RNA – Bahraini revolutionaries have announced their support for several destroyed mosques by praying congregational prayers on the site of a former mosque.
On Sunday evening, the revolutionaries prayed at the ruined site of the Manama suburb of Zinj’s Alawiyun mosque despite an announcement by the Al Khalifa regime that praying is prohibited on the site.
After prayers, the revolutionaries protested against the crimes of the Al Khalifa monarchy, criticising their destruction of mosques and the arrest of Shaykh Ali Salman, the secretary-general of the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society and a leading critic of the regime, as a violation of religious freedom.
The Bahraini government has destroyed a number of mosques in continuation of its aggressive crackdown on pro-democracy protesters which began in February 2011.
Almost daily protests have been held against the regime since then when thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets, calling for the royal family to leave power.
At least 38 mosques, in addition to husayniyahs, graves, shrines and Shi’a religious institutions have been destroyed in the Persian Gulf state since the crackdown on largely Shi’a-led protests began.
The tiny country’s human rights organizations, international organizations and religious scholars and political figures have repeatedly warned the Al Khalifa regime against such actions.
The Justice Ministry, however, claims it has been tearing down mosques because they were not licensed. The revolutionaries consider these claims as “false.”
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