Bahrain Intensifies Crackdown on Religious Practices
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Bahraini regime forces arrested 3 young people on Sitra Island and took them to an unknown place, local sources said on Sunday, noting that the detainees were only doing preparation for the religious rites.
The security forces, who were in plain clothes, detained the three by force, alleging that they had set fire to two cars belonging to a candidate for the upcoming parliamentary election.
Eyewitnesses, however, underlined that the detainees were only decorating the streets in preparation for the lunar month of Muharram, in which Shiite Muslims perform mourning rituals to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hossein (PBUH), Bahrain Mirror reported.
While the Persian Gulf monarchy is set to hold parliamentary election, the opposition figures have announced they will boycott the polls.
Earlier this month, Bahrainis held protests across the country, calling for the boycott of upcoming general elections, slated next month.
Opposition party al-Wefaq National Islamic Society has said the upcoming vote will be undemocratic and will only give credit to the Al Khalifa rule.
The election will be the first since protests started in Bahrain in 2011.
Since mid-February 2011, thousands of protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the Al Khalifa royal family to step down from power.
The protesters have also slammed the Manama regime’s arrest and torture of the political activists, demanding their release.