Bahrain Mirror: SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights said that the systematic racial discrimination is practiced in Bahrain against many social sectors and components, including Shia citizens.

Marking the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, SALAM said that this discrimination is represented in the violation of Shiite citizens' basic human rights, including their civilian and political rights in public employment, security and military apparatuses, promotions, scholarships, representation in the 3 authorities and their denial of just partnership in managing the country's affairs.

The organization recalled the report of Salah Al-Bandar, former advisor in the Royal court and the affairs of the Bahraini Cabinet, in 2006, which revealed the existence of a secret scheme and network headed by a member of the ruling family Ahmed Atiyatullah Al Khalifa aimed at systematic racial discrimination against Shia citizens, their exclusion, diminishing the role of their religious, civil and political institutions, weaken their role in civil society and their media presence, remove them from state institutions and deprive them of active participation in the three authorities, as well as adopt a plan for the demographic change of the indigenous population and turn them into a minority by accelerating political naturalization.

The organization narrated series of actions taken by the authorities against the religious organizations and institutions of the Shiite community since 2014, as dissolving Ulama Islamic Council, Islamic Enlightenment Society (Al-Tawiya), revoking nationalities of a group of top Shiite religious scholars in the country, notably Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim, as well as imprisoning a number of other Shia clerics over their political opinions and stances.

"Since the authorities demolished 38 Shiite mosques, the security forces have continued to attack religious manifestations in the Ashura season of Muharram every year by removing banners and flags containing religious slogans," SALAM said.

The organization noted that a group of United Nations independent human rights experts expressed in August 2016 deep concerns at what they see as "systematic harassment" of the Shia population and religious leaders, including stripping the citizenship of many, by authorities in Bahrain. The group said that it is clear that Shias are specifically targeted on the basis of their religion and opinions, and added in the statement that "other actions recently undertaken in the country include the dissolution of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, shutting of faith-based organizations, restrictions on the practice of religious rites, on Friday prayers and peaceful assemblies, restrictions on movement, restricted access to the Internet and a ban on Shia religious leaders from preaching, noted the release."

SALAM urged the Bahraini authorities to respect the country's Constitution, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted on September 13, 2007, respect the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial discrimination, immediately stop systematic discrimination against Shia citizens in the country, give them equal citizenship rights and make radical reforms in all matters.

Arabic Version