According to Shia Rights Watch activists, a Shia Muslim group leader was arrested in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Abdul Salam, a Shia Muslim who takes groups to Hajj from Iraq was arrested on September 30th. He was forced to sign a confession letter saying he cursed Prophet Mohammad’s companions. He was promised to be released after signing.
Cursing companions is one of the accusations that non-Shia Muslims use to incriminate Shia Muslims. Abdul Salam did not curse anyone but Saudi forces forced him to sign such prewritten confessions.
There is no update on the situation of Abdul Salam, and Shia Rights Watch is concerned about him. Cursing companions is outlawed and has legal punishments in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi forces have no right to accuse anyone and force them to sign faulty confessions.
Saudi forces use the Hajj season to pressure Shia Muslims. Every year Shia Muslims face many difficulties upon their entrance to this country.
SRW has repeatedly contacted the Saudi embassy in USA and asked them to stop discrimination against Shia Muslims, however Saudi Arabia is still the leading human rights violator and international human rights committees cannot win the battle between Saudi oil and human rights.
