Incidents of Anti-Shiism in March, 2016

Overview:

This report will analyze the data compiled on Shia deaths, injuries, and arrests that occurred between March 1st and March 31st, 2016. This month there were 466 deaths within the Shia community. Also 15 cases of arrest were reported. Anti-Shia violations were reported in seven countries during March 2016.

As it was expected Iraq has the highest number of civilian killing due to bombing and explosions. Highest number of arrest took place in Bahrain and most deportations are from Kuwait.

Beside killing, arrest and deportation, attack to religious gathering, and ban of Shia call to prayer was reported.

In March, Shia Muslims were targeted in ten countries; Bahrain, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia.

The data for this report was gathered from a variety of different sources. The most well-known incidents of anti-Shiism were retrieved from stories that are reported to Shia Rights Watch by eyewitnesses. Each incident is thoroughly evaluated for both authenticity and relevance. For an incident to be included in this report it has to show clear intent to target Shia Muslims on the basis of religious beliefs. The subsequent sections will present and analyze the data gathered by Shia Rights Watch for March.

Where have Shia Muslims been targeted?

Bahrain

Pressure on pro-democracy advocates continues Bahraini authorities arrest and detain peaceful protestors on daily bases. In month of March daughter of political activist, Zainab al-Khawaja, and her one year old baby were detained by the Bahraini government.

In addition, Bahraini autoritaires arrested ten people during a protest in Manama. The arrested individuals were found guilty of being involved in « terrorist plots », and resisting police. Four of them were given lifetime sentences while the rest of them were given between 3 and 15 years.

Déportions also continues as the government deported several Lebanese on the accusations of them having ties to militant groups. According to reports, so far 7 Lebanese families were deported on grounds of this. Dr. Masood Jahroomi was forced deportation by the government after having his citizenship taken away. He was arrested in 2011 and was detained five months before being given a sentence. Bahrain has been on human rights activits’s radar since the Arab Spring and violations has not decreased nor prevented since.

Bangladesh

Tuesday March 15, 2016 Top Shia preacher, Abdur Razzak, aged 48, was hacked to death on his way home from his shop in Kaliganj town in Jhenaidah district. Although the attack was later claimed by ISIS. police say it wasn’t ISIS. He was declared dead later that night at Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex.

According to the head of the Shia School in the district, Abdur Razzak has been a member of the Shia community at least 20 years. Right before the murder, he received threatening calls from drug dealers who believed him to have helped arrest them months previously.

Bangladesh is not known to have large Shia population. Any violation must be carefully examined in order to prevent future crises.

Iraq

Iraq continues to top the list for violence against Shia Muslims, and this could be a result of the majority Shia population and present of ISIS in this country.
As many as 377 civilians have been reported killed in Iraq in the month of March. Improvised explosive device (IED), gun fires, execution by ISIS, road bombs, and suicide bombers are responsible for the death toll. Violators use busy markets, funerals and religious gatherings to target civilians.

Iraq had the highest death toll in 2015 and 2016 is expected to be the same.

In 2015 more than 5000 people were killed and another 5000 injured in Iraq and the trend continues this year. The government and anti-ISIS coalitions have failed to protect civilians so far.

Pakistan

This month Pakistan had three murders, one arrest, and one injury according to our reports. The violation in Pakistan mainly occurred by gunfire against Shia activists. In the most devastating incident, Professor Abid Raza, school principal of ICMS school system was shot by four terrorists of Ahle-E-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat. He was attacked on his motorcycle by another cyclist. Video of the attack can be accessed by contacting SRW, but won’t be published due to graphic scenes. Another two Shia were killed in Dera Ismail Khan and one was attacked and killed in Charsadah.

Rizwan Haider was arrested under blasphemy laws and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Shia rights violations have long history in Pakistan. Shia minority have always been attacked and killed on daily bases and the government has not taken steps to prevent the killings.

Saudi Arabia

This month Saudi Arabia had seven deaths, two arrests, and a case of limited religious prayer

Makki Ali was arrested at the checkpoints and then detained in Awwamiyya district police station without any explanation. Securities denied his detention at first, but released his dead body after four weeks of his death. SRW’s investigation on the body revealed that Makki was subjected to severe tortured before he was killed.

The gouvernement also arrested a Shia cleric , Hussein al-Radhi, shortly after he led prayers in the al-Ahsa oasis region of Eastern Province. The detention came after the senior cleric wrote an article in which he criticized the authorities for jailing and executing critics and dissidents, including Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr who was beheaded in January. Saleh Ghanim is another detainee who was arrested becouse he expressed the need to protect SHia mosques in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is known for its support to ISIS and anti-Shia ideologies.

Kuwait

This month, the Kuwait government deported 74 Shia Muslims. All people deported are falsely accused of ties to Hezbollah. Most of those deported had Iraqi and Lebanese nationalities. This country has deported number of Shia Muslims in the past with the same accusation. Such accusations were never investigated and proved.

Nigeria

This month the Nigerian government was guilty of blocking a religious procession in honor of Muhammad’s daughter. The violation occurred Wednesday March 30, 2016. The procession, named the Sayyada Zahara Maulud procession, is an annual event by the movement to commemorate the birth of the prophet’s daughter, Fatima. According to the movement’s leader, ten armed security guards rolled up to the protest and started taking away their flags, signs, etc., making people very fearful. The governor stated that he did not mean to deny their religious freedom, but they could not tolerate religious events at public property. The procession began at 8am at the central mosque.

Conclusion

Causality cases against Shia Muslims were increased during March compared to February. Bahrain, Pakistan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia that are covered in this report, have known history of violations against Shia. Thousands of Shia Muslims have lost their lives in mentioned countries combined and hundreds, including minors, are unlawfully detained.

Shia News Wire #60

March 25^th to April 1^st, 2016

Pakistan

Wednesday March 30, 2016 in Hayatabad, Peshawar, professor Abid Raza, school principal of ICMS School System was shot by four terrorists of Ahle–Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat on motorcycles. This was the fourth anti-Shia killing in the past few days, earlier, two people were killed in Dera Ismail Khan and one was martyred in Charsadah but the government has not yet taken any action against the militants.

Saudi Arabia

March 30, 2016 in part of their Shia crackdown, the Saudi authorities banned recitation of Adhan (call to prayers) from loudspeakers in Shia mosques in Al-Hofuf, a major urban center in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province. officials in the province also ruled that Friday prayer cannot last long or go beyond 12:30 in the afternoon.

March 30, 2016 funeral for young Shia man tortured by Saudi authorities and killed earlier this month just held. The funeral of Makki al-Aridh took place in the city of Awamiyah in the Qatif region of Eastern province. During the ceremony, people also denounced Riyadh’s oppressive policies against the country’s Shia minority. The man’s family didn’t receive the body until four weeks after the murder; the body had many evident signs of intense torture. He first disappeared march 2, 2016 on his way to find a job, however, when he didn’t return for two days, his parents got worried and then eventually received news of his death. According to Police, they had detained Aridh at a security checkpoint in Qatif two days earlier, and transferred him to the police station in Awamiyah on charges of taking photographs of the checkpoint. They claimed that he died of fright due to a psychosocial illness on March 3. However, according to the victim’s parents, he was completely healthy and void of any sort of psychological/ mental illness; The signs of physical torture also suggest he died as a result of physical treatment as opposed to “fear”.

Nigeria

Wednesday March 30, 2016 security forces halted a religious procession by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (Shia Muslims) in Katsina , Nigeria. The procession, named the Sayyada Zahara Maulud procession, is an annual event by the movement to commemorate the birth of the prophet’s daughter, Fatima. According to the movement’s leader, 10 armed security guards rolled up to the protest and started taking away their flags, signs, etc, making people very fearful. The Governor stated that he did not mean to deny their religious freedom, but they could not tolerate religious events at public property. The procession began at 8am at the central mosque.

Bahrain

Tuesday March 29, 2016 Bahrain arrested ten people accusing them of attacking police during a protest. The arrested individuals were found guilty of being involved in terrorist plots. Four of them were given lifetime sentences while the rest of them were given between 3 and 15 years. The attacks occurred in a Shia village by Manama.

Kuwait

Monday March 28, 2016 Kuwait just deported 60 people because of accused ties to Hezbollah.

Iraq

Saturday March 26, 2016 bombing by ISIS at soccer stadium in Iskandariya near the capital of Baghdad killed 41 and wounded 105 others. Iskandariya is a Sunni and Shia Mixed city.

Achieving the Sustainale Development Goals Together

Shia Rights Watch places an important emphasize on importance of education, and more importantly; importance of availability of education for all and accessibility of education for all age groups.
On March 29th, our New York representative Mr. Akhwand attended 66th Session of UN DPI/NGO conference titled; Achieving the Sustainale Development Goals Together, where many Non Governmental Organizations shared their contributions in advancing Sustainable Development Goals,

In this event, participants also put forth ideas for betterment of “Education for Global Citizenship” conference to be held in Republic of Korea in June.

Shia Rights Watch, and its newly established SRWomen wing, view education as a mechanism for achieving healthy and stable change, and promote projects for education advancement.

Genocide Designation

The Shia Rights Watch would like to express its appreciation of Secretary of State, John Kerry’s recent statement in regards to recognition of ISIS’s crimes as “genocide”.
According to John Kerry, United States has determined that ISIS’s actions against minorities such as Yazidi, Christians, and Shia Muslims, all constitutes as acts of genocide. “Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology and by actions, in what it says, in what believes and in what it does,” The Secretary of State said in an official announcement.

The State Department had been reluctant to use term “genocide,” about the attacks and mass murders by ISIS, which leads SRW to believe that Kerry’s statement is a strong movement towards combating ISIS and its ideology

Furthermore, Kerry‘s support to collect and document the evidence against ISIS strengths and empowers human rights activists who have been endangering their lives in order to document ISIS’s crimes and advocates to hold perpetrators accountable.

Shia Rights Watch urges the White House to condone this statement and empower it further more. We also ask the State Department and the White House to denaturalize those citizens who join ISIS. Finally SRW hopes that US utilizes the International Criminal Court to punish not just ISIS fighters but also countries that financially and theologically support them.

Shia News Wire #59

March 12^th to 18th, 2016

Bahrain

Monday March 14, 2016 daughter of political activist named Zainab al-Khawaja, and her one year old baby were detained by the Bahraini government; her father is serving a life sentence since the 2011 Shia led protests. She has been prisoned for numerous reasons including allegedly ripping up pictures of the Bahraini King.

Also the government deported several Lebanese on the accusations of them being part of Hezbollah, a Shia militant group. According to reports, so far 7 Lebanese families were deported on grounds of this.

Bangladesh

Tuesday March 15, 2016 top Shia preacher, Abdur Razzak, aged 48, was hacked to death on his way home from his shop in Kaliganj town in Jhenaidah district. The attack was later claimed by ISIS. However, police say it wasn’t ISIS. He was declared dead later that night at Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex. According to his wife he had no enemy.

According to the head of the Shia School in the district, Abdur Razzak has been a member of the Shia community at least 20 years. Right before the murder, he received threatening calls from drug dealers who believed him to have helped arrest them months previously. Police believe the attack to have been done by an opposition political party as opposed to ISIS.

Iraq

On March 12^th, two chemical attacks by ISIS left one girl killed and hundreds injured. The wounded are suffering from infected burns, suffocation and dehydration.

Security and hospital officials say the latest attack took place early Saturday in the small town of Taza, which was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier.

Yemen

Tuesday March 15, 2016 Saudi warplanes launched an attack of Shia majority market in northern Yemen killing and wounding dozens. The attack occurred at Mastaba, in Hajja province. According to sources, there are no military establishments in the area, meaning this was an attack against civilians.

Shia Rights Watch Engagement at the 31st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council “Recognition of Minorities in Malaysia the case of Shia Muslims”

Recognition of Minorities in Malaysia the case of Shia Muslims

On March 15, 2016 Shia Rights Watch’s UN representative Mujtaba Akhwand with cooperation with Freemuslim association participated in an item 3 Interactive Dialogue on Minority Issue regarding discrimination against Shia Muslims in Malaysia at 31st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Click here to download a PDF.

Mr. President

Shia Rights Watch and Freemuslim Association would like to thank you and UN bodies for their work. We admire the endless effort of Human Rights advocates around the globe, and like to bring your attention towards Malaysia. Malaysia’s violation of its own constitution in regards to minorities, and in particular Shia Muslim is alarming to us. According to articles 3(a) and 11 of Malaysian Constitution, shia muslims are not recognized as a religious entity, nor their rights are protected when terror attacks happen.

Like many other countries, Malaysia is enriched by minorities, culturally and religiously, but unfortunately since they are not included in the country’s constitution, Shia Muslims have no legal way to address the human rights violations terrorizing their family members, and loved ones. As citizens of Malaysia, they are contributors to Malaysia’s social, cultural, and economical betterment, but their faith is not recognized and are banned to practice their faith.

Since 1996, National Fatwa Committee (CFC) refrained it’s previously recognition of Shia Muslims as Muslims. Furthermore all educational materials that is different from the doctrine of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, such as Shia doctrine, are recognized as unlawful. This fatwa was a turning point, lead to increasing amount of discrimination, hate speech, and denial of rights regarding freedom of religion. Currently, four Shia Muslims face trials in court under Shariah Criminal Offences Enactment of 1997 in the state of Johore based on Malaysia’s constitution, Section 9 and 12.During a court trial in this regard, on January 21st, 2016 the judge orders no public, nor media allowance to the court. The lack of legal recognition leads to discrimination in all levels of legal system

Fatwas based on Sharia Law address followers of that religious sect, and faith of other citizens in Malaysia are not considered in the implementation of law. All-inclusiveness in many other countries has led to their stability and ability to coexist, the Fatwa by National Fatwa Committee of Malaysia, decreases the ability of Malaysians to peacefully pursue their daily lives, without fear of random attacks empowered by Fatwas or hate speeches by extremists.

Thank you

Special Rapporteur Report in the Field of Cultural Rights and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief- Case of Saudi Arabia

hrc — A wide view of the Human Rights Council. Photo by Jean-Marc Ferré

March, 2016

Summary of Special Rapporteur report in the field of cultural rights and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief- Case of Saudi Arabia

Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion, Heiner Bielefeldt, and Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on cultural rights stated receiving concerning alleged patterns of continuous demolition of Saudi Arabia’s historical sites and cultural heritages.

Following is a summary of the report:

Mosques, Shrines, and various other sites of religious, historic, and cultural importance in Saudi Arabia have been allegedly destroyed in order to promote a Wahhabi interpretation of Islam in which visitation of the holy sites is prohibited. Saudi Arabia is home to Islam’s two holiest sites; Mecca and Medina.

In fact, it is estimated that over 90% of Saudi Arabia’s historical and archeological heritage has already been destroyed, and that more is planned by the government. The mosques being destroyed includes ones visited by the prophet Muhammad himself and, since 2014, there have been talks to destroy the mosque where the prophet’s body is buried and to move him to an anonymous location at Al-Baqi cemetery. The government has also destroyed the remains of his close friends and family in order to prevent people from seeking out these holy sites.

The government has destroyed many buildings of religious and historical significance under the guise of expansion of the grand mosque; this included tearing down an ancient library in order to add toilets for visitors.

In 2012, the government even demolished the first place the prophet ever taught Islam.

Thousands of years of history have been covered up by hotels, parking lots, and other modern amenities. By January 2015 the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments set 10,000 pieces of property up for demolition.

In order to trivialize their historic or religious significance, many signs were posted stating the places may not have been actually important and that certain prayer was banned in these locations. The government claimed that destroying such religious things actually helps religiously because it prevents idol worship; a religious sin in their eyes.

A response has been requested within 60 days in which the full threat is laid out, how if effects certain Islamic religious groups and targets them, how potential people affected have been consulted concerning these demolitions, etc.

Read full Report here.

Shia News Wire #58

March 5th to 11th/ 2016

Bahrain

Dr. Masood Jahroomi, a Shia Muslim, was forced deportation by the government after having his citizenship taken away. He was arrested in 2011 and was not allowed contact with family for a month, and wasn’t allowed a lawyer or given due process. He was detained five months before even being given a sentence. He was forcibly deported on March 7, 2016.

Iraq

On Sunday March 6, 2016 a truck bombing struck Shilla, a predominantly Shia town killing 60. The bombing killed 3 dozen civilians and the remainder were police officers. In the past week ISIS has killed about 200 Muslims, most being Shia.

Thursday March 10, 2016 ISIS attacked a Shia village in Kirkuk with poisonous substances targeting 40; 5 people remain in the hospital following the attacks. A total of 24 shells and rockets were fired by the Islamic State.

Attack on Wednesday March 9, left 17 people of the town of Taza in the hospital. This includes a young boy who suffers from critical burns as a result.

Women Empowerment, Major Step in Peace, reconciliation & Capacity Building

Women Empowerment

Launch of SRW Women

Major Step in Peace, reconciliation & Capacity Building

A conference to discuss the social, civil, and religious rights of women, held by Shia Rights Watch Inc. at the 31st Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Switzerland on the 10th of March.

Hosted by Shia Rights Watch and Freemuslim Association, this will enable attendees to come together and learn more about the challenges faced by women globally and emphasize on practical step towards peace, reconciliation, and capacity building.

Shia Rights Watch Launches its SRWomen wing, focusing on raising awareness about Rights of Women and Girls.

Shia Rights hopes to contribute to betterment in status of women and girls in troubled regions, through cooperating with other organizations dedicated to protection and advocacy of rights of women

In this event, Polisario Front Representative Ms. Miamine Abdeslam addressed challenges Western Sahara Women faced starting in 1970s, and shared lessons learned and preventive measures were suggested by Ms. abdeslam for Shia women and Minorities around the globe to utilize the unfortunate events of past towards productive measures to achieve results in case of innocent Women and girls in Middle East and other regions of the world.

Mr. Ali Al- Ahmad, Executive Director of Gulf Institute, and Founder of ‘No Woman, No Play,’ initiative and emphasized on importance of sport in mental and physical health being of Women globally, and in particular countries where women are prevented from being active and be part of sport teams.

Ms. Nadia Alkotbi, Iraqi Woman Organization, shed light on disabled women , either by life events; or due to terror attacks through out the Middle East, and ways to include disabled women and girls in jobs, organizations, and other entities.

Launch of SRWomen at Human Rights Council, facilitated opportunity for Non Governmental Organizations to discuss Women Empowerment initiatives and productive measures to prevent rights of Women.

Focusing on:

Capacity Building at Home, Psychology of Effective Change
Girls of Today, Women Leaders of Tomorrow
Migration, Integration and Adopting Change; the Road Ahead
Woman Rights, National and International Challenges

Shia Rights Watch Engagement at the 31st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council “Countering Terrorism and Promoting Equal Rights”

Human Rights Council- 31^st session – Item 3

Promotion and protection of human Rights and Fundamental freedom while countering terrorism and Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights

Interactive Dialogue

Countering Terrorism and Promoting Equal Rights

Contribution Oriane Dumas

Geneva March 10, 2016

Mr. President,

Shia Rights Watch would like to thank you for your human right advocacy and the UN bodies and NGOs for their work. Year To Date, increasing number of victims of terror is alarming to us, hence we take this opportunity to reemphasize the importance and necessity of protecting rights of individuals, in particular rights of minorities living in the troubled areas. Increasing acts of Anti Shi’ism terrorizes men, women and children in more than 25 Countries. Repeated violations against minorities, specially Shia Muslims have led to unstable and fearful environment for these minorities to pursue their daily lives.

As documented by the UN, “The United Nations ability to develop a comprehensive strategy has been constrained by the inability of Member States to agree on an anti -terrorism convention including a

definition of terrorism”, it is widely agreed upon that terror involves violence and spreads fear. Acts of terror have caused serious physical or psychological harm to victims, and needless to add; have social, economic, and other consequences, which in many cases result in increasing acts of violence.

Many UN Member States have ratified the need to counter terrorism. In pursuant of protecting lives of innocent men, women and children, we hope for a day that “ Variations of Terror” are recognized as “Unlawful Act” by all Member States. Reduction of terrorism globally, directly impacts well-being of all Racial, Cultural, Ethnic, and Religious Minorities and in particular the indigenous people. Shia Muslims are diverse in cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Sadly. researchers at Shia Rights Watch report 5093 Shia Muslims killed, 5416 wounded, and 431 arrested during year 2015 in fifteen countries. These statistics do not include those who have been killed in armed conflicts. Victims of all documented cases are civilians whose rights are violated through terror act of a state or non-state agents due to their belief.

Violations such as Right of Employment, Education, Dignity, and Freedom of Expression are largely unreported due to the fear of further violations. Existing measures to protect minorities including Shia Muslims are limited. SRW therefore calls upon member States to facilitate avenues of dialogue with their current Shia constituency and also increase efforts to decrease terrorism and promote healthy coexistence between all citizen, irrespective of race, ethnicity, culture, gender and religion.

Thank you

Welcome to Shia Rights Watch

Overview:

Where have Shia Muslims been targeted?

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Iraq

Pakistan

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

Nigeria

Conclusion

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Iraq

Yemen

Recognition of Minorities in Malaysia the case of Shia Muslims

Women Empowerment