Violations handled in accordance with the law during Ashoora

With the ongoing clamors over the recent conflicts between security forces and groups of lawbreakers in some of the kingdom’s villages, Interior Ministry has reaffirmed that “it’s the Ministry’s duty to ensure general order during religious rituals.” 

The Ministry said in a press statement, “Freedom of religion is protected in Bahrain's constitution and is widely respected.  In this context, Interior Ministry provides a police service that ensures general order during religious rituals by protecting places of worship and securing religious celebrations such as Ashoora.”

“During the current religious occasion, the police have encountered a variety of violations relating to the location and content of temporary structures and decorations.  Objects that were erected in places that hindered traffic safety were removed along with banners containing political or sectarian slogans,” the ministry clarified.

The statement added, “There are a wide array of well-known areas and locations allocated for banners and flags.  Police removed objects that obstructed traffic safety, putting lives at risk, or that encouraged sectarianism.  However, the vast majority of Ashoora decorations remain on display throughout the country.”

The Ministry reiterated that the main concern with the decorations that have been removed is that they have intentionally used the religious occasion to exploit sectarian tensions.

As reported earlier this week, few clashes occurred in a number of villages, mainly located in the Northern Governorate and Western Area. The clashes took place while Public Security personnel removed some of the banners and decorations hung up at the villages on the occasion of Ashoora and Muaharram commemoration, but, contained political and sectarian phrases.

Chief of Public Security General Major Tariq Al Hassan revealed earlier that policemen were attacked with Molotov cocktails and homemade guns during the processes.