This document is a report from the Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) that details discrimination against Shia Muslims in Bahrain. It discusses violence against Shia protesters by government forces, political exclusion of the Shia population, attacks on Shia religious sites, and discrimination in the education system. The report concludes with recommendations for the government of Bahrain, United Nations, and international community to take actions like ending violence against Shia, including Shia in the political process, ceasing discriminatory policies against Shia religious sites and practices, and pressuring Bahrain to end its campaign of discrimination.

1. Apart in Their
Own Land
GOVERNMENT DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST SHIA IN BAHRAIN
Violence, Political Disclusion, and Attacks on the Shia Religious Establishment
VOLUME I

2. Apart in Their
Own Land
GOVERNMENT DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST SHIA IN BAHRAIN
February 2015
Violence, Political Disclusion, and Attacks on the Shia Religious Establishment
VOLUME I

4. 3APART in Their OWN LAND
Table of Contents
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8
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11
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22
27
28
29

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FOREWORD
Executive Director, ADHRB

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METHODOLOGY

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Introduction
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2
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Violence Against Shia
Excessive Force against Peaceful Protests
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See also
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25
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see also
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25

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27
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Excessive Force in Bahraini Prisons
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27
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Denial of Access to Medicine and Attacks on Healthcare Workers
Bahrain: Attack on the medical profession as doctors and nurses are arrested, detained, abducted and ill-treated,
“I don’t regret doing my duty.” Dr Ali Al Ekri,
Bahrain – Medical professionals subjected to ill treatment in prison to set up body
of Medics for Human Rights

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Conclusion
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50

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Political Discrimination
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52
The Government’s Exclusionary Structure
55
57
58
The
51 The Washington Post
52
Freedom House, 2012,
55
57
58

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59
Asymmetric Districting
59

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st
th
th
st
70
71
72
th
Bahrain Watch
70 Inter-Parliamentary Union
71
72

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75
77
78 79
Demographic Manipulation, Legalistic Coercion, and State Violence
75
2013 Report on International Religious
Freedom
77
78
79

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80 81
These Sunnis
82
85
Further, the
87
80 Al Jazeera
81 Time
82 Sada
85
Middle Bahraini Newspaper
Middle Bahraini Newspaper]
Middle Bahraini Newspaper]
87 BBC

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88
89
90
91
92
88 Gulf Daily News
89
90
91
Bahrain Center for Human Rights,
92
”
Middle East Eye,

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Conclusion

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Religious Discrimination
Violence against Shia Clergy and Religious Members
95
95

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The Destruction of Mosques and Other Religious Sites
Masjid Kowaikebat
al-Barbaghi
al-Barbaghi
Al-Barbaghi’s
th
27th
Masjid al-Alawaiyat

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Abou Thir al-Ghiffari
Abu Dharr
Abu Talib
Ain Rastan
Al-Baqei
Al-Barbaghi
Al-Douweira
A -Imam al-Baqer
Al-Imam al-Hadi
A -Imam al-Hadi
Al-Imam al-Hasan
Al-Imam al-Jawwad
Al-Imam al-Sajjad
Al-Imam Sadeq
Al-Khadr
Al-Rasool al-A’dham
Al-Sheikh Youssef
Al-Watiya
Al-Wattiya
Fadak al-Zahra
Fatima al-Zahraa
Imam al-Jawad
Imam Ali
Imam Baqer
Imam Hasan al-Askari
Imam Hassan
Kareem Ahl al-Bait
Kowaikebat
Mo’min
Salman al-Faresi
Salman al-Farsi
Sayyeda Zainab
Shaikh Mohammed al-Wasti
Shaikh Abid
Shaikh Ibrahim
Shaikh Mohsin al-Saboor
Sheikh Maytham al-Bahrani
Um al-Baneen
th
97
97

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98
the Abu Dharr
99
100
Legal Actions
101
102
98
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102

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Education and School Curricula
105
107
105
Bahrain Middle East Newspaper
107

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108
109
Conclusion
th
108
Bahrain Middle East
Newspaper
109
Al Wasat Newspaper

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Conclusion

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Recommendations
To the Government of Bahrain:
1. Wholly re-examine the systematic use of violence against those who subscribe to the Shia
faith:
2. Reconcile the Shia population with the Bahraini political process:
al-Wefaq National Islamic Society

33. 32 APART in Their OWN LAND
3. Cease all discriminatory policies against the Shia religious establishment and faith:
al-Dharr
“Olamaa”
To the United Nations:
1. Pressure the Government of Bahrain to end its discriminatory policies against its Shia
population:
2. Facilitate the missions of the Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights
Council:
3. Consider amending the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment
of the Crime of Apartheid to allow it to apply to extremely discriminatory situations of a
non-racial character, including situations in which persons face apartheid-like conditions
on account of their religion or faith.

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To the International Community, including the European Union, the
United Kingdom, and the United States:
1. Pressure the Government of Bahrain to end its campaign of discrimination against the
Shia population by instituting measures against Bahrain similar to those that ended
apartheid in South Africa:
2. Cease any and all military training programs provided to the Kingdom of Bahrain until
such time as the Bahraini military fully integrates the Shia population;
3. Consider passing a resolution condemning the Bahraini campaign against its Shia
population in the United Nations General Assembly, the European Parliament, the US
Congress, and the European Parliament;
4. Broaden policy on Bahrain to include bilateral and multilateral approaches to human
rights issues and discrimination against specific populations within Bahrain;
5. Provide assistance with training programs to the Bahraini government on best practices
to ensure the Shia population is included in government jobs and other areas where the
Shia population is not fully represented;
6. Include analysis on the subject of Shia discrimination in any human rights reports
released in 2015, including the United States Department of State Human Rights Report
and the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth Office Report; and
7. Consider amending the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment
of the Crime of Apartheid to allow it to apply to extremely discriminatory situations of a
non-racial character, including situations in which persons face apartheid-like conditions
on account of their religion or faith.