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 |