International Shia Cultural and Human Rights Organization (ISCHRO) condemns the recent treatment of Saudi security forces of Shiite pilgrims.

Wahhabism, which is an extremist religion going back to its founder Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, does not allow the visiting of gravesites and the recitation of prayer for the dead.  Contrary to popular belief and the claim of its adherents such acts are not against the monotheism preached by Islam which encourages only the unicity and uniqueness of God and does not consider the visiting of gravesites and reciting prayers as being against such monotheism.

ISCHRO once again asks the Saudi government to take steps to protect Shiite pilgrims and to ensure their right to carry out their worshipping rituals according their beliefs and not to impose the extremist Wahhabi ideology on the pilgrims to the city of Mecca and Medina.