia Hazaras in Ajristan, Afghanistan. The New York Times suggests that in light of the growing media attention on ISIS’s attacks, the Taliban is plotting equally shocking attacks in order to gain recognition and media coverage as well.

While incidences of hate speech, discrimination, and forced denouncement of faith have been reported against the Egyptian, Indonesian, Nigerian, Saudi Arabian, and Pakistani governments, the Kingdom of Bahrain is by far the government currently carrying out the most attacks against Shia. 153 Shia protestors have been arrests including Sheikh Ali Salman who was arrested June 16 for tweeting about regime change, opposition leader Majeed Milad who was arrested July 2, and prominent opposition member Ibrahim Sharif who was arrested July 12. By March 11th there had been 155 recorded instances of mistreated Shia detainees in government custody – a number we expect to have increased since. These arrests all come after the 15 October 2014 death sentence of Shia Sheikh Nimr in Saudi Arabia, whose appeal was denied by Saudi Arabia authorities on March of 2015.

Moreover, The Bahraini government has stripped 72 people of their right to citizenship, 50 of which were confirmed members of the opposition.  Security forces have used violence to suppress at least three large protests resulting in one child being injured due to tear gas exposure as well as a thirteen year old boy being shot in the face by regime forces. Numerous home raids have occurred without cause and upwards of 46 Shia have been beaten. Prominent Bahraini Cleric Jalal al-Sharqi made a public statement on May 12th that denounced Shi’ism by accusing Shias of not believing in Allah and calling them Jewish and underserving of mercy.

A full list of groups taking responsibility for attacks includes: Al-Nusra Front (1), ASJ-TTP (1), Ahlus Sunnah wal Jammah (2), Bahraini government (18), Bahraini civilian militia (1), Egyptian government (2), Indonesian government (1), ISIS (30), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (1), Judallah (2), Lashkar-e-Jhaqui (1), Madagascar Police (1), Nigerian citizen (1), Nigerian Military (1), Punjab government in Pakistan (1), Saudi Arabian Authorities (2), Saudi-led coalition (10, Sipah-e-Sahaba (4), Somolian Mayor (1), Extremist Militia connected to ISIS (1), Tabliban (6), United Arab Emirates government (1).  This is a list to date of reported and confirmed instances of anti-shi’ism where there is a party clearly responsible for the attack. There are still countless unreported, unconfirmed, or unclaimed attacks that have occurred in the first seven months of 2015.

Date Responsible Party details Dead Wounded Arrests
28-Jul Al-Nusra Front Shooting at shrine in Damascus 2
7-Feb ASJ-TTP Habib Hussain was ambushed and killed 1
6-Jul ASWJ Quetta, Pakistan – open fire on 3 Hazara Shia 3 2
7-Jul ASWJ Quetta, Pakistan – Syed Hashim (Hazara) gunned down walking home 1
5-Feb Bahraini Government 72 people stripped of citizenship, 50 confirmed from the Shia Opposition Party
12-Jun Bahraini Government 57 Shia jailed, stripped of nationality, given sentences of 3 years to life 57
16-Jun Bahraini Government Sheikh Ali Salman sentenced to 4 years for tweeting about regime change 1
2-Jul Bahraini Government Majeed Milad, senior opposition, arrested because of accusations against the gov’t 1
11-Jul Bahraini Government Protest Suppression – tear gas
12-Jul Bahraini Government Arrest opposition leader Ibrahim Sharif 1
13-Jul Bahraini Government conducted raids in the districts of Karanah and al-Diraz
16-Feb Bahraini Civilian Militia Sitra, Bahrain one was arrested for insulting the king 1
12-Jan Bahraini Government 45 people beaten
30-Jan Bahraini Government Regime forces shot 13 year old boy in the face
13-Feb Bahraini Government Protest Suppression including 3 home invasions 48 20
17-Feb Bahraini Government Protest Suppression: Child received head injury after exposure to tear gas 1
18-Feb Bahraini Government 1 beaten by government forces
11-Mar Bahraini Government Numerous home raids resulted in 15 arrests 15
11-Mar Bahraini Government Between Jan 1 and March 11 reports of 155 mistreated detainees
22-Apr Bahraini Government 91 protesters arrested 91
12-May Bahraini Government Jalal al-Sharqi denounced Shia saying they do not believe in Allah, are Jewish, and deserve no mercy
14-May Bahraini Government Upheld Nabeel Rajab’s 6 month sentence for insulting public institutions
15-May Dr. Abdussamael Uma Doctor in Ayuba Nigeria wrote a letter the Nigerian President warning against Shia
30-Apr Egyptian Government Shut down kindergarten in Nile Delta Province for ‘promoting Shia ideology’
12-May Egyptian Government Physician sentence to 6 months for blasphemy, attempting to cause sectarian violence, and threatening national security because practicing Shia
11-Mar Indonesia Government 34 Shia prisoners forced to recant faith
18-Jan ISIS Bomb in Tuz, Iraq targeting Shia 13 25
8-Feb ISIS ISIS demolishes Shia shrine in Shifaa, Iraq
23-Feb ISIS Bombings destroyed 12 Shia homes in Monsul, Iraq
28-Feb ISIS Balad Ruz bombing 11 50
28-Feb ISIS Sabaa Al Bour mortar shells 3
9-Mar ISIS Larkana, Pakistan – vandalized on internal and external buildings
14-Mar ISIS 27+ bodies discovered in a mass grave near Shia town of Basheer, Iraq 27+
20-Mar ISIS Bomb went off in Sanaa Yemen. 3 mosques targeted 142 350
29-Mar ISIS beheaded 8 with the aid of child soldi3ers 8
6-Apr ISIS 2 bodies found in Zabul, Afghanistan 2
8-May ISIS Bombing in Balad Ruz 18 41
8-May ISIS Car bomb detonated  a worshippers left Imam Hussein mosque in Kanaan Iraq 4 18
8-May ISIS Bombing targeting commercial buildings in Hamamiyat neighborhood on Taji, Iraq 2 8
12-May ISIS Shia pilgrims targeted throughout the day in Baghdad 15 38
14-May ISIS Multiple car bombs around Baghdad targeting Shia 15 42
22-May ISIS Bomb at mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia as prayers were read 21 80+
22-May ISIS Targets 2 Yemeni mosques 13+
24-May ISIS Iraqi soldier executed then hung from bridge 1
28-May ISIS In former ISIS territory a mass grave with 470 (mostly Shia) bodies 470
29-May ISIS Immam Hussein Mosque in Damman, Saudi Arabia. Bomber dressed as woman 4 10
1-Jun ISIS Suicide bomber attacks police base in Anbar, Iraq 45 33
7-Jun ISIS Idlib, Syria – Air Strike killed 14 + 15 year old girls` 2 10
15-Jun ISIS Car bomb in Qahira, Baghdad 10 20
17-Jun ISIS 4 car bombs targeting Zaydi mosques during evening prayer in Sana’a, Yemen 31
20-Jun ISIS Car bomb in Sana’a, Yemen at Qabat al-Mandi mosque 2 6
26-Jun ISIS Kuwait suicide bombing at mosque 27 227
8-Jul ISIS Car bomb outside mosque in Sana’a, Yemen 1 5
18-Jul ISIS Khan Bani Saad, Iraq bombings at a market in Diyala celebrating end of Ramadan 120 130
20-Jul ISIS Attack bombing in mosque in Sana’a, Yemen 5 7
29-Jul ISIS IED attack on Ismali Mosque in Sana’a Yemen 4 6
16-May ISIS & Taliban Conflict Shia police officer shot in Karachi, Pakistan 1
22-Jul  ISIS blamed al-Shaab car bomb in Iraq 8 22
10-Jul ISIS blamed Series of bombs in Baghdad 14 41
12-Jul ISIS blamed Series of bombs in Baghdad 29 81
22-Jul ISIS blamed Al-Bayaa car bomb in Iraq 18 36
25-Jul ISIS blamed Suicide bombers attack busy pool in Northern Iraq targeting Shia Turkmen minority 12
7-Apr Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Beheaded 1 in Afghanistan with aid from Taliban 1
18-Feb Jundallah Suicide bomb in Rawalpindi, Pakistan 2 7
30-Jan Jundullah Bombing in Islamabad 60 50
7-Jun Lashkar-e-Jhaqvi Shooting in Quelta, Pakistan 5
20-Apr Madagascar Police Arrested 3 including the head of a Shia mosque for no apparent reason 3
25-Jul Nigeria military Military Personnel involved in killing 34 peaceful Shia Protestors 34
2-Mar Punjab Government Arrested Shia leader Allama Ghulam Raza in Lahore Pakistan
21-Apr Saudi Authorities 1 dead in shooting in Qatif, Saudi Arabia 1
15-Jul Saudi Authorities Khobar, Saudi Arabia – Shia man arrested and lashed for hosting weekly prayer meeting 1
30-Mar Saudi-led Coalition Airstike in Mazraq, Hajja Governorate – no apparent military target in the area 29 41
7-Jan Sipah-e-Sahaba Shooting in Karachi, Pakistan 3
31-Jan Sipah-e-Sahaba 70 year old Shia man in Pakistan shot 1
18-Feb Sipah-e-Sahaba Shooting in Karachi Pakistan 2
11-Mar Sipah-e-Sahaba Shooting at the Khan Hotel in Kotla Jam, Pakistan 3
5-May Somalia Mayor Mayor of Mogadishu denounced Shi’ism and swore to fight the spread at any cost
10-Feb Extremist Militia connected to ISIS Bombing in Baghdad 14 43
9-Jan Taliban Rawalpindi, Pakistan bombing – attack on a Mosque 7
13-Feb Taliban Peshwar, Pakistan – bombing and shooting 19 60
2-Apr Taliban Damarda, Afghanistan 9 Shia abducted
20-Apr Taliban Beheaded 6 Shia Hazaras in Ajristan, Afghanistan 6
10-Jun Taliban Police officer gunned down in Karachi, Pakistan 1
25-Jul Taliban 18 Hazra Shias kidnapped in Baghlan, Afghanistan. Released 5 already
13-Mar UAE Government Deporting 62 Lebanese Shia
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