The 2026 Ashura season is witnessing a serious increase in restrictions and violations against the religious rituals of the Shia community in Bahrain. This is a continuation of restrictive policies from previous years, marked by security and administrative interference in the practice of rituals and the expression of religious and cultural identity. Contrary to what[…]
08
Jun
Jun
Introduction Since May 2026, Bahrain has been waging an unprecedented crackdown on its Shia citizens, manifested through a wave of raids, citizenship revocations, and mass arrests targeting dozens of preachers, religious reciters (rawadid), activists, and clerics. The number of detained clerics has reached 53. This is unfolding against a backdrop of acute regional tensions linked[…]
28
Jan
Jan
Kuwait has always advertised itself as a more liberal Gulf state. However, current events provided a much more alarming picture of how state power is tightening its control over political speech and religious life, leaving little space for individuality, dissent, or fundamental liberties. Kuwait’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs released a statement that prohibits[…]
02
Dec
Dec
At the end of October, Saudi Arabia appointed Sheik Saleh bin Abdullah bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti. The Grand Mufti is the highest religious official in Saudi Arabia and also the chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars, which is the country’s highest religious body. This gives the grand Mufti great influence[…]
11
Sep
Sep
On September 10, 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) delivered an intervention during the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. During the General Debate under Item 2, ADHRB highlighted the dangerous escalation of violations of religious freedoms, reflecting entrenched policies of sectarian discrimination against Shia citizens in Bahrain.[…]
