Bahrain Forum for Human Rights: 54 violations of religious freedom during this year’s Ashura season
The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) said that during the period between September 1 and 8, 2019, it monitored 54 violations of freedom of religion and belief and of the Shi'a Muslims’ commemoration of the Ashura rituals in Bahrain. The violations varied between security summonses and interrogations for the purpose of intimidation, arbitrary arrest and confiscation of Ashura banners and flags or sabotage of Ashura manifestations in ten Bahraini areas, as well as the restrictions imposed on prisoners of conscience regarding commemorating their religious rituals in detention centers.
The BFHR pointed out that the outcome was as follows: 54 cases related to restrictions on the Ashura commemoration, including 11 cases of vandalism and confiscation of Ashura banners and flags, 4 cases of arrest of preachers and a ma’atam official, and 39 cases of summonses of preachers, eulogy reciters and ma’atam officials to security centers, where they were interrogated regarding the content of their speeches or their religious poems or the content of some religious banners used in hussainiyas.
The BFHR pointed out that the security authorities adopt the methodology of undermining religious freedom as a policy of collective punishment, and attempt to impose official customs that criminalize some religious practices and rights. The Bahraini authorities used their legal powers in interrogation or prosecution as tools of intimidation and punishment against preachers and eulogy reciters, which restricts their freedom of belief in particular and their freedom of expression in general, that are guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Articles 18 and 19.
The BFHR pointed out that according to its observation, the majority of the cases are related to the restriction of religious speeches delivered by religious scholars and preachers in religious events or eulogy reciters in processions and condolence marches. The authorities deliberately summoned the scholars, preachers and reciters and interrogated them regarding the content and nature of their speeches and regarding whether the speech contains criticism of the authorities or discussion of political matters or not. The authorities also interrogated them about using the Ashura slogan, which was launched by the religious scholars of Bahrain. The aim of the interrogation was to inform preachers and eulogy reciters that they are under close observation and that they should beware of engaging in any purely political subject or religious subject that can be applied to the political situation or touches upon it.
The BFHR pointed out that the scholars and preachers who were summoned are the following: Sheikh Abdul-Mohsen al-Jamri, Sheikh Munir al-Matouq (twice), Sheikh Mahmoud al-Ojaimi, Mullah Qassim Zainuddin, Sheikh Fadhel al-Zaki, Sheikh Jaafar al-Sayegh, Sheikh Sadiq Rabie, Mullah Jawad Mirza, Sheikh Isa Eid, Sheikh Hamed Ashour, Sheikh Zuhair al-Khal, Sayed Jaber al-Shahrakani, Sheikh Isa al-Mu'min, Sheikh Mohammad Ali al-Mahfouz, Mullah Mahdi al-Manami, Sheikh Hassan al-Aali, Sheikh Hani al-Bana’a, Sheikh Abdul-Amir Malallah, Sheikh Aziz al-Khadran, Sayed Ahmad al-Wadaie, Sheikh Hassan al-Shakhouri, Sheikh Ali Ashour, and Sheikh Aqeel al-Ghanmi.
The BFHR stated that the eulogy reciters who were summoned are the following: Ahmad al-Owainati, Ali Hemadi, Sayed Hadi al-Biladi, and Abu Sajjad Abdullah al-Buri (twice).
The BFHR pointed out that the Bahraini areas that have been subjected to violations related to the assault on Ashura manifestations are the following: al-Musalla, al-Markh, Karbabad, Hamad Town Roundabout No. 4, Jurdab, Shakhura, Buri, Nabih Saleh, Karzakan, and Bilad al-Qadeem.
Bahrain Forum for Human Rights 09/09/2019 |