ISCHRO News

ISCHRO Index:  bahrain25122007enews

(Bahrain, 25th December 2007) — The International Shia Cultural and Human Rights Organization (ISCHRO) express its concern over the recent attack of Bahrain’s government against its Shia citizens.

On 16^th of December 2007 Bahrain’s security forces attacked a protest march by

Bahraini Shias marking the killing of their fellow Shia citizens in previous years.  Bahrain’s security and police forces are reported to have attacked the protestors with teargas and rubber bullets causing the death of Ali Jasim al-Makki and injuring tens of other protestors.  Al-Makki was a proponent of human rights and democracy in Bahrain.

Protestor Ali Jasim al-Makki killed by Bahraini security firces. (ISCHRO NEWS)

After the dispersing of the protestors the security forces attacked the houses of suspected protestors and Shia mosques confiscating their assets and arresting several individuals.  The security forces are reported to have attacked and abused women and children in the process and subjected the detainees to physical and psychological torture.

Shias comprise around 65 to 70 percent of Bahrain’s population but are marginalised by the ruling Sunni government that discriminates on the basis of religious beliefs in its economical, social and legal policies.

In recent years Bahrain’s government has put in place a plan to change its ethnic settings by importing Sunni workers from the surrounding countries, giving them Bahraini citizenship and social and economic benefits.  The Shia citizens live mostly in slums and see little of the small Island-Nation’s economic benefits.

ISCHRO condemned the abuse of human rights and the prevention of freedom of speech in Bahrain and called on the Bahraini government to bring to justice those involved in the killing of Mr. al-Makki and the abuse of Shia citizens.  ISCHRO further requested that the victim’s of this abuse and their families be compensated for their losses.

ISCHRO further called on all international human rights organizations and foreign governments and any concerned individual to put pressure on Bahrain’s government to stop the abuse of Shias and to establish a democratic system of government that ensures the rights of all individuals. 

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