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When It Will End February 2015

The second monthly anti-Shi’ism report by Shia Rights Watch continues where the previous report left off. There were more than 350 deaths and over 700 injuries this month. This month has also witnessed the first incident of violence against Shia in Central Asia this year with the kidnapping of 30 Afghan Shia. Anti-Shiism remains an urgent issue that needs to be addressed by the international community.

Overview

This report will analyze the data compiled on Shia deaths, injuries, and arrests that occurred between February 1st and February 28th. The data for this report was gathered from a variety of different sources. The most well-known incidents of anti-Shiism were retrieved from US News and ABC but lesser known incident were retrieved from the Iraq body count in addition to 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 a clear intent to target Shia Muslims on the basis of their religious beliefs. The subsequent sections will present and analyze the data gathered by Shia Rights Watch for February.

Where have Shia Muslims been targeted?

February saw Shia Muslims targeted in five countries: Bahrain, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. The incidents included in this report are murders, injuries, and arrests. In total there have been 370 deaths, 731 injuries, and 21 arrests. Although this data primarily focuses on the aforementioned categories, incidents such as the revocation of citizenship in Bahrain and the kidnapping of Shia in Afghanistan will be mentioned in this report.

The bulk of violent incidents have occurred in Iraq, which has witnessed dozens of bombings in Shia populated areas. Along with the deaths, the bulk of the injuries during February occurred in Iraq. All of the arrests that have occurred were in Bahrain. This section is roughly similar to this portion of last month’s report which shows that there has not been much change in the situation of Shia around the world. The next section of this report will present and analyze the data compiled on anti-Shiism.ShiaRightsWatch.org_February_1

 

IraqShiaRightsWatch.org_February_7

Violence against Shia Muslims in Iraq in February largely came at the hands of non-state actors such as ISIS. The violence against Shia have largely come in the form of bombings and mortar fire that has targeted Shia neighborhoods. A total of 331 Shia Muslims were killed in Iraq this month and an additional 586 injured. The number of deaths is a significant decrease from the 438 deaths that occurred last year, but injuries have increased from 235 to 586. While the decrease in deaths is a step in the right direction, the number of injured in Iraq shows that Shia in the country are being targeted at a similar, if not higher rate.

Pakistan

Violence against Shia in Pakistan has declined in both the deaths and injuries columns. The number of deaths in Pakistan declined from 91 in January to 28 in February, and the number of injuries declined from 66 in January to 49 in February. This can be attributed in part to heightened security at mosques. Suicide bombers were subdued before detonating their vests in at least three incidents this month.

One of the more violent incidents occurred when four militants connected with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) attacked a Shia Mosque in Peshawar. The militants, strapped with suicide vests, scaled the walls surrounding the mosque and began shooting at worshippers and lobbing grenades before detonating themselves. Three of the four worshippers detonated their suicide vests and the fourth militant was stopped by worshippers in the mosque before he could detonate.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in January, the international and local communities have denounced the violence against Shias in Pakistan. There have been many reports of human chains made up of Sunni, Shia, Hindi, and more guarding Shia mosques and condemning the violence. We feel that the international and community support has had a large effect on the decrease in anti-Shia violence in Pakistan this month.

ShiaRightsWatch.org_February_6 ShiaRightsWatch.org_February_4

ShiaRightsWatch.org_February_5

Bahrain

February 14th was the fourth anniversary of the uprisings in Bahrain. To commemorate the events of 2011, Bahraini Shia staged a three-day protest. The protests occurred in the largely Shia neighborhoods on the outskirts of Manama. The Bahraini security forces cracked down on these protest through tear gas, pellet guns, and arrests. Over the three day protest period, roughly 48 Shia were wounded and 20 arrested. Bahrain accounts for all of the arrests of Shia in February and most of the arrests come from that period. Violence against Shia in Bahrain comes largely from the government while the violence in other countries comes at the hands of militant groups. In addition to the events surrounding February 14th, the Bahraini government continues to imprison renowned opposition leaders and revoke the citizenship of scores of Bahraini Shia.

Afghanistan

Although Afghanistan is not included on any of the charts it did witness a horrific event when 30 Hazara Shia were abducted while on a pilgrimage in the Zabul province. The bus was travelling on a road between Herat and Kabul when gunmen stopped the bus and ordered everyone off. The gunmen made the passengers produce documents showing that they belonged to the Hazara minority and then proceeded to release the women and children while taking the men. The fate of the Hazara men remains unknown upon the release of this report. Hazaras have been the victims of intense violence in Pakistan, especially in the town of Quetta, but this abduction reveals the possibility of an increase of anti-Shiism in Central Asia.ShiaRightsWatch.org_February_8

Tactics

It would appear that the amount of deaths from bombings increased dramatically by glancing at the pie charts comparing the method of death from January to February. In reality the amount of deaths caused by other methods has decreased dramatically for February. The total amount of deaths from bombings remained about the same (294 Jan vs. 320 Feb), but the amount of people wounded from bombings increased more than twice what it was in the previous month (257 Jan vs. 596 Feb). Attacks that utilize a combination of weapons and mortars are still the second and third most killers as well as wounded. However, the injuries caused by these methods pale in comparison to the damage inflicted by bombs.

In February, the amount of Shias wounded surpassed the amount killed, and this can be attributed to terrorists’ ability to detonate bombs in highly populated areas. The trend of near parallelism between the amount of Shias wounded and the amount of Shias killed can be explained by each event usually having both deaths and injuries. The amount of injuries was 2.63 times higher than the amount of deaths for incidents that had both killed and wounded, and this can be seen on the graph by looking at the steeper slopes of the two lines.ShiaRightsWatch.org_February_10ShiaRightsWatch.org_February_9

The violence faced by Shia in the month of February shows that anti-Shiism is not receding as the year progresses. Iraq and Pakistan remain the deadliest places for Shia in the world as they account for the vast majority of the deaths. Bahrain is where the majority of government based violations occur, with their large number of arrests and citizenship revocations. Lastly, the kidnappings in Afghanistan may signal a rise in anti-Shiism in Central Asia. The protection of Shia populations needs to be a priority for each of these countries. The murder of hundreds of innocent civilians should not be become so commonplace that it receives scant attention in the news.

 

 

Bloody start to the year January 2015

Bloody start to the year

Incidents of Anti-Shiism in January 2015

The first installment of the Shia Rights Watch monthly incident reports begins on a disastrous note. With over 500 dead, almost 400 injured, and dozens arrested, Shia Muslims have systematically targeted in the month of January.

ShiaDeathCount_1

Overview

This report will analyze the data we compiled on Shia deaths, injuries, and arrests that occurred between January 1stand January 31st. The data gathered from this report came from a variety of different sources. The most well-known cases of violence against Shia were gathered from media sources such as Al-Jazeera and BBC. The picture painted by popular media sources is incomplete and did not report on dozens of incidents that occurred in Iraq. For incidents that occurred in Iraq, the report consulted the Iraq body count, an organization that tracks all violent incidents throughout the country. Four graphs and their corresponding charts have been added to this report to illustrate the severity of this phenomenon. In addition to the graphs, this report will highlight some cases of anti-Shiism that occurred in January.

Where have Shia Muslims been targets of violence?

January saw Shia Muslims systematically targeted in four countries: Syria, Bahrain, Pakistan, and Iraq. The targeting highlighted in this report are murders, injuries, and arrests. In total, there have been 539 deaths, 384 injuries, and 24 arrests.  This does not include incidents such as the revocation of citizenship which occurred in Bahrain.
The bulk of violent incidents have occurred in Iraq, which has witnessed dozens of bombings in Shia neighborhoods. As with the deaths, the bulk of injuries have come in Iraq as well. All of the arrests have occurred in Bahrain. The large number of arrests in Bahrain relative to the other countries in this report highlights the variations in the sources of violence against Shia. In Syria, Pakistan, and Iraq, violence against Shia has largely come from militant groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama (ASWJ). The next section of this report will delve into the data collected and provide explanations behind the violence the world is witnessing.

ShiaDeathCount_2Iraq 

The violence by non-state actors against Shia in Iraq has dwarfed the amount of violence occurring in other countries. The 438 deaths and 235 injuries that occurred in January in Iraq would have made it the second most violent country all year last year behind Pakistan. Bombings in Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad have killed scores of people at a time. Not only do bombings in highly populated areas have high death counts, they tend to injure just as many people as they kill and leave a large amount of property damage in their aftermath.

Syria

There was only one event recorded for this country but the casualties incurred made it account for two percent of the deaths and ten percent of the injuries. A bus carrying Lebanese Shia pilgrims traveling near Damascus, Syria was the victim of a explosion that killed nine and injured 37.

ShiaDeathCount_3Bahrain

There was one death and 46 injuries in this country in January. Bahrain accounted for 12 percent of the injuries and 100% of the arrests in the month. Shia in Bahrain are not facing indiscriminant violence at the hands of non-state terrorist groups like the other groups on the list, but are rather facing repression from the government. Shia in Bahrain regularly protest the Al-Khalifa regime and they are just as regularly met with violence by security forces. On January 31st, the Bahraini government revoked the citizenship of 72 Bahrainis on grounds of damaging national security. This was the largest case of citizenship revocation since the start of the Arab Uprisings in 2011. Since this event did not involve an arrest, a death, or  a physical injury it was not used for statistical purposes .

ShiaDeathCount_3 ShiaDeathCount_5

Pakistan

After witnessing almost 1,000 Shia deaths in 2014, this country has seen a continuation of the same type of violence as was witnessed last year. ASWJ and its affiliates have continued to carry out targeted assasinations of Shia in towns around the country. On January 7tha 15 year old by was gunned down by these militamen, and on January 31sta 70 year old man was shot and killed outside of a hotel in the city of Orangi by militants. Other than targeted assasinations, militants have also been targeting mosqueswhich can be seen in the explosions at mosques in Rawalpindi,and  Shikarpur. The explosion at Shikarpur was the deadiest event in January and will be discussed in greater detail in the next section.

Shia Deaths by DayShiaDeathCount_7

Although Iraq was by far the most violent country for Shia in January, the worst incident in the month came in Pakistan. In the city of Shikarpur, roughly 100 miles north of Karachi, a bomb exploded at a Shia mosque right after the conclusion of Friday prayers. In this incident 60 people were reported dead and 50 reported injured. Many of the people were killed by the blast but numerous others were killed and suffered injuries as a result of the roof of the mosque collapsing from the blast.
This chart exhibits how anti-Shiism is a relatively constant trend across these countries as deaths of Shia tend to hover around ten per day. Deviations from this trend sadly come when there is a mass casualty event such as the mosque bombing in Pakistan and the three large explosions in Shia neighborhoods of Baghdad.
Although the news may report incidents of terrorism as sporadic events, when one looks at the data compiled for incidents of violence and intimidation against Shia it is clear that terrorism is a daily occurrence in these countries.

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Human Rights NGO call for Nabeel Rajab’s charge to be dropped

Nabeel_Rajab19 January 2015, Human rights activist are getting attacked in different countries and many of them face false accusation from their government, Nabeel Rajab is one of those Human Rights activist who have arrested several time for defending the rights of his country “Bahrain” and accused for seeking freedom of speech and rights of citizenship he is expected to be present in the court on January 20th for his tweet.

On 19th of January, Shia Rights Watch among 58 other human rights organization have issued a statement to the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States and other national and international bodies for dismiss Nabeel Rajab case and apply pressure to release all human rights activist.

Verdict Expected for Nabeel Rajab 20 January, NGOs Call for Charges to be Dropped

19 January 2015 – On 20 January, a verdict is expected in the trial of Nabeel Rajab, a prominent Bahraini activist and internationally recognized human rights defender. President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Deputy Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and a member of Human Rights Watch’s Advisory Board, Rajab is charged with insulting public institutions via Twitter. The undersigned NGOs strongly condemn the politically motivated prosecution of and judicial attack against Nabeel Rajab and call on the Government of Bahrain to drop all charges against the peaceful human rights defender.

On 1 October 2014, Rajab presented himself to Bahrain’s General Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) upon receiving a summons for questioning, where he was arrested after hours of interrogation regarding one of histweets. Rajab had just returned to Bahrain from a months-long advocacy tour, which included appearances at the 27th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and the European Parliament in Brussels, as well as meetings with foreign ministries throughout Europe. Charged with insulting public institutions under article 216 of Bahrain’s penal code, Rajab was granted bail on 2 November 2014, but was banned from leaving the country.

Rajab has won many international awards for his human rights work, including the Ion Ratiu Democracy award, presented by the Woodrow Wilson Center, and the British Silbury prize to “facilitate his on-going humanitarian and human rights work.” In 2013, Rajab and BCHR were awarded the Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize, an annual recognition of those who have devoted their lives to promote democracy and respect for human rights. Rajab was unable to attend the ceremony, as he was imprisoned in Bahrain for his activism.

The international community’s response to the current charges leveled against Rajab has been monumental in denouncing the CID and Bahraini government for their actions. Over 100 NGOs and civil society organizations, as well as members of the European Parliament, the UK Parliament and the United States congress have called for the charges against Rajab to be dropped. The United States, Norway, France and the United Nations all made public statements supporting Rajab and called on Bahrain to respect freedom of expression and free public debate.

Rajab is one of many Bahrainis who have been victimized by the government’s intensified campaign to silence dissent through judicial harassment and the improper use of judicial and police powers. On 28 December, Sheikh Ali Salman, General-Secretary of Bahrain’s largest opposition party Al-Wefaq,was arrested for his political and human rights activism. Earlier in December, human rights defender Zainab al-Khawajawas sentenced to four years in prison for insulting the king and ripping up his picture, while her sister Maryam al-Khawaja, Director of Advocacy of the Gulf Center for Human Rights,was sentenced to one year in prison forallegedly assaulting a police officer during her arrest in August 2014. These are a few of the many Bahrainis who have been wrongfully arbitrarily detained, charged, or sentenced for peacefully exercising rights protected by, inter alia, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). These including rights to freedom of expression (ICCPR and UDHR art. 19), assembly (ICCPR art. 21; UDHR art. 20), association (ICCPR art. 22; UDHR art. 20) and the right to take part in public affairs (ICCPR art. 25; UDHR art. 21).

The aforementioned organizations call on the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States and other national and international bodies to:

  • Publicly call for the dismissal of the charges against human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, as well as the removal of restrictions to his international travel;
  • Apply pressure on the Government of Bahrain to halt any further judicial harassment of Nabeel Rajab and other human rights defenders in Bahrain;
  • Apply pressure on the Government of Bahrain to drop all charges against all charged or sentenced for exercising their internationally protected human rights;
  • Apply pressure on the Government of Bahrain to release all political prisoners;
  • Urge the Bahraini government to repeal laws that infringe upon internationally protect rights;
  • Urge the Government of Bahrain to end reprisals against human rights defenders; and
  • Urge the Government of Bahrain to ensure that civil society organizations and human rights defenders in Bahrain may conduct their work without fear of retaliation or reprisal.

Signatories:

  1. Activists Organisation For Development And Human Rights
  2. American for Democracy and Human rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)
  3. Africa Freedom Of Information Centre
  4. Albadeel Center For Studies And Research
  5. Alliance For Tunisia’s Women
  6. Aman Network For Rehabilitation & Defending Human Rights
  7. Asociación Por Los Derechos Civiles
  8. Bahrain 19
  9. Bahrain Press Association
  10. Bahrain Salam For Human Rights
  11. Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
  12. Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD)
  13. Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR)
  14. Bytes For All, Pakistan
  15. Cairo Institute For Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
  16. Cartoonists Rights Network International
  17. Center For Media Freedom & Responsibility
  18. Centre For Independent Journalism (CIJ) Malaysia
  19. Chokri Belaid Foundation To Combat Violence
  20. Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
  21. European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights (EBOHR)
  22. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
  23. European Saudi Organisation For Human Rights
  24. Freedom Forum
  25. Freedom House
  26. Gulf Center For Human Rights (GCHR)
  27. Globe International Center
  28. Initiative For Freedom Of Expression – Turkey
  29. Institut Studi Arus Informasi (ISAI)
  30. International Centre For Supporting Rights And Freedom
  31. International Press Institute (IPI)
  32. Jordanian Commission For Culture And Democracy
  33. Khiam Rehabilitation Center For Victims Of Torture
  34. Kuwait Human Right Institute
  35. Kuwait Human Right Society
  36. Lawyers Rights Watch Canada (LRWC)
  37. MADA – Palestinian Center For Development & Media Freedoms
  38. Maharat Foundation- Lebanon
  39. Media Watch , Bangladesh
  40. MENA Monitoring Group
  41. National Union Of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
  42. Nidal Tagheer Organisation For Defending Rights (Yemen)
  43. No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ – Italy)
  44. Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational And Transparty (NRPTT – Italy)
  45. Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
  46. PEN American Center
  47. PEN International
  48. Réseau Avocats Sans Frontières
  49. Shia Right Watch
  50. Sudanese Development Imitative
  51. Syrian Nonviolence Movement
  52. The Arabic Network For Human Rights Information (ANHRI)
  53. The Independent Journalism Center (Moldova)
  54. The World Association Of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
  55. Tunisian Association For The Rehabilitation Of Prisoners
  56. Tunisian Centre For Transitional Justice
  57. Tunisian National Council For Liberties
  58. UN Ponte Per (Italy)

Condemning Terrorist Attack on French

Number: 910

Date: January 7, 2015

The Embassy of France
4101 Reservoir Road Northwest,

Washington, DC 20007

We at Shia Rights Watch are deeply saddened by murderous acts of the three gunmen at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris today. The murder of the 12 people and the wounding of 11 others is an act of terror that has no place in the world we live in. Our prayers are with the people and families of those affected by this shooting.

The content of Charlie Hebdo may not be popular in religious communities but disdain need not have violent manifestations. All people must respect freedom of expression and taking the lives of innocent people is not permitted in any religion.

We at Shia Rights Watch condemn the actions taken by these terrorists. Unfortunately terrorism is something the international community has witnessed a great deal of over the past year. In fact, more Shia Muslims were killed last year in terror attacks than any other demographic group.

Just as violent attacks against Shia communities around the world have not quelled their peaceful calls for justice, the attacks committed today will not spell the end of Charlie Hebdo. We all want to live in a world safe from harm in which we can express ourselves in the greatest extent possible, and we need to honor this tragedy by making sure we live up to our expectations. We thank you for your service to the people of France and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Mustafa Akhwand

Director of Shia Rights Watch

The Shia in Yemen

The Shia In Yemen

This Shia Rights Watch report entitled “The Shia in Yemen”, documents incidents of violence and intimidation against Shia Muslims in Yemen. Documenting cases until the end of 2014, the report gives a detailed account of how Shia have been targeted because of their religious beliefs.

Kidnappings, murders, and illegal detentions have occured periodically during the Sada’a Wars between 2004 and 2010 and after the Arab Spring in 2011.

 

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Eker, Siege of Human Rights

Ali_MakiEker is small village located about 13 mile south of Capital Manama, Bahrain. Many people were arrested, tortured and killed in this small village with allegation of being opposition to the ruling government.

Government of Bahrain accused many people of creating homemade bomb and released the video of bombing that was not verified by anyone except Bahraini government not even Human rights organization could verify the authenticity of the videos and allegation.

False allegation and convicting citizens to crime they never committed is not new to Bahraini governments. They have arrested many people under those allegations.

On December 27th, 2014, once again government deployed police in SUVs and armored vehicles in addition to helicopter to Eker. Salam Eisa and Ali Maki were two young Shia Muslims who were arrested and beat up in the street according to eye witnesses.

In addition to this brutal arrest, government police who are mostly Pakistani origin attacked the Shia ritual center (Husseiniya), and house of Shakir abul Rasoul Ali as his family witnessed.

Bahraini government taking advantage of international committee silence and committing crimes against their own citizens. Unless there is strong message from United Nation and international committee, Bahraini government would not stop these inhumane action toward their citizens.

Shia Rights Watch urges the United Nation council to take action toward prevention of arresting innocent people.

Skakir_Abdul_Rasoul Salman_Eisa

Shiekh Ali Salman aressted by Bahrin Government

Shaikh Ali SalmanShia Rights Watch strongly condemn the Bahraini government’s detention Shaikh Salman, SRW concerned about the recent arrest of Human Rights Activists and courts decision toward Shia population in the country.

Since Bahrain Rights described the situation in depth we decided to use their content to inform you about situation regarding Sheikh Ali Salman:

On the morning of 28 December, Shaikh Salman went to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where he was arrested and interrogated. The CID refused his lawyers entry twice before eventually granting one lawyer access to Shaikh Salman’s interrogation. Shaikh Ali Salman and his lawyer were told that the CID would transfer him to the Office of the Public Prosecution. However, according to available information, he was never taken to the Public Prosecution and the MOI has ordered his ongoing detention.

Shaikh Ali Salman’s lawyers stated that he is accused of inciting hatred against the government, calling for the government the regime using force, religiously sanctioning youths to disobey the government, insulting the judiciary and the executive power, inciting hatred against an unspecified group of people, seeking external support, broadcasting false information and news that may cause panic, and breaching security and participating in gatherings and protests causing economic harm.

“The silence of the international community contributed to the arrest of Shaikh Ali Salman, as it also contributes to the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain,” said BCHR President Nabeel Rajab. “With this high-profile arrest, however, the Government of Bahrain has gone too far in targeting its peaceful critics.”

Al-Wefaq, along with other opposition parties, boycotted parliamentary elections that took place earlier this year. The political society last participated in parliamentary elections in 2010, when it won 18 of the 40 seats in parliament and more than 60% of votes. However, the 18 Members of Parliament aligned with al-Wefaq resigned in 2011 in response to the Bahraini government’s violent response to protesters. Since then, government authorities have repeatedly targeted Al-Wefaq Society and its members for their political opposition and human rights activism.

Shia rights watch urge the Bahraini government to immediately release Shaikh Ali Salman and all other political activists in Bahraini prisons.

Assassination of Shia Cleric Dr. Abdul Kadir Muwaya (Saud)

shiarightswatch.org_abdulghader_saudOn Thursday December 26, 2014 (Christmas Day) 9:30 local time, Dr Abdul Kadir Muwaya (Saud) Was shot dead by unidentified man. According to local police Dr. Muwaya was exiting from Thursday night program in Buyemba village, Bukatuube sub-county when motorcycle shot him dead and ran away.

Mayuge district police commander Caroline Akoth said investigations are under way. Scholar Muwaya was well known to him community for his service at Ahlul Bait Islamic Foundation (ABIF), which is center for needy family and protecting children who in need.

Shia News Wire_#16

December 18, 2014

SRW Thanks Iraqi Forces for Creating Safe Arba’een for Pilgrims

Shia Rights Watch expresses its appreciations for all Iraqi forces that helped securing this country during most important and largets human gathering in this country. This year Iraqi security forces managed to create safest Arba’een so far as about three million Shia and non-Shia visited Iraq. While the threat of ISIS and other terrorist groups has increased in Iraq, millions of people travelled to this country to participate in Arba’een commemorations. Iraqi forces were able to secure all roads ending to Karbala, Najaf and other holy cities in this country.

Although according to news agencies anti-Shia terrorist groups killed one Shia pilgrim and wounded four as they were walking towards Karbala with a bomb the number is 94% less tan last year as 18 million people visited Iraq for the same commemoration and about 95 were killed and 200 wounded by anti-Shia terrorist groups.

This agency hopes other countries such as Pakistan use Iraqi model to reduce pilgrims’killings.

Every year hundreds of Shia pilgrims lose their lives during different Shia rituals and commmorations. This year’s model and effort proves such killings can be prevented if all forces in and out the country work together.

Shia Prevented from Joining Arba’een Commemoration

As Shia Muslims visited Iraq to commemorate Arba’een, neighbouring countries prevented some Shia to join such ritual. Bahraini government arrested 19 Shia Muslims at King Fahad Bridge on their way to Iraq. Others who chose to travel through Manama airport were also questioned by airport officials.

Some Shia also reported that Indian governmnet suspended passports of number of well-known Shia clerics to prevent them from joing piliglims in Iraq.

Shia Muslims have always faced problems from their governments when traveling for pilgrimages.

Saudi Forces Raided Shia Areas, Again

Saudi forces raided houses belinging to relatives of Shia Mulsims who were killed by forces in Qatif. One of the raides was to Basim al-Kudeihi’s grand father.

In different areas such as Awwamiya town the forces arrested a minor, Hassan Mohammad Al Toheifa’, who is 15 years old.

Shia News Wire_#15

December 12, 2014

Islamic State executes Shia militiamen north of Baghdad

On Sunday, militants from the Islamic State executed 12 Shia militiamen in a rural village north of Baghdad. The executions occurred in the village of Tal al-Thahab which is near the town of Balad which is roughly 50 miles north of Baghdad. These executions occurred at the head of an offensive by Shia militias and Iraqi security forces against Islamic State forces in the country. The offensive drove Islamic State fighters from their base in the Tal al-Thahab police stations but the militants regrouped and surrounded the police station trapping dozens of both security forces and militants inside. Although the siege on the police station would later be broken by security forces, militants from the Islamic State would end up killing at 12 Shia militiamen. In addition to those killed, are 10 Shia militiamen who were reported missing as well.

Shia killed an another injured in two separate attacks in Pakistan

A Shia man was kidnapped, tortured, and later killed in the Lower Kurrum Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Area in Pakistan last week. Jabir Hussain of Parachinar, Pakistan was kidnapped by militants from the Taliban and ASWJ. After killing Hussain, the militants disposed of his body outside before it was recovered by authorities. Shia communities in the Lower Kurrum Agency are demanding that the group ASWJ be included in the Pakistani security force offensive to rid the tribal areas of extremist groups which has been called Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Last week it was also reported that militants from ASWJ and Lashkar-e-jhangvi attacked yet another Shia doctor. Dr. Baqar Raza was attacked and injured in the North Nazimabad section of Karachi’s central district after being targeted by these groups. This attack comes in the midst of a coordinated campaign by extremist groups in the country to murder Shia doctors.

Nine Shia fighters killed in Suicide car bomb

On Wednesday, an explosive-laden vehicle drove into a gathering of Shia militia volunteers before detonating and killing nine people and injuring 13 others. This attack occurred in a small town roughly 12 miles south of the city of Tikrit. Although no group has yet t claim responsibility for the attack, people note that fighting between government forces and militants from the Islamic State have increased in the past few days. Government forces and Shia militias have been able to push Islamic State forces out of many of their previously held positions in the eastern part of the country; they still hold notable cities like Tikrit and Mosul in the north.

Shia trader killed in Peshawar

Last Friday, Siraj Hussain who is a Shia merchant from the Gulbahar area of Pakistan was shot and killed by armed gunmen. Hussain who was in Peshwar shopping with his friends, was approached by armed men on a motorcycle who proceeded to open fire. Hussain was rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital but he would succumb to his gunshot wounds. The militants were able to flee the scene of the crime and have yet to be apprehended by Pakistani security forces.

Terrorists assassinate a Shia, and injure another in Karachi

Last Friday militants ambushed two Shia civilians in Karachi; killing one and critically injuring the other. Ghulam Hussain and Jafar were entering a car in the Korangi’s Zaman Town area of Karachi when militants from either ASWJ or LeJ attacked them. Witnesses say that militants arrived at the scene and began sporadically firing at the car before fleeing the scene. Ghulam Hussain was killed and Jafar Ali would be rushed to the hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment for his sustained gunshot injuries. Shia parties in the city condemned this attack as this is the third such attack in the last 10 days. The Shia community in Pakistan is calling for Pakistani Security forces to do more to protect the lives of their community members.

ISIS fire targeting Shia pilgrims kill schoolgirl

On Tuesday ISIS militants launching an attack on Shia pilgrims on the Kirkuk-Tuz Khurmatu road in Iraq hit a bus carrying schoolgirls with a rocket. This attack killed a schoolgirl and wounded two others. The Shia pilgrims traveling along this road were heading to the shrine of Imam Hussein for an important anniversary at the time of the attack. This anniversary known as arbayeen marks the end of the 40 day mourning period for the death of the Imam. Shia mark this anniversary by traveling to Najaf, the Kirkuk-Tuz Khurmatu road is a popular route for Shia pilgrims.

Arrests of Militants in Pakistan

The Pakistani security forces reported on Friday that they had arrested 63 criminals, 12 of which they claim have confessed to various crimes that extremist groups have carried out in the country. In addition to the arrests, Pakistani security forces seized numerous unlicensed weapons and ammunition in raids throughout Peshawar. The spokesman for the Peshawar police said that 16 of the 63 arrested were Afghan nationals who were taken into custody due to their illegal residence in the country. Of the weapons recovered, 53 pistols and two Kalashnikovs were among the stash. It has not been disclosed if any of those arrested had any connection to the string of Shia killings throughout the country.

Report documents number of killed by terrorists in November

A report released by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and BBC this week reveals that more than 5,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in November. Those killed in terrorist attacks were mostly civilians and overwhelmingly Muslim. 60 percent of the deaths in November were at the hands of militants from the Islamic State and Boko Haram. The Islamic State was the deadliest group in November by far with 2,206 deaths attributed to them; Boko Haram which was second has 801 deaths attributed to them. The bulk of attacks occurred in Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan. While not included in the report, it is worth noting that Shia Muslims have suffered disproportionately from these attacks in November as groups like the Islamic State and Boko Haram have deliberately carried out attacks against Shia groups as Muharram commemorations commenced.

 

UN Complaint