Categories : News

Dozens of Afghans killed in remote Sar-e Pul province

Armed men have attacked a village in the northern Afghan province of Sar-e Pul, killing as many as 40 people, including women and children, officials have said. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday condemned the killings that he dubbed a “war crime”.

See also Shia Rights Watch.
Al-Jazeera Update.

Inside the Saudi town that’s been under siege for three months by its own government

When Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on his first trip abroad as US President in May, officials in Riyadh made a spectacular effort to promote the idea of unity in the Muslim world, inviting more than 100 leaders of Muslim nations to attend the Arab Islamic American Summit with the new President.

See also Shia Rights Watch.

Opinion | An Ally Is Set to Execute Critics. Will Mr. Trump Be Silent?

Mujtaba al-Sweikat was a bright 17-year-old student on his way to visit Western Michigan University when he was arrested at King Fahd Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2012. Since then, Mr. Sweikat has been in Saudi custody, subjected to torture, including beatings so severe his shoulder was broken, in order to extract confessions that sealed his fate: condemned to death, likely by beheading.

See also The Independent.
See also The Washington Post.

Shia mosque in Herat province hit by deadly explosion

At least 20 people have been killed in an explosion at a minority Shia mosque in the Afghan province of Herat, according to a hospital official. Dr Mohammed Rafique Shehrzad told Associated Press news agency that 20 bodies were brought to the main hospital in Herat city, the capital of the western province, on Tuesday night, soon after the blast.

See also BBC News.
See also Reuters.
Islamic State claims attack. See The Express Tribune; BBC News.

Playing both sides against the middle: Saudi engages with Iraqi Shiites

Saudi Arabia, with the Islamic State on the ropes in Iraq, is forging ties to Iraqi Shiite leaders and offering to help fund reconstruction of Mosul and other predominantly Sunni Muslim cities that were devastated in the military campaign against the jihadist group.

Bi-Annual Anti-Shiism Report – Shia Rights Watch

The first half of 2017 has been a turbulent time for Shia Muslims all over the world. Anti-Shiism, or the active targeting of Shia Muslim to limit their visibility and expression, was prevalent in across the globe. Shia Muslims, including their sub groups, make up approximately 50% of the total Muslim population.

Saudi Arabia: Increasing fears for civilian lives and property as the authorities escalate the military assault on Awamiyah

The Saudi Arabian authorities must immediately stop the vicious military assault on the town of Awamiyah,and must protect civilians and not forcibly evict them without providing adequate shelter, said the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR). On Friday, 28 July, the Saudi authorities announced that the remaining residents of the town of Awamiyah, estimated…

Calls to stop Saudi executions, UK MPs call for Rajab’s release VOB.ORG

International pressure is mounting on the Saudi regime to stop the execution of 14 innocent citizens from the Eastern Province. They are accused of taking part in anti-regime protests in 2011. Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, the human rights campaign group, called for Britain and America to step in.

Profiles in Persecution: Khalil Ebrahim al-Saffar – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain

Khalil Ebrahim al-Saffar is a 21-year-old Bahraini citizen who was detained on 15 September 2015 from his family’s home. Six security officers raided the house without a warrant or any explanation. The family was informed that Khalil would be returned after an hour-long interrogation; instead, he never came back home.

BLOOD, TEARS, PARACHINAR

On June 23, 2017, while the rest of Pakistan was observing Jummatul Wida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan, the town of Parachinar in Kurram Agency was rocked by twin bombings. The attack claimed 72 lives and injured nearly 250.