Increased Threat in Muharam

Four cars exploded in Karbala, Iraq on October 20^th claimed 20 lives and injured 40 Shia Muslims.

Bab Baghdad, Towairage and Hay al Hussain are areas in which the explosions took place.

Security threat and unrest increases as Shia Muslims prepare for the month of Moharam.

Shia targeted killings and violations spikes every year in the first month of lunar calendar, as Shia Muslims participate in Muharram campaign. Muharram campaign is the very first universal campaign against violence and discrimination that was initiated by Shia Muslims after the tragedy of Karbala in the month of Muharram of 680 CE. In 2013 may Shia Muslims lost their lives in explosions and many were arrested in different countries as their anti-Shia governments attacked their rituals.

Millions of Shia travel to Iraq in the month of Muharam.

Shia News Wire_#9

October 16, 2014

Ezidi Leader Thanks Shia Muslims for their Support

Anawr Muawiyah, the leader of Ezidi community in Germany thanked Shia Muslims for their support. In his interview with Alarabiya TV stated Sunni and ISIS killed our men, kidnapped our children and sold our women but Shia businessmen bought 40 of the women and returned them to their families. He continued Shia are only group that stood with Eizidis in Iraq. In its briefing on Capitol Hill, SRW, hosted Dakhil Shammo Elias founder of American Ezidi Center in US and create opportunity for this community to share their pain and issues in Iraq with audience. All minorities who have been targeted by ISIS must unite and support each other in their fight against this terrorist group, says Mustafa Akhwand, director of SRW.

Saudi Court Sentences Shiekh Nemer Al-Nemer

The criminal court in Riyadh issued death sentence for Shiekh Nemer Al-Nemer, a prominent Shia scholar on October 15th, 2015. Shiekh Nemer was arrested on July 8 because of his critique towards the Saudi government after he was shot. ctivists believe Saudi government is showing its strength against pro-democracy protestors by sentencing Shiekh Nemer.

Shia Rights Watch condemned the decision saying it is another proof that this kingdom has not taken any step towards reform.

Saudi government has been oppressing its Shia minority and arrested number of Shia scholars in past.

Shiekh Nemer is a representative of Shia Muslims and rights activist who has been under pressure by the government.

According to his attorney DR Sadiq al-Jobran “such decision is based on faulty accusations and is political”. Saudi Authorities deny the oppression against Shia minority and accuse them for undermining national unity.

The organization demands justice for Shiekh Nemer and all Shia imprisons in Saudi Arabia. Also, SRW invites all human rights agencies and pro-democracy governments to show their opposition toward the Saudi court’s decision and support Shia minority in Saudi where most human rights violations take place.

Bloody Eid in Pakistan

Shia of Pakistan had bloody Eid al-Adha as 11 Shia Muslims killed and 47 wounded in different explosions. Explosions took place in busy markets places in Hazara Town as people were shopping for Eid celebrations.

Number of vehicles and shops were damaged as the result. Shia targeted killings have long history in Pakistan where the government fails to protect this population.

Gathering in Opposition to Speicher Manslaughter

Iraqi Shia gathered in front t of the Whitehouse to support victims of Camp Speicher.

In June 2014, during the mass manslaughter executed in Tikrit, ISIS killed 1700 Shia Muslims in a single day at Camp Speicher. Hundreds of Shia Muslims, mostly Iraqis, gathered in front of the Whitehouse as they lighted 1700 candles and demanded investigations.

Number of Shia NGOs, such as SRW, attended this event.

“Shia are not Majority in Bahrain”, Claims Bahrain’s Ministry of Information

In interview with DW news agency, Sameera Rajab, representative of Bahrain’s Ministry of Information, claimed Shia are not majority of population in Bahrain. She furthermore explained that there is no evidence that most of the Bahrainis are Shia and media outlets manipulated the truth.

In June 2014 she had expressed her support for ISIS and stated that name ISIS is used in media as a cover up for Iraqis’ will of freedom and democracy. In 2013 she criticized US Department of State’s human rights report in Bahrain and said, “The report includes texts which are totally far from the truth, adopting a manner that fuels terror and terrorists targeting Bahrain’s national security”. Sameera’s claim is against all researches that sate Bahrain is a Shia majority country led by Sunni minority. Bahraini government has revoked citizenship of number of Shia human rights activists since Arab Spring. Also it eased the citizenship process for non-Shia foreigners in order to change the population demography.

Bahraini government openly rejects history and population of Shia in this country in order to justify its human rights violations toward this population, says SRW.

UK to Deport Pakistani Shia Activist to Pakistan Despite Death Threats

On October 14, British authorities announced that it planned to deport Liaquat Ali Hazara to Quetta, Pakistan on October 21^st. Ali Hazara is a campaigner for a Shia minority group in Pakistan. He has been living in Britain since 2012 where he claimed asylum. Hazara was denied asylum on three separate occasions and now the British government plans to send him back to Pakistan. It has been documented that Hazara has been receiving death threats from the Taliban and they have been stalking him online. The Taliban even know his home address in Pakistan. While the UK says the threat on his life is only coming from his hometown of Quetta, this has been disproven as death threats have been traced from Karachi and Hyderabad which are hundreds of miles away from Quetta. Although the UK stated that the threats are emanating from Quetta, they plan to fly him to that town. Shia Rights Watch is outraged by the actions taken by the British government in Hazara’s case and is working with all responsible authorities to resolve this problem as this NGO is following up with the UK embassy in Washington DC to investigate the rationale behind UK’s decision.

Saudi Court Sentences Shiekh Nemer

The criminal court in Riyadh issued death sentence for Shiekh Nemer AlNemer, a prominent Shia scholar on October 15th, 2015. Shiekh Nemer was arrested on July 8 because of his critique towards the Saudi government after he was shot. Activists believe Saudi government is showing its strength against pro-democracy protestors by sentencing Shiekh Nemer.

Shia Rights Watch condemned the decision saying it is another proof that this kingdom has not taken any step towards reform. Saudi government has been oppressing its Shia minority and arrested number of Shia scholars in past.

Shiekh Nemer is a representative of Shia Muslims and rights activist who has been under pressure by the government. According to his attorney DR Sadiq al-jobran “such decision is based on faulty accusations and is political”. Saudi Authorities deny the oppression against Shia minority and accuse them for undermining national unity.

The organization demandsjustice for Shiekh Nemer and all Shia imprisons in Saudi Arabia. Also, SRW invites all human rights agencies and pro-democracy governments to show their opposition toward the Saudi court’s decision and support Shia minority in Saudi where most human rights violations take place.

18 Killed and 80 Wounded in Baghdad

Three car exploded in North West Baghdad killing 11 and wounding 32 Shia Muslims on Tuesday October 7th .

Another two people were killed and seven injured as another car exploded in Zafraniah, in south East Baghdad.

On Wednesday October 8^th two cars exploded in the City of Sadr, East Baghdad. The explosion killed five and wounded 41 Shia Muslims.

All explosions took place in Shia populated areas of Baghdad targeting this community.

Ezidi Leader Thanks Shia Muslims for their Support

Anawr Muawiyah, the leader of Ezidi community in Germany thanked Shia Muslims for their support. In his interview with Alarabiya TV stated Sunni and ISIS killed our men, kidnapped our children and sold our women but Shia businessmen bought 40 of the women and returned them to their families. He continued Shia are only group that stood with Eizidis in Iraq.

In its briefing on Capitol Hill, SRW, hosted Dakhil Shammo Elias founder of American Ezidi Center in US and create opportunity for this community to share their pain and issues in Iraq with audience. All minorities who have been targeted by ISIS must unite and support each other in their fight against this terrorist group says Mustafa Akhwand, director of SRW.

Bloody Eid in Pakistan

Shia of Pakistan had bloody Eid al-Adha as 11 Shia Muslims killed and 47 wounded in different explosions. Explosions took place in busy markets places in Hazara Town as people were shopping for Eid celebrations.

Number of vihicles and shops were damaged as the result. Shia targeted killings have long history in Pakistan where the government fails to protect this population

Two explosions in Pakistan’s Balochistan kill 10 Shias

At least 10 Pakistani Shia Muslims have been killed and dozens injured in two explosions in the Balochistan, police reports.

The first explosion took place in the Hazara Town area, close to a girl’s high school in the city of Quetta, leaving five Shias dead.

According to police officials, at least 17 people have been also wounded.

The second bombing took place in the northwestern region of Kohat, leaving at least five people dead.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet.

Besides these attacks, on Thursday October 2^nd, seven people-mostly Shias- were killed, and at least 11 were wounded when an explosive device hit a passenger bus outside the city of Peshawar.

15 Shia Soldiers Killed and 15 Wounded

Gunmen killed 10 Iraqi Shia soldiers in two separate attacks on Saturday in Diyala province northeast of the capital Baghdad, a military source said.

In the first attack, five soldiers were killed and 15 wounded when gunmen assaulted a military checkpoint north of the provincial capital of Baquba, the source said. Elsewhere north of Baquba, five members of a Shia militia allied to the army were killed when gunmen attacked one of their positions.

Suicide Car bomb Attack Kills 17 in Iraq

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden armored vehicle into houses used by Shia militiamen north of the Iraqi city of Samarra, killing at least 17 people, police and medical sources said Tuesday.

The police officer said the militiamen were monitoring the river to prevent Islamic State fighters coming from the east from crossing over to the west bank.

Samarra is a mainly Sunni city that is home to one of the holiest Shia Muslim sites in Iraq which is guarded by large contingents of Shia militiamen.

Suicide Attack in SW Pakistan, killing 3 and wounding 17

A suicide attacker has blown himself up in a Shia neighborhood in southwestern Pakistan, in the Hazara Town neighborhood in the city of Quetta, killing at least 3 people and wounding 17 on October 4th.

The police chief says the bomber detonated his explosives when he was stopped by a police at a checkpoint.

The neighborhood is dominated by Shiites and has experienced bombings and suicide attacks in the past by anti-Shia groups. .

Welcome to Shia Rights Watch

Ezidi Leader Thanks Shia Muslims for their Support

Saudi Court Sentences Shiekh Nemer Al-Nemer

Bloody Eid in Pakistan

Gathering in Opposition to Speicher Manslaughter

“Shia are not Majority in Bahrain”, Claims Bahrain’s Ministry of Information

UK to Deport Pakistani Shia Activist to Pakistan Despite Death Threats

Three car exploded in North West Baghdad killing 11 and wounding 32 Shia Muslims on Tuesday October 7th .

Another two people were killed and seven injured as another car exploded in Zafraniah, in south East Baghdad.

On Wednesday October 8th two cars exploded in the City of Sadr, East Baghdad. The explosion killed five and wounded 41 Shia Muslims.

All explosions took place in Shia populated areas of Baghdad targeting this community.

On Wednesday October 8^th two cars exploded in the City of Sadr, East Baghdad. The explosion killed five and wounded 41 Shia Muslims.