A bomb exploded while children dismissed from a Shia school in Shia neighbourhood of Aktameh, Homs.
Immediately after the first explosion, when people gathered to rescue the children, a suicide bomber detonated killing 18 and wounding 56 people.
SRW strongly condemns killing children in Syria. Minors in Syria have been mostly affected as many lost their care givers, residence and access to education and nutrition.
American Shia Citizens are urged to call or email The United State Embassy in case of any discrimination by Saudi authorities during Hajj.
American Muslims enjoy more protection during this Haj year thanks to many Muslim NGO s that joined Muslim Advocates in their collective efforts to put pressure on U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the State Department to help keep American Muslims safe during Haj. In response State Department agreed to Counsellor’s General on call staff in Saudi Arabia and met with Saudi officials to discuss the issue with them.
Consulate General in Jeddah
Phone: 012-667-0080
Email: JeddahACS@state.gov
Embassy in Riyadh
011-488-3800
Note: If you are using your US number or you relative calling on your behalf from US you need to dial country code 966 before calling.
Example: +966 12 667 0080
October 02, 2014
Shia Rights Watch and Muslim Public Affairs Council successfully had their briefing on ISIS and its threat on the Capitol Hill on Monday the 29th.
The briefing focused on U.S policy to degrade and defeat ISIS including the recent airstrikes in Syria. Also the panelist addressed the issue of Americans and Europeans traveling aboard to join ISIS. The second panel focused on the testimonials from three different targeted populations in Iraq. Representatives from Shia Muslims, Iraqi Ezidis and Christians had an opportunity to share their experience and pain with audience.
Number of congressman’s staffers, university professors, human rights activist and religious leaders were among audience.
For both Christina and Ezidi leaders it was the first time that two Muslim NGOs have invited them to express their pain along with others. SRW believes all minorities and impacted communities must come together in order to defeat extremists. This organization is thank full to MPAC for their co-sponsorship and hopes to see more NGOs join the coalitions against terrorists.
Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights activist, was arrested upon his return from advocacy human rights tour to Europe yesterday. Sources believe he was arrested because he has tweeted that number of Bahrainis who had joined ISIS come from state security institutions.
Nabeel has served three years in Bahraini prison for his advocacy activities and was released recently.
Bahraini government has always oppressed Shia Muslims and its recent arrests of peaceful advocates such as Nebeel Rajab and Mariam Al Khawaja emphasizes that this kingdom does not intend to commit to its promises regarding reforms. toward freedom and democracy.
Violence peaks in Iraq as the day of Arafa (عرفة) gets closer. Three cars exploded in Shia area of Baghdad. The explosions killed 13 and wounded 39 according to local hospital.
Arafa is a day when Shia Muslims travel to Karbala, Iraq to visit shrines. Thousands of Shia are expected to visit Karbla on Saturday. Although ISIS and other anti-Shia groups have tried to target the shrine sin Iraq, the Iraqi civilians have protected their religious sites.
SRW urges Iraqi forces to protect pilgrims who travel to this country on especial occasions. So far many Shia pilgrims have been killed while visiting this country.
American Muslims enjoy more protection during this Haj year thanks to many Muslim NGO s that joined Muslim Advocates in their collective efforts to put pressure on U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the State Department to help keep American Muslims safe during Haj.
Saudi authorities have failed to protect safety of American Muslims, especially Shia groups who attend Haj.
During 2013 Haj season a Shia Muslim group from Dearborn. The pilgrims where assaulted threatened. Saudi authorities did not take any action to protect this groups, instead forced witnesses to delete their phone recordings of the attack.
Shia pilgrims have been under pressure from Saudi kingdom and other anti-Shia groups. Number of them have complained being attacked, searched, insulted and degraded by Saudi guards when praying or visiting historical sites.
SRW, which is one of the signatory, of the Muslim Advocates letter to Kerry hopes this year Shia Muslims enjoy more freedom and protection.
State Department agreed to Counsellor’s General on call staff in Saudi Arabia and met with Saudi officials to discuss the issue with them.
A bomb exploded while children dismissed from a Shia school in Shia neighbourhood of Aktameh, Homs.
Immediately after the first explosion, when people gathered to rescue the children, a suicide bomber went off killing 18 and wounding 56 people.
SRW strongly condemns killing children in Syria. Minors in Syria have been mostly affected as many lost their care givers, residence and access to education and nutrition.
Saudi government banns Muslims to take their personal Quran into the Mosque. Previously this government prohibited Shia and other sects of Salam to have their prayer books and Turbah ( prayer stone) during Hajj.
Turbah is a small piece of soil or clay, often a clay tablet, used by Shia Muslims during prayer to symbolize earth.
Every year Shia pilgrims complain that their prayer stone and prayer books have been demolished by Saudi authorities at the airport upon entering this country. According to Dar al-Akhbar news website this year Saudi bans Quran copies accompanied by the Pilgrims. SRW believes Saudi kingdom is violating every pilgrim’s rights and freedom of religion. Hajj is one of the most universal gathering of Muslims and each sects must be allowed to practice Hajj accourding to their believes.
Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights activist, was arrested again a few hours ago in Bahrain. He will face Public Prosecution tomorrow. Rajab has been arrested several times and tortured in Bahraini jail many times.
His supporters created #FreeNabeel hashtag campaign to advocate for his rights.
Shia Rights Watch and Muslim Public Affairs Council successfully had their briefing on ISIS and its threat on the Capitol Hill on Monday the 29th.
The briefing focused on U.S policy to degrade and defeat ISIS including the recent airstrikes in Syria. Also the panelist addressed the issue of Americans and Europeans traveling aboard to join ISIS. The second panel focused on the testimonials from three different targeted populations in Iraq. Representatives from Shia Muslims, Iraqi Ezidis and Christians had an opportunity to share their experience and pain with audience.
Number of congressman’s staffers, university professors, human rights activist and religious leaders were among audience.
Panel One:
Jomana Qaddour addressed the improvements of ISIS in Syria,
Haris Tarin addressed the underlying problems that attracts youth to ISIS such as “Jihadi Cool” effect, mental health and restoring dignity,
Panel Two:
Dakhil Shammo Elias, representative of Iraqi Ezidi community shared the status of his community and also explained historical oppression of Ezidi community in Iraq,
Martin Manna, representative of Iraqi Chaldean community talked about displacement of Christian population in Iraq, and
Kadhim Al-Waeli, the representative of Iraqi Shia explained Shia targeted killings and human rights violations by ISIS in this country.
For both Christian and Ezidi leaders it was the first time that two Muslim NGOs have invited them to express their pain along with others. SRW believes all minorities and impacted communities must come together in order to defeat extremists. This organization is thank full to MPAC for their co-sponsorship and hopes to see more NGOs join the coalitions against terrorists.
Violence peaks in Iraq as the day of Arafa (عرفة) gets closer. Three cars exploded in Shia area of Baghdad. The explosions killed 13 and wounded 39 according to local hospital.
Arafa is a day when Shia Muslims travel to Karbala, Iraq to visit shrines. Thousands of Shia are expected to visit Karbla on Saturday. Although ISIS and other anti-Shia groups have tried to target the shrine sin Iraq, the Iraqi civilians have protected their religious sites.
SRW urges Iraqi forces to protect pilgrims who travel to this country on especial occasions. So far many Shia pilgrims have been killed while visiting this country
Understanding the ISIS Threat
Monday, September 29, 2014
Cannon Caucus Room: 304 Cannon House Office Building
12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
How is ISIS impacting policy and living circumstances in Iraq and Syria? A conference cosponsored by SRW and MPAC will explore this important question. This briefing will focus on U.S. policy to degrade and defeat ISIS including the recent air strikes in Syria targeting ISIS, and addressing the issue of Americans traveling abroad to fight with terrorist groups. The briefing will also focus on the persecuted communities targeted by ISIS in both Iraq and Syria.
Two panels’ discussions will focus on policy and on-ground experiences of Iraqi targeted populations. Well known policy experts and researchers are gathered to share their perspectives about the impact of ISIS in Middle East. Also native Iraqi Shia, Christian and Ezidi will share their experiences as members of targeted population by ISIS.
Panel One: Assessing U.S. Policy
Panel Two: Testimonies from Persecuted Communities
No: 902
Date: September 19, 2014
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
President Barack Obama,
We at Shia Rights Watch write this letter to you to express our dismay at the violence against Shia populations in South-West Asia. Shia communities in Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria are in fear because of brutal attacks from terrorist groups on the basis of their religious affiliation.
Shia Rights Watch represents the numerous and diverse human rights concerns of the Shia population here in the United States which numbers between 200,000 and 400,000 people as well as the concerns of Shia abroad.
In Pakistan, attacks from terrorist groups such as Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal-Jammat (ASWJ), which is affiliated with the Taliban, have killed dozens of innocent Pakistani Shia in Karachi. Our figures show that close to 500 Shia have been killed in Pakistan this year.
In Iraq, ISIS has carried out a systematic murder campaign against Shia populations throughout the cities of Baghdad, Mosul, and Najaf. Suicide bombings and beheadings have enhanced the fear of Shia civilians in the country. A car bomb near the Al-Mubarak mosque in the Karradah area of Baghdad which is predominately Shia killed 8 people and injured 18 others. The death toll for Shia in this country is close to 8,000 for 2014.
What the world has witnessed in 2014 against Shia populations around the world has not been a culmination of isolated events, but rather the violent manifestation of anti-Shia sentiment which has been intensifying in recent years.
The Shia communities of the United States and abroad urge you to stand up for the religious freedom of Shia Muslims through two main actions. First we urge you to work with the U.S. Department of State to add Pakistan to the list of countries of Particular Concern for religious freedom. Lastly we urge you to voice your support for a congressional resolution supporting the protection of the religious freedom of Shia Muslims throughout South-West Asia.
Sincerely,
Alan Williams
Director of Legislative Affairs
Shia Rights Watch
Pressure and threat on Shia Iraqi increases as US and France carry out airstrikes on ISIS. More than five explosions in Shia populated areas of Baghdad killed 40 and wounded more than 50 today.
A series of car bombings targeting a Shia mosque and markets in the Iraqi capital killed at least 20 people on Friday.
In the day’s deadliest attack, a parked explosives-packed car detonated near the al-Mubarak mosque in central Baghdad’s mostly Shia district of Karradah, killing eight people and wounding 18 others.
Cars later exploded in two outdoor markets, one in the Shia suburb of Nahrawan and the other in the Shia district of Bayaa. The attacks together killed nine people and wounded 23, according to police.
Just south of Baghdad, yet another car bomb went off on a parking lot in Mahmoudiyah town, killing three and wounding 10, said police.
The attacks came a day after Baghdad Security official reported to IraqiNews.com “Mortar shells hit a security headquarter in Kadhimiya city of northern Baghdad on Thursday evening.”
The source said to IraqiNews.com “The mortar shells hit a security headquarter in Kadhimiya city without identifying the casualties.”
On the same day a car bomb exploded near A’ema Bridge that caused 11 deaths and injuries.
Although many blame ISIS for the explosions, they are not new to Shia communities. Shia of Iraq have always been attacked by anti-Shia groups and the presence of ISIS only increased the numbers.
Today, Bahrain’s high criminal court ordered the release of Mariam Al Khawaja. The interior ministry stated, “In accordance with an order from the high criminal court, Mariam Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja was released dependent on a guarantee of her place of residence,” she is also banned from exiting Bahrain. Mariam was arrested on August 30th from the International Airport. She was entering Bahrain in order to visit his imprisoned father.
Mariam holds Danish passport, yet the government of Denmark has not protected her against the discriminations she is facing in Bahrain.
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