Bahrain Mirror: The Bahraini Shia spiritual leader Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim denounced the ban on Friday prayers at the Imam Sadiq Mosque in Diraz, calling on the authorities to reverse this decision and allow the prayers to take place.

"Friday prayer can only be held as a congregational not an individual prayer and it's one of the indisputable Islamic duties," said Sheikh Qassim in a joint statement with Sayed Abdullah Al-Ghureify, stressing that preventing it, when holding it is permitted by the law, is appalling. "Any authority respectful of Islam would not commit such an act."

"Friday prayers at the Imam Sadiq Mosque in Diraz has been repeatedly prevented from taking place over the past weeks, by denying the mosque's Imam entry to Diraz to lead the prayers. Another Imam chosen by the worshipers was also prevented from reaching the mosque to lead the prayers on Friday," the statement added.

"We urge with utter seriousness and persistence the return of Friday prayers led by an Imam, elected by the worshipers," the statement further read.

Arabic Version