- Background: Systematic Denial of Worship in Diraz
For over nine consecutive years, Bahraini authorities have prevented Shia citizens from performing Friday prayers at the Imam Al-Sadiq Grand Mosque in Diraz—a major center for worship and community gathering. This policy is enforced through security blockades, surveillance, and threats against clerics who attempt to deliver sermons.
Despite repeated calls for accountability, the government continues to obstruct this basic right, with no legal explanation or transparent justification provided to the public. These restrictions disproportionately affect Bahrain’s Shia population, and have become emblematic of a wider strategy of sectarian marginalization.
- Legal Framework: Violations of Bahraini and International Law
The Bahraini Constitution, in Article 22, guarantees:
“Freedom of conscience is absolute. The state shall guarantee the inviolability of places of worship and the freedom to perform religious rituals and hold religious gatherings.”
Likewise, Article 18 asserts:
“People are equal in human dignity, and equal before the law in rights and duties.”
However, the government’s policy of obstructing Friday prayers in Diraz blatantly violates these constitutional protections, particularly when no equivalent restrictions are imposed on other religious gatherings in Sunni-majority areas.
At the international level, Bahrain is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects freedom of religion and belief under Article 18. This right is non-derogable and may only be limited in extreme circumstances according to necessity and proportionality. Blanket bans on communal worship—without specific threats or justification—clearly violate these standards.
III. Escalation During Ashura: Interrogation and Arrest of Clerics
In the lead-up to and during Ashura 2025, the Bahraini authorities intensified their campaign against Shia religious expression. Documented violations include:
- The interrogation of over 25 clerics in connection with sermons, religious chants, or peaceful processions.
- The arrest of at least two Shia clerics for participating in or leading Ashura rituals deemed “unauthorized.”
- Widespread removal of Ashura banners in villages like Al-Daih, Sitra, and Bilad Al-Qadeem.
- Official orders prohibiting the raising of the Imam Hussain flag in Manama, with threats of legal action against violators.
- Blocking or restricting access of religious scholars to villages like Diraz.
These acts reflect a policy of criminalizing religious identity and memory, especially during a time of deep spiritual significance for Bahrain’s Shia community. The use of interrogation and arrest against peaceful clerics is not only repressive—it is a direct attack on religious leadership and heritage.
- Discrimination and Erosion of Social Cohesion
The denial of Friday prayers and repression of Ashura rituals must be understood as part of a broader framework of institutional discrimination. These restrictions:
- Create a two-tiered system of religious freedom, where one sect is systematically targeted.
- Reinforce a culture of fear and self-censorship among religious leaders.
- Undermine national unity by alienating a large segment of the population.
- Harm Bahrain’s international human rights reputation, particularly before UN mechanisms and treaty bodies.
These actions violate the principles of equality before the law and non-discrimination under both the Bahraini Constitution and international conventions. They also damage Bahrain’s standing at the UN Human Rights Council, where the state is regularly scrutinized for its treatment of religious minorities.
- Recommendations
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) calls on the Bahraini government to:
- Immediately lift all restrictions on Friday prayers at the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque in Diraz.
- Cease the targeting, interrogation, and arrest of Shia clerics during Ashura and other religious seasons.
- Refrain from removing Ashura banners and symbols, and respect the right to public religious expression.
- Engage in meaningful dialogue with religious leaders to protect and promote religious freedom for all.
- Uphold its constitutional and international obligations, particularly those under the ICCPR and UPR recommendations.
- Guarantee non-discrimination and equal protection under the law for all sects and religious groups.
Freedom of worship is not a privilege granted by the state—it is a fundamental human right. The continued denial of Friday prayers, combined with Ashura repression and the targeting of religious clerics, reveals a pattern of sectarian discrimination that is both unlawful and socially corrosive.
True national stability is built not through control and coercion, but through respect, inclusion, and equality for all citizens—regardless of faith or belief.