On Thursday, police forces fired tear gas to disperse those who were mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (PBUH) ), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in the village of Nuwaidrat, south of the capital Manama.

The forces also attacked mourning ceremonies in Manama.

This came after Bahrain’s main opposition group, al-Wefaq, and two rights organizations said the Manama regime promotes sectarian tension by attacking Shias during religious processions.

Al-Wefaq along with the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) documented attacks by regime forces on several Shia neighborhoods in the country during the religious ceremonies commemorating Ashura, the tenth day of the lunar month of Muharram.

The violations include taking down flags and banners, attacking people in religious processions and storming religious centers.

The Bahraini regime has blocked a website that broadcasts live mourning events of Ashura from over 30 areas in the country.

The BCHR and BYSHR also say the attacks violate freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and amount to discrimination against majority Shias with the aim of increasing sectarianism in the Bahraini society.

On November 8, Bahraini police fired tear gas at people who tried to stop security forces from taking down religious banners in their neighborhood in the village of Nuwaidrat.

Security forces also attacked a group of people participating in a religious procession in the village of Ma’ameer on November 4.

NTJ/BA