Despite claims of respecting religious freedoms, the Shia community in Bahrain continues to face religious persecution. Indeed, the Shia community, over time, has been the victim of religious repression carried out by the government in Manama. This repression has manifested itself through the destruction of religious sites, the removal of Shiite professors from their chairs in universities or the obligation for Shiite politicians to resign. Many Shia activists have also been arrested, tortured or even sentenced to death.
A time that has always been very tense for the Shia community in Bahrain is when Ashura is celebrated. Ashura, which falls during the first ten days of the Islamic month of Muharram and culminates on the tenth day, is one of the most sensitive times for the Shia community in Bahrain, as it marks the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn. Bahrain is the only Gulf country that recognises this holiday as a national holiday, and festivities can take place publicly. Despite this, however, the Bahraini government always carries out repressive actions during this festival. This happens because the celebration of Ashura carries with it a deep social and political significance as well. Historically, in fact, Ashura was used in Bahrain as a basis for social protests in the 1950s and 1990s.
The repressive actions take different forms. During the Ashura celebration, for example, the streets are decorated with banners commemorating the death of Imam Husayn, and processions are organised. What often happens is that the authorities remove these banners, causing discontent among the Shia community. In 2015, after these banners had been removed from about 30 villages, village residents organised peaceful demonstrations that were violently repressed with tear gas and shotgun pellets. The government’s justification for these actions was that the banners contained political slogans that were not in line with Ashura.
Another thing that always happens during these celebrations is that the authorities call or arrest preachers, mourners and preachers on the basis of unfounded accusations. In 2015, for example, Sheikh Abdulzahara al-Mubasher was summoned for questioning regarding a series of lectures he had given during Muharram. In the same year, preachers Mulla Abbas al-Jamri and Mahdi Sahwan had also been summoned for the same reason. In 2019, in the days leading up to the Ashura celebrations, the authorities had already arrested six preachers engaged in preparations for the holiday.
In 2020, the Ashura celebrations were restricted even more. The aim of these restorations was, officially, to limit the spread of COVID-19. The reality is that such restrictions were political since other “civil” activities, such as swimming pools and sports clubs, were left open. In August 2021, these measures were further reinforced, banning the display of religious banners, limiting the number of people allowed in prayer houses to 30 and prohibiting children from taking part in Ashura celebrations. Again, Shia preachers and leaders were detained, while Shia detainees were forbidden to celebrate Ashura and would be punished if they did so.
Once again this year, there was no lack of incidents that denote Bahrain’s constant repression of the Shia community during this holiday. The day before the celebrations, in fact, government forces besieged the city of Diraz with the intention of pulling down religious banners and eliminating any sign referring to the coming festivity. The clashes then became even more violent, and one boy was injured after being hit violently on the head.
Furthermore, the Criminal Investigations Directorate recently summoned four Hussaini eulogy reciters due to their participation in Ashura mourning processions. They are: Yusuf Al-Qassab, Murtadha Al-Basri, Ali Hammadi, and Mahdi Sahwan. In a similar context, several administrators of the Fatima Al-Zahraa Mosque were also summoned in connection with the central Ashura procession held on the 4th of Muharram. The Bahraini judiciary also ordered the arrest of prominent Hussaini preacher Sheikh Isa Al-Mo’min, detaining him for seven days pending investigation because of his religious activities and his role in leading mourning gatherings.
What the Shia community in Bahrain is forced to endure annually is unacceptable. The situation for those belonging to this fringe of Islam is already complicated on a daily basis, but repression during the Ashura period reaches worrying levels. This community, in fact, is not allowed to celebrate its religious festivities peacefully, suffering the disfigurement of its sacred signs and the arrest of its spiritual leaders. Moreover, the recognition of Ashura as a national holiday is of little use if the government then goes out of its way to boycott it, thus demonstrating its inconsistency.
The repression of religious freedom is one of the many problems plaguing Bahrain, but it should not be underestimated. Every religious community has the right to celebrate its holidays freely and without coercion. To date, it does not appear that the Bahraini government has made any progress with regard to the freedom given to the Shia community in the country. This is why it is important to continue to bring these serious facts to light in order to keep the government accountable for these actions and to ensure that this repression stops.