More 86 Shia Muslim killed and more that 200 wounded

Series of car bombings in Iraq killed more than 86 Shia Muslim and wounded more than 200 Shia across Iraq on Monday May 20, 2013.

According to the Iraqi authorities the number of Shia Muslims killed in the month of May increased to 200 Shia. Until now no one claimed responsibility for the bombing. Unfortunately Iraqi government until now could not secure the country and stop the violence toward innocent people especially in the cities with high number of pilgrims such and Kathimiya.

According to the witnesses people were targeted in the crowd area like restaurant, car parking and bazaar. “Around 9 people were in restaurant when I heard the explosion in fort of the store” one witness said to SRW reporter in Basra.

“Nothing has changed before we were getting arrested and abused by Sadam regime and now we are getting killed by the same people and same mentality” elder women said while she was crying for a loss of her son.

Shia Rights Watch condemn the targeting the Shia and urge the Iraqi Government to identify the terrorist who taking the life of the Shia Muslims in the country.

Is Saudi Arabia Censoring History?

Anti-Shi’ism has different forms in Saudi Arabia. This government has destroyed Shia mosques, detained Shia Muslims, closed private schools and now is trying to prevent Shia from remembrance of significant religious events in their long history.

The most recent example of this, is the government covering part of the Ka’ba that is called Rukn Yamani. Shia believe that the right corner of the Ka’ba was opened in a mysterious way more than 1400 years ago. The pregnant mother of the first Shia Muslims’ Imam, Imam Ali, entered the Ka’ba and delivered her baby inside it. Imam Ali is the only baby who was born inside the Ka’ba. This mysterious opening of the house of Ka’ba is a very well-known miracle amongst all Muslims. Every year millions of Muslims, Shia and Sunni, visit this site and remember the miracle.

As the annual birthday of Imam Ali is approaching on May 24^th, the Anti-Shia government of Saudi Arabia is showing its aim to censor any history related to the Shia Imams.

RW invites the Wahabbi government of Saudi Arabia to respect all humans and protect historical sites as they belong to all humanity.

Quran Classes Closed in Saudi Arabia

As discrimination against Shia Muslims grow in Saudi Arabia, authorities closed Quran classes. Number of kindergarten and schools were closed on May 17^thin Shia populatedarea of eastern province of Qatif. The government of Saudi Arabia has gradually closed, demolished and destroyed Shia Muslim historical sites and educational settings. The authorities raided number of private schools in Qatif and detained school staff and questioned them for hours.

The schools were private Quran classes and authorities have no right to interfere with their mission. SRW believes this act of the authorities is against citizens’ right to education and freedom of thoughts. Detentions of schools staff is also considered arbitrary arrest and is against the International Bill of Human Rights.

SRW urges the Saudi Arabia government to reopen the schools immediately and stop pressuring Shia Muslims. All citizens have the right to education and this act of the government is clear violations to many human rights articles.

Series of Attacks Across Iraq

A series of bomb explosions in Iraq caused more deaths amongst Shia Muslims of the Baghdad.

One bomb went off near a crowded bus stop in Sadr City neighborhood, killing nine people, including children and wounded 16.

Another bomb aimed to target polices patrol missed the target and killed two civilians and wounded 10 in the capital’s northern Chikok district.

The third bomb exploded in Baghdad’s eastern suburb of Kamaliya killing three civilians and wounding 14 others.

Thursday night, shortly after sunset, a suicide bomber set off his explosive belt near a Shia mosque in the city of Kirkuk after being prevented by guards from entering. Four people were killed and 42 were wounded in the attack that was apparently targeting Shia Muslims inside the mosque.

Violent acts aimed to increase sectarian dispute is increasing in Iraq. SRW believes Iraqi government should investigate the bombings and make sure all groups, majority Shia Muslims and minority Sunni, live in peace. The government should ensure that terrorists do not find opportunities to turn sectarian violence into bloodshed.

Africa: The New Host of Anti-Shi’ism?

A Shia Muslim man was shot killed in a ritual program on May 5^th, 2013. Musa Abubakar, a Shia Muslim man was targeted in the annual birthday of Lady Fatima, the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, in Suleja town of Niger State. He died on spot and the shooters drove away.

The Shia Muslims of the area have been celebrating this peaceful ritual for the last 15 years with no opposition from any group. Now, as anti-Shia violence is growing in different parts of the world, African Shia fear that the trend is spreading in their communities.

Some sources estimate that almost 10% of Muslims in Africa are Shia. SRW hopes this incident does not open doors to an anti-Shia trend in Africa. It is crucial for local governments and authorities to investigate the terror and prevent future Shia rights violations.

Another Bloody Day for Iraqi Shia Muslims

Wednesday May 15, 2013 was another deadly day in Iraq when two car bombs exploded in Shia populated area of Baghdad. The targeted bombs killed as many as 30 civilian.

Iraqis, who were oppressed under Sadam regime for many years, are now fighting each other for political preferences. Sunni extremist disappointed with the Shia lead government show their opposition violently. The extremists repeatedly target Iraqi Shia and their holy sites.

Shia Rights Watch condemns targeting innocent Shia Muslims by extremists. This organization believes all have the right to express their thoughts and take part in their government, however violent should not be used.

SRW invites all appositions in Iraq to practice their basic human rights without use of any violence.

Egypt and Growing Anti-Shi’ism

The rapid growth of anti-Shi’ism in Egypt raises many questions. No other country, even Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism was born and has been fed financially and ideologically, witnessed such a rapid anti-Shia growth. The trend increased even more after the beginning of the Egypt/Iran relationship since 2011. These countries did not have political relationships for last 30 years.

Shi’ism is not new in Egypt, but anti-Shi’ism is. Everyday more Egyptian Salafi clerks post their anti-Shia lectures and threats on YouTube and other social media outlets. Many Egyptian citizens believe Shia are not even Muslim. Some of them hold signs with anti-Shia messages and post their pictures on Facebook advocating for their opposition. Shia Muslims in Egypt do not feel safe. They have been arrested, expelled from school or threatened because of their faith. Many well known Salafi and Wahabbi clerics threaten to kill Shia Muslims and cut them in pieces. Media outlets invite citizens to report any Shia related activities they notice. Shia Muslims are viewed as “threat to nation’s security” although Shia Muslims have long history in Egypt and they never caused any dispute. It is critical to study roots of this increasing phenomenon and prevent Shia rights violations in this country.

One of the most common yet uneducated assumptions that some groups make is associating political region or government to Shia faith. If Egyptians dislike Iran, they should not associate this country with any faith, since Shi’ism has been practiced since the life of the Prophet of Islam. There are millions of Shia Muslims around the world. Shi’im is not limited to one country and Shia are free to hold any nationality.

In our diverse and media connected world it is not wise to associate any religion or faith to any political region or government.

Egyptians can choose to have or not to have political relationship with any country; however, they have no right to violate the basic human rights of Shia Muslims due to their political preferences.

SRW invites all, especially Egyptians, to stop human rights violations toward Shia Muslims. Human rights are inalienable and no one has the right to violate them.

Pakistan Untold Stories

Washington DC — Shia Rights Watch is releasing a report cataloging human rights abuses against the Shia Muslims Minority in Pakistan on May 6, 2013.
This 28-page report details violations to the Shia Muslim minority of Pakistan. The report is based on Interviews, site visits, news articles, NGO, and human rights reports. Accoutering to the report hundreds of Shia Muslims lost their lives in 2012 as a result of violation to religious freedom, intolerance, and freedom of anti-Shia terrorist groups in Pakistan. The government’s failure to protect Shia Muslim and raising violations toward Shia Muslim is endangering hundreds of Pakistani citizens and must be stopped now.
Journalists, researchers, and human rights advocates interested in obtaining a copy before the release of the report may contact the organization directly.
SRW, is a non-profit, non-governmental entity which defends Shia Muslim rights around the world.

New Trends in Syria

In an ancient area of Syria, where some historical sites date to more than a thousand years ago, the grave of Hejr bin Udai had stood for more than 1383 years — one of the holy Shia Muslim sites in the small village of Adra.

Today only dirt, broken doors, and walls remain.

Once it was believed anti-Shi’ism means torturing and killing Shia Muslims or calling them infidels, however anti-Shi’ism does not stop there. Discrimination and inhumane violations toward Shia is growing and finding new faces.

The most recent face of anti-Shi’ism is deleting their history by destroying and demolishing their holy sites while Shia Muslims existed from the time of the Prophet Muhammad and have a long history.

Since Shia cleansing cannot be successful without cleansing the history, terrorists now target Shia historical sites and shrines. It is assumed that their brilliant history can be blacked out by targeting their sites.

This trend started with destroying graves of four Shia Imams in Saudi Arabia and continued by demolishing Shia mosques and Islamic Centers in Bahrain. The shrine in Iran was bombed once. In Syria the shrine of Lady Sukaina was destroyed, then Shia mosques burned down, and shrine of Lady Zainab was attacked multiple times. Holy shrines in Iraq have been targeted many times. In Pakistan Islamic centers were bombed repeatedly. And now, once again a grave of a very influential companion of Prophet of Islam was demolished and his grave was dug up.

It is unfortunate to see hatred has grown so much that targeting deceased is considered honor by anti-Shia groups.

Shia Rights Watch condemns the inhumane act of terrorism that attacks Shia Muslim’s holy sites. “Such acts can only carried by brain washed terrorists who have no respect for humanity” said, SRW’s director, Mustafa Akhwand. “Anti-Shia groups might be able to abuse their power to attack historical sites, however they cannot delete the Shia Muslims from the history”, he continued.

SRW asks humanitarian groups and departments of historic resources around the world to take action and stop demolition of Shia historical sites now before it’s too late.

New series of violence against shia in iraq

As sectarian violence increases in Iraq, three Shia populated cities of Iraq witnessed bombings on April 29^th. At least 23 killed and 79 wounded in 5 bomb explosions.

Amarah, a Shia populated city of Iraq became a home for a bomb explosions on Monday April 29, 2013. Multiple cars wen off Monday and killed 13 and wounding 42 civilians.

Another explosion went off near Diwaniyah killing eight civilians and wounding 25 others.

Only hours later a bomb exploded near Karbala, one of the most important Shia populated cities of Iraq. The explosion killed two and left 12 wounded.

The recent Shia targeted bombings is resulting in death of many innocent Shia Muslim. Anti-Shia groups intend to increase unrest in Iraq to show their apposition to Shia government of Iraq.

SRW invites all groups to have tolerance and respect toward each other. The newly stabled country such as Iraq should not become a place for violence and human right violations as this country recently gained its freedom from Sadam’s dictator regime.

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