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 21st. 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.
