Bahrain Mirror (2019 Roundup): Bahrain's Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa acted in advance of the 2019 Ashura season by making threats during his meeting with the Jaafari Endowments chairman Yusuf Al-Saleh, members of the Husseini processions committee and a number of heads of obsequies on September 3, 2019, saying that "political slogans will not be allowed to be raised in the Ashura season of 1441 Hijri." This has been implemented by the security authorities on a large scale, far beyond what the minister described as "political slogans", as their attacks targeted all the concepts, ideas and beliefs of the Shiite community in Bahrain.

The authorities arbitrarily used their legal powers of interrogation and legal prosecution as instruments of intimidation and punishment against religious preachers and eulogy reciters, who they summoned and interrogated about the content and nature of their sermons, and whether they included criticism of the authorities or anything related to political issues, as well as the use of one of the Ashura slogan launched by Bahraini clerics "with a victorious Imam". The interrogations were aimed at informing religious preachers and eulogy reciters that they were under close surveillance and that they should be careful not to engage in any purely political or religious subject that could be interpreted as something taking place in the political scene.

The majority of the summonses and investigations took place in: Al-Houra Station, Station 17, Muharraq Station, Ministry of Justice represented by the Jaafari Endowments, the Ministry of Municipalities represented by the Secretariat of the Capital and the Public Prosecution.

Despite threats to prevent the 10th of Muharram eve prayer from being held, which Shiites traditionally hold on Imam Hussein Street in Manama, worshippers managed to perform their prayers in the designated area. Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim's speech was also displayed on screens set up for this purpose.

On September 25, 2019, Maytham Hussein Radhi, Radhi Saleh Radhi, Ali Bou Hamad, Hussein Ammar Al-Aradi, Sayed Adnan Al-Alawi, Hassan Al-Zaki were detained for 15 days pending investigation for their presence in the place where the 10th eve prayers were held. They were charged with inciting "hatred against the regime".

The number of summonses reached 51, including 36 of religious scholars and preachers, 5 of eulogy reciters, 7 administrative summonses and 3 of other persons. Meanwhile, violations related to attacking Ashura manifestations by security vehicles reached 39 cases. They included 17 cases of banner and flag confiscation were recorded as well as 17 cases of vandalizing Ashura manifestations and 5 practices of deliberate provocations by security personnel, according to a documentary report by Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, entitled "No Tolerance for Religious Rituals of Ashura".

The following are the names of persons summoned, noting that some were summoned multiple times. Sheikh Abdulmohsen Mulla Atiya Al-Jamri from Bani Jamra (September 4, 2019), Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Ojaimi from Karana (September 4, 2019), Sheikh Mounir Al-Maatouk from Al-Na'im (September 4, 2019), Mulla Kassim Zainuldin from Diraz (September 4, 2019), eulogy reciter Ali Hammadi from Al-Burhama (September 4, 2019), Sheikh Isa Eid from Karzakan (September 5, 2019), Sheikh Sadiq Rabie from Al-Sanabis (September 5, 2019), Sheikh Jawaz Al-Mirza (September 5, 2019), Sheikh Hamed Ashour (September 5, 2019), eulogy reciter Ahmad Al-Owainati (September 5, 2019), Sheikh Mounir Al-Maatouq from Al-Na'im (September 5, 2019), eulogy reciter Hadi Al-Baladi from Bilad Al-Qaddem (September 5, 2019), Sheikh Fadel Al-Zaki from Abu Saiba (September 5, 2019), Sheikh Jaafar Al-Sayegh from Al-Muharraq (September 5, 2019), Sheikh Zuheir Al-Khal from Diraz (September 6, 2019), Sayed Jaber AL-Shakrakani from Shahrakan (September 6, 2019), Sheikh Isa Al-Moemen from Sar (September 6, 2019), Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al-Mahfouz from Bani Jamra (September 6, 2019), eulogy reciter Abdullah Al-Buri (Abu Sajjad) from Buri (September 6, 2019), Jamil Al-Asfour (obsequy head) from Al-Shakhoura (September 6, 2019), eulogy reciter Abdullah Al-Buri (Abu Sajjad) from Buri (September 7, 2019), Sheikh Hasan Al-A'ali from A'ali (September 7, 2019), Mullah Mahdi Al-Manami from Nuwaidrat (September 7, 2019), Sheikh Aziz Al-Khadran from Hamad Town (September 7, 2019), Sheikh Hani Al-Bana'a from Al-Daih (September 7, 2019), Sheikh Akil Al-Ghanemi from Diraz (September 8, 2019), Sheikh Abdulamir Malulah from Al-Na'im (September 8, 2019), Sheikh Aziz Al-Khadran from Hamad Town (September 8, 2019), Sayed Ahmed Al-Wedaei from Barbar (September 8, 2019), Sheikh Hasan Al-Shakhouri from Al-Shakhoura (September 8, 2019), Sheikh Ali Ashour from Karzakan (September 8, 2019), Sheikh Isa Al-Moemen from Al-Dair (September 8, 2019), Mulla Kassim Zainuldin from Diraz (September 8, 2019), Sheikh Hasan Al-A'ali from A'ali (September 8, 2019), Mr. Ali Mhanna (September 8, 2019), Sayed Saeed Hussein from Sitra (September 8, 2019), Abdulmajid Abdullah (Haji Sumoud) from Damistan (September 8, 2019), Sheikh Jassim Al-Damistani from Damistan (September 9, 2019), Sayed Maytham Al-Muhada from Barbar (September 9, 2019), Sheikh Mamdouh Al-A'ali from A'ali (September 9, 2019), Mulla Mahdi Al-Manami from Nuwaidrat (September 9, 2019), Sayed Ahmed Al-Wedaei from Barbar (September 9, 2019), Sheikh Hasan Al-A'ali from A'ali (September 9, 2019), Sayed Ahmed Al-Wedaei from Barbar (September 10, 2019), and Sheikh Isa Al-Moemen from Al-Dair (September 10, 2019).

Banners and flags were confiscated from: Al-Malikiyah, Abu Saiba, Al-Shakhoura, Al-Markh, Al-Musallah, Karzakan, Al-Ma'amir, Karbabad, Manama, Al-Qarya, Diraz and Sar.

Meanwhile, Ashura manifestations violations were witnessed in each of: Abu Saiba, Al-Shakhoura, Al-Maqasha, Al-Markh, Karbabad, Hamad Town Roundabout 4, Jurdab, Al-Ma'amir, Buri, Al-Nabi Saleh, Bilad Al-Qadeem and Manama.

Arabic Version