Shia Rights Watch Publishes Statement on Martyrdom of Shias During Ashura Memorials

After the death of scores of Shia pilgrims in a stampede on Tuesday at the shrine of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) in holy Karbala, where tens of thousands of pilgrims were observing the holy Day of Ashura, Shia Rights Watch published the following statement:

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

“Verily we are from God, and to Him we shall return.”

Shia Rights Watch expresses its condolences over an incident on the Day of Ashura which led to the martyrdom of tens of Shia pilgrims during the commemorations of this holy Day. It is also heartbreaking to witness Shia Muslims being targeted by indiscriminate bombings and shootings, or systematic crackdowns by autocratic regimes all around the world.

Shia Rights Watch has received information that 31 lost their lives during a stampede that occurred in Tuwayreej ritual on the Day of Ashura. Tuwayreej is an annual ritual which hosts at least 2 million pilgrims each year. According to official reports, the Ashura commemorations in holy Karbala host more than 3 million pilgrims from inside and outside Iraq.

Shia Rights Watch honors the memory of the martyrs and prays for them, and in the meantime, this human rights organization calls on the authorities to adopt strategies so as to avoid future incidents.”