Qatif and Dammam mosque bombings: Difference between revisions
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Visit of Saudi Health Minister to the victims of Al-Qudaih’s Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque |
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The '''2015 Qatif mosque bombing''' occurred on May 22, 2015 a suicide bomber attacked the Shia "'''Mosque Imam Ali'''" situated in a village of [[Qatif]], in [[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|Eastern Province]], [[Saudi Arabia]]. The blast killed at least 21 people. <ref>http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20150523244748</ref><ref>http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/750821</ref><ref>http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/saudi-arabia-shia-mosque-attack-150522101243243.html</ref> The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claims responsibility for Saudi mosque suicide bombing.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/saudi-shia-mosque-suicide-bomb-150522101-150522131614062.html | title=ISIL claims responsibility for Saudi mosque attack | publisher=Al-Jazeera | accessdate=23 May 2015}}</ref> |
The '''2015 Qatif mosque bombing''' occurred on May 22, 2015 a suicide bomber attacked the Shia "'''Mosque Imam Ali'''" situated in a village of [[Qatif]], in [[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|Eastern Province]], [[Saudi Arabia]]. The blast killed at least 21 people. <ref>http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20150523244748</ref><ref>http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/750821</ref><ref>http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/saudi-arabia-shia-mosque-attack-150522101243243.html</ref> The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claims responsibility for Saudi mosque suicide bombing.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/saudi-shia-mosque-suicide-bomb-150522101-150522131614062.html | title=ISIL claims responsibility for Saudi mosque attack | publisher=Al-Jazeera | accessdate=23 May 2015}}</ref> |
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Saudi Minister of Health Khaled Al-Falih, accompanied by senior health officials , had visited victims at Qatif Central Hospital and instructed the hospital management to provide the best treatment to those injured in the brutal attack on Al-Qudaih’s Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque, on 22 May during Friday prayer. He prayed for their speedy recovery and conveyed condolence of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to the family members of those who fell martyred in the attack |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Revision as of 07:20, 24 May 2015
| 2015 Qatif mosque bombing | |
|---|---|
 Location of Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia | |
| Location | Qatif, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia |
| Date | 22 May 2015 |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Deaths | 21 - 30 |
| Injured | 50 |
| Perpetrators | ISIL |
The 2015 Qatif mosque bombing occurred on May 22, 2015 a suicide bomber attacked the Shia "Mosque Imam Ali" situated in a village of Qatif, in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The blast killed at least 21 people. [1][2][3] The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claims responsibility for Saudi mosque suicide bombing.[4]
Saudi Minister of Health Khaled Al-Falih, accompanied by senior health officials , had visited victims at Qatif Central Hospital and instructed the hospital management to provide the best treatment to those injured in the brutal attack on Al-Qudaih’s Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque, on 22 May during Friday prayer. He prayed for their speedy recovery and conveyed condolence of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to the family members of those who fell martyred in the attack
Background
An estimated 14% to 15%] of the approximately 16 million natives of Saudi Arabia are Shia Muslims, mostly live in the oil-rich areas of the Eastern Province where Qatif is located. Government of Saudi Arabia follows the strict Sunni Islamic "Wahhabi movement" which dominate religious institutions, courts and education of the kingdom and believes that Shia Muslims are not true Muslims thus Shia have alleged severe discrimination in Saudi Arabia.[5][6] According to a 2009 Human Rights Watch report, Shia citizens in Saudi Arabia "face systematic discrimination in religion, education, justice, and employment". The report alleged widespread discrimination against Saudi Shia, including restrictions in the state education system, where Shia students were forbidden from learning about their religion and told they were unbelievers by Sunni teachers. Judges are often banned Shia witnesses during trials because of their faith and barred Shia from taking jobs in government ministries or the military.[7]
At the time of the incident, the Syrian civil war spawned the creation of ISIS, which also gained prominence in Iraq before spreading to other places in the region. Saudi Arabia was also partaking in bombings during the Yemeni civil war. In November 2014, eight Shia worshippers were killed by gunmen during Ashura celebrations at a shrine in the city of al-Ahsa. Jafar Al Shayeb, a member of the Qatif municipal council, says that sectarian tensions, which have already risen sharply as a result of the war Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman is waging against the Houthis and that divisive rhetoric from Wahhabi preachers was increasing. He believes that the situation for Saudi Shia was about to get worse.[8]
Critics point out that the government has done nothing to address rising sectarian tensions in the country. The country is built on the Wahabbi creed of Islam, whose ideology shares many similarities with that of ISIS. Hours before the bombing, one imam in Riyadh was quoted as telling worshippers devout at the end of Friday prayers: “Allah, attack all the Shia everywhere; Allah, send them earthquakes; Allah, kill them all.”[9]
Bombing
Reportedly 150 people were present in the Mosque for Friday prayers. According to[10] International Business Times, a witness said that at least 30 people were killed as a result of this suicide bomb blast, besides injuries to 50 other people. This is first time in the history of Saudi Arabia that such an attack occurred on a Mosque during prayers.[11][12][13]
Responsibility
In an online statement, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has claimed responsibility, saying their soldiers were behind the attack at the Imam Ali Mosque and one of their suicide bomber identifying him as Abu Amer Al-Najdi has detonated an explosive belt.[14]. An ISIL twitter account posted an image of a suicide bomber they say was involved in the attack [15]. Saudi authorities, however, identified Saudi national Salih bin Abdulrahman Salih Al Ghishaami as the suicide bomber.[16]
Reactions
A large number of people protested in Qatif to denounce the terrorist attack and chanted slogans to show their anger at the government,[17] Jafar Al Shayeb, a member of the Qatif municipal council, said.
Doctor Fahd bin Saad al-Majed, General Secretary of the Council of Senior Scholars, Saudia Arabia has condemned the brutal act and clarified that aims of terrorists to harm the unity of the Saudi people and to destabilize the kingdom, could never be successful [18]. Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al ash-Sheikh has also condemned the cruel attack and described that the terrorist act as “a crime, shame and great sin” [19]
A statement from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and said “such attacks on places of worship are abhorrent and intended to promote sectarian conflict.”[20]
Lebanon: Hezbollah issued a statement condemning the attack, and also saying the authorities in the kingdom bore responsibility.[12] "Hezbollah holds the Saudi authorities fully responsible for this ugly crime, for its embrace and sponsorship for these criminal murderers ... to carry out similar crimes in other Arab and Muslim countries. Saudi authorities incited against Shia citizens from the minbars (pulpits) of mosques and in the media,” the statement says.[17]
Iran: Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham condemned the attack and urged the government of Saudi Arabia to arrest those involved in the incident.[17]
Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain condemned the bombing.[21] Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah in a statement condemned the attack and said “We share the grief of the brotherly people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over this cowardly and deliberate attack against innocent civilians."[22] Pakistan Ambassador Manzur Ul-Haq condemned the bombing saying: “We strongly condemn this act which cost the lives of many people and injured several others. As a mark of respect to those who died, the Pakistan Embassy postponed an evening community function at its premises on Friday."[23]
Bangladesh: Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi condemned the attack and said "the act was a heinous crime and cannot be tolerated. As a country, we stand by Saudi Arabia to help it maintain peace, security and stability in the Kingdom and the world."[23]
Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan Ambassador Mohamed Hussein Mohamed condemned the attack, and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.[23]
United States: White House spokesman Josh Earnest condemned the attack and said, “We mourn the loss of life and condemn this violence.”[21]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20150523244748
- ^ http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/750821
- ^ http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/saudi-arabia-shia-mosque-attack-150522101243243.html
- ^ "ISIL claims responsibility for Saudi mosque attack". Al-Jazeera. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ Commins, David (2009). The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia. I.B.Tauris. pp. 155–6.
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab ... insisted that invoking and making vows to holy men indeed constituted major idolatry and that it was proper to deem as infidels anyone who failed to view such practices as idolatry. ... He then stated that if one admits that these practices are major idolatry, then fighting is a duty as part of the prophetic mission to destroy idols. Thus, the idolater who call upon a saint for help must repent, If he does so, his repentance is accepted. If not, he is to be killed.
{{cite book}}: line feed character in|quote=at position 218 (help) - ^ Ibn Ghannam, Hussien (1961). Tarikh najd. Cairo. p. 438.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Saudi suicide bombing: Shi'ite stronghold Qatif was a Sunni terrorist target waiting to happen". IB Times. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ "Saudi suicide bombing: Shi'ite stronghold Qatif was a Sunni terrorist target waiting to happen". IB Times. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ "Bloodshed in the kingdom". Economist. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ Suman Varandani (May 22, 2015). "Saudi Arabia Suicide Bombing: Shiite Mosque Attacked During Friday Prayers, Casualties Reported". International Business Times. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI and AYA BATRAWY (May 22, 2015). "Suicide bomber targets Shiite worshippers in Saudi Arabia". A P. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ a b SAMI ABOUDI (May 22, 2015). "Suicide bomber strikes Saudi Shi'ite mosque, many dead or wounded: residents". Reuters. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ "30 casualties feared in suicide bomber attack on mosque in S. Arabia (GRAPHIC IMAGES)". rt.com. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- ^ "Deadly suicide blast at mosque in Saudi Arabia kills 20". Dawn. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia attack: Islamic State claims Shia mosque bombing". BBC. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ Staff Writer (May 24, 2015). "Saudi officials visit Qatif mosque blast victims". Al Arabiya News. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c "At least 21 killed in ISIL bombing in Saudi Arabia's Qatif". Press TV. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ "Suicide blast kills 19 at mosque in Saudi Arabia". Al Arabiya News. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ Louisa Loveluck (May 22, 2015). "Several killed after suicide bomber strikes Saudi mosque". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^ "Islamic State asserts responsibility for Shiite mosque blast in Saudi Arabia". Washington Post. 22 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Saudi Shia mosque bombing draws worldwide condemnations". Press TV. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ "Deadly suicide blast at mosque in Saudi Arabia kills 21". Dawn. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ a b c "Nationwide outrage over Qatif carnage". Arab News. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
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