Bahrain Mirror: Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the largest opposition political group in Bahrain, called on the government of Bahrain to put an end to the targeting of clerics and preachers during the Ashura season, describing what has been taking place as "abhorrent sectarian behavior."

In a statement, Al-Wefaq mentioned a number of Shiite clerics who have been targeted: "Sheikh Issa Eid, Sheikh Fadel Al-Zaki, Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Mulla Attia, Sheikh Munir Al-Maatouq, Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Ajimi, Sheikh Jaafar Al-Sayegh, Sheikh Sadiq Rabie, Mullah Qasim Zinedine, and Mulla Jawad Mirza and others."

"High orders are issued every Ashura season for the security services to monitor, pursue, punish and threaten all preachers, clerics, Hussainniyas (Shiite congregation halls) and religious institutions to prevent any mention of what contradicts or differs from the authorities' view, constitutes an inconvenience, or any criticism or even observation," the group stressed.

Al-Wefaq called for stopping these provocations, putting an end to the state's sectarian moves, respecting freedom of belief and returning to the state of institutions and law instead of resorting to sectarian plans and destructive projects, pointing out that "there are dozens of Shiite religious scholars in the prisons of the Bahraini regime due to their opinions, ideas and ideological doctrine they adhere to".

Arabic Version