The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released its annual religious freedom report. The report documents concerns about religious freedom in Countries of Particular Concern and Special Watch List Countries. Among the endangered religious minorities were Shia Muslims, who exist across the world as residents and citizens. …
Read More »Pushing for Protection: Advocating for the Shia
Annual Report 2019 In this report, Shia Rights Watch quantifies violence against Shia Muslims and presents the dynamics of anti-Shiism in various nations of the world. This report reflects year-round investigations arranged by native activists and international researchers on actions taken to endanger populations based on their Shia identity. Pushing …
Read More »Anti-Shiism in Muharram 2019
Shia Muslims spend the first ten days of the holy month of Muharram in ritual mourning commemorating the death of Hussain, son of Ali, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. Muharram rituals are central to the Shia faith. The nature of these rituals make this population highly visible, and thus, Shia …
Read More »Untold Stories, The Suffering of Shia Muslims
Annual report of Anti-Shiism around the Globe This report reflects investigative work Shia Rights Watch staff undertook in 2018 Introduction Parallel to the rise of coverage of the Shia identity came to an increased need for recognition for the dynamics of the faith-based population. With the Arab Spring starting …
Read More »Bahrain Uprising Anniversary: 8 years of ongoing violations
February 14th, 2018 marks the 8th anniversary of Bahrain 2011 uprising. Shia Rights Watch predicts that more protest and crackdowns will be carried out as a result. In fact activists reported as many as 23 people were arrested today, the 13th, as the kingdom’s security services raided homes in numerous towns …
Read More »Incidents of Anti-Shiism in November, 2018
Shia rights violations continued in November. Anti-Shia incidents were witnessed in some countries. Most violation reports are from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Anti-Shia violations, including but not limited to, imprisonment, physical and emotional torture, limited or no access to medical assistance, hate speech, explosion, and executions. Shia …
Read More »Bi-Annual Report 2018
Anti-Shiism is prevalent and spreading in 2018. Already halfway through the year, the number of countries where Shia Muslim violations have occurred increased from 6 in January to 16 by the end of June. Countries examined in this report for their anti-Shiism include Nigeria, Bahrain, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South …
Read More »2017 Annual Report
2017 Annual Report 2018 marks the 7th anniversary of Shia Rights Watch. Over the past seven years, our organization and our team have grown from a Washington, DC-based minority rights group to an internationally renowned institution active in both the United Nations and the International community. Our qualitative and …
Read More »International Religious Freedom 2016 Report- Shia Rights Violations
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor International Religious Freedom released their 2016 Report detailing human rights violations, including some of what Shia face around the world. At Shia Rights Watch (SRW) we welcome this report and the attention given to the important issue of human right. Shia Rights Watch …
Read More »Bi-Annual Anti-Shiism Report
Intro The first half of 2017 has been a turbulent time for Shia Muslims all over the world. Anti-Shiism, or the active targeting of Shia Muslim to limit their visibility and expression, was prevalent in across the globe. Shia Muslims, including their sub groups, make up approximately 50% of the …
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