IQNA

Restrictions on Muharram Mourning Ceremonies Reported in Bahrain Again

20:12 - July 12, 2025
News ID: 3493806
IQNA – Like in previous years, Bahraini authorities restricted Muharram mourning ceremonies, especially the Ashura rituals in the country this year.

A Muharram mourning procession in Bahrain

 

They banned prayers for the martyrs of the Islamic Ummah and harassed preachers and elegy reciters.

As every year, Muharram, especially Ashura, has become an occasion for renewed sectarian and political repression and harassment against Shia Muslims in Bahrain.

This has been manifested by the regime agents removing black flags and tents, and having security officers disguised as municipal officers, under the pretext of organizing, to restrict Muharram ceremonies.

These measures were further clarified by a warning by Rashid Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s minister of interior, in a meeting with the heads and representatives of mourning centers and Husseiniyas, as he considered the holding of Muharram mourning processions and groups an opportunity for Shias to hold political rallies and exploit this time to weaken national unity and spread chaos against the Al Khalifa regime.

Ibrahim al-Aradi, head of the political bureau of the February 14 Coalition, said in this regard, “The annual conference that the interior minister held this year was remarkable in terms of the messages he sent beyond the country’s borders. He tried to target Iran by saying that Ashura existed in Bahrain before Iran existed, but he ignored the fact that he was wrong, because Ashura existed in Bahrain before the Al Khalifa rule.”   

He stressed that the narrative propagated through official media that authorities are protecting the months of Muharram and Ashura is completely contrary to reality.

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The head of the February 14 Coalition’s political bureau noted that the targeting of Shia Muslims has been going on for years, but it has been periodically concentrated during the month of Muharram and has taken on various forms.

This issue intensified after the February 2011 uprising. In the first week of Muharram alone, more than 15 preachers and preachers were summoned, and a number of them were arrested.

He said that in one area, security officers intervened and even banned the wearing of headbands with Husseini slogans and shirts that conveyed a sense of mourning.

 

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