Authorities Wage Offensive and Derogatory Measures Against Shia Citizens
Hindering Religious Practices
Stigmatization of Shia in Friday Sermons and TV-broadcasted Preaching
January 15, 2009
Authorities Wage Offensive and Derogatory Measures Against Shia Citizens
Hindering Religious Practices
Stigmatization of Shia in Friday Sermons and TV-broadcasted Preaching
January 15, 2009
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) is gravely alarmed to the escalation of the local in waging offensive measures by the Authorities against Shia citizens, especially during the month of Muharram, a holy and mourning month for Shia. The measures were not exhaustive to; stigmatization using media and Friday sermons, deployment of Security Special Forces to hinder religious practices, ridiculing Shia beliefs and history in State-sponsored public forums, prosecuting Shia for having Matams (Counity religious Centers) in their homes and inciting hatred against Shia religious centers.
• Stigmatization using media and Friday sermons:
On the same Friday when heavily armed Security Special Forces besieged Al-Sadeq Shia Mosque in the Capital Manama preventing its Shia prayers from coming closer to its proximity, Jasim Al-Saeedi, a Salafi MP in Friday Prayer sermon publicly denounced Shia of Bahrain being “Zionist, monkeys, pegs, and stooges to world Zionist Movement”.
In prayer’ sermon of Friday January 2, 2009 (The fifth out of tenth day of the Hijri Month of Muharram commemorated by Shia), Al-Seedi stated that:” We should not loose sight of the sons of Zion, apes and pigs, as described by the Prophet peace be upon him. The sons of Zion, in different tongues, forms and sects, profaned Muslims with killings, destruction and burning their homes. The people of Zion are in Palestine, in Iraq and in Bahrain. We must be aware that Zion not only Jewish but takes many forms; a Christian, a Jew, a Zoroastrian, a hooded Sikh, a Safavid, or a “Rafiḍi” (A derogatory term for the Shia)”.
Jasim Al-Saeedi’s name was mentioned in what was locally dubbed “Al-Bandergate”, a secret organization managed and financed by the Royal Court, having executive programs aiming at disfranchising Shia, marginalizing them in all aspect of life, coordinating the political naturalization to convert them into minority citizen by 2010, suppressing and controlling their religious centers and societal organizations, as well as introducing sectarian sedition and fomenting segregation between Shia and Sunni citizens. Jassim Al-Saeedi has been famed in publically attacking Shia beliefs and figures and inciting Authorities against activists and dissidents. Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, the Bahrain only Prime Minister since 1970, visited Al-Saidi’s house few months back and stated that “Whoever with Al-Saidi, he is with us, and whoever likes him, he likes us “, giving indications of moral support to Al-Saidi’s acts and stances.
After his fomenting sermon, there was popular row and resentment to what Al-Saidi said when stigmatized the majority of citizens using abusive terms, the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs (MOJIA) first stated, Al-Saidi will be stopped from group prayer and publically addressing people in sermons. At the end of the same weak, another statement from MOJIA officials assured that the stoppage of Al-Saidi is temporary and that they would investigate the matter. Week later Al-Saidi return to the same mosque and delivered similar speech. It is good to mention that Sunni Imam are appointed and paid by the government for the Friday sermons.
• Deployment of the Security Special Forces to hinder religious practices:
For two weeks in a row on Friday (2nd and 9th January), Al-Sadeq Shia mosque in Manama -the Capital- was besieged by heavy armed forces to prevent the mosque from being opened to perform evening prayer. The Authorities said that their act was to prevent Mr. Hasan Mushaima, the prayer Imam and the Secretary General of Movement of Civil Liberties and Democracy (Haq) from leading the prayer and addressing the public. It is feared that the presence of the Security Special Forces, which is heavily stuffed with non-Bahrainis, surrounding the mosque and preventing Shia from prayer could lead to clashes and confrontations.
During the first ten days of the holy Muharram, preventing Shia from prayer and remove black fabric pasted on walls of village as sign of sadness and grieve. This also includes detaching portraits of Shia figures with their slogans commemorating Imam Husain. These incidents occurred at Hamad town and Shia villages of Karzakan, Dair and Al-Musalla,
• Ridiculing Shia beliefs and history in State-sponsored public forums
It is well known to the Authorities that the first ten days of Muharram, Shia in Bahrain, and the rest of the world, are holy days during which they mourn the martyrdom of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. During this period, the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs sponsored what it called the “Fifth Da’awa (Call) Forum in the Love of Prophet Family and His Companions, in which ten Wahabis and Salafis were hosted to speak on the official Bahrain TV Satellite Channel. During their public talk and specially that on the ninth of Muharram (was shown on 5th and repeated early morning of 6th January 2009), representing utmost sad moment for Shia citizens, the MOJIA guests speakers were ridiculing Shia beliefs, books, writers and historians, considering it blasphemous and undermining Imam Husain and what Shia think of him.
• Prosecuting Shia for having Matams in their homes
Shia are well known of dedicating part of their houses to hold public venerations, locally dubbed as Matams. This tradition is more customary in areas where Shia do not have or banned from having an official Matam like Hamad Town. This practice has been socially accepted and respected, even in areas of mixed sects of Islam. During the holy month of Muharram this year and unlike the previous years, some of Shia residents in Hamad Town, received sermons to attend police stations and were threatened of prosecution if their Matams are not closed.
• Inciting hatred against Shia religious centres
On the eve of Monday of last December 28th, the National Security Agency (NSA) showed a pre-recorded TV show on “Bahrain Satellite Channel” in which a group of Shia youth, who were arrested over a week ago, were casting “confessions” of being involved in a “Terror Plot”. The NSA alleged uncovering the group aiming at carrying out some terror acts, as per the agency. Among the “confession” statements, which was also posted on the next morning newspapers, it was claimed that “Shia mosques and Matams are hubs for terrorism”
BCHR learned from the lawyers, after visiting the detainees, that those youth not only were subjected to torture and ill-treatment which include electrocution in their gentiles to coerce them to confession, but they were not aware of the camera recording and the fact that they “confessions” would be broadcasted on TV. The NSA deceived them by asking them to repeat the confessions obtained under torture in front of a “Shiekh” to arrange for a pardon.
Comments and posture:
Mr Nabeel Rajab, president of BCHR, stated: “We are extremely concerned that the Authorities are leading a sectarian campaign, stirring up religious sentiments and provoking one sect over the other and paving the way for a civil conflict, replicating the situation in Iraq”. “We hold the ruling elite the full responsibility in not dampening the tense situation”, he added. “BCHR believes that Shia citizens, and particularly the youths, feel they are cornered, and this will augment resentment and frustration among them”, Mr Rajab continued. He concluded: “This is playing with fire and expediting sectarian confrontations between Shia and other fellow citizens for the sake of political power. We are really dismayed.”
The BCHR rings the bell of warning to the measures pursued and encouraged by the local Authorities in antagonizing Shia, provoking others against them while suppressing their religious freedom. The BCHR calls for:
1) Ending the defamatory and derogatory campaign against Shia, and prosecute those involved in it.
2) Government should works towards creating environment of religious sectarian tolerance and not hatred.
3) Treating Shia equally well as other citizens and stop hindering their practices and suppressing their religious freedom.
4) Ceasing all forms of discrimination and marginalization against Shia. This will include removal of all practices and introduction of legislative protection.
5) Halting the execution of “Al-Bandergate” plot aiming at marginalizing Shia and turning them to a minority by importing tens of thousands of non Bahrainis and granting them Bahraini nationality. This involves removing the repercussions of the plot and publicly prosecuting those involved.
