Bahraini religious scholars slam crackdown on mourners

Senior religious scholars in Bahrain have condemned the Aal-e Khalifah regime for its crackdown on Shia Muslims holding rituals to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS).

According to the reports, the clergymen, in a statement released on Sunday, denounced the Bahraini regime forces’ removal of banners and flags of Muharram as “wrong and cowardly” and “vengeance against opposing opinion.”

They argued that attacks on religious rituals undermine “the basics of the religion and nation that have been deep-rooted for hundreds of years.”

The security forces cracking down on people in Bahrain also include individuals deployed from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The clerics further called on people from different walks of life to “attend Ashura eulogies and processions to defend the religion,” and adequately address the Manama regime’s repressive moves against Shia Muslims in the kingdom.

On Sunday, clashes erupted between dozens of protesters and regime forces in Abu Saiba after the latter took down Ashura banners and flags and removed black cloths that had draped walls in the village.

Bahraini soldiers also fired tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. Several people suffered breathing difficulties.

SS