Once again, Saudi authorities started a new phase of religious harassment against Shia citizens in Khobar city by preventing Jama’a prayers in any place after the recent closure of five Shia mosques.

Sources informed Rasid that State authorities is looking for Sayed Hashim Al-Sharaf for opening his house for Jama’a prayers in Thuqba neighborhood as a replacement to the closed Shia mosques in the same neighborhood.

The 30 year old man is wanted by the authorities to sign an undertaking to stop opening his house for Shia prayers otherwise he will be sent to prison.

Authorities had already closed five Shia mosques in Khobar city where about 20,000 Shia citizens live there according to unofficial sources.

In the same context, Saudi Intelligence Department forces Hajj Hussain Al-Rashed to sign an undertaking to stop opening his house for Jama’a prayers in the same city.

All closed mosques are Shia and one of which belongs to Ismaili Shia and the other four belong to Ethna Ashrya Shia who are the majority in the oil rich Eastern Province.

Saudi authorities do not allow their Shia citizens to build their own mosques nor have their own cemeteries in areas outside Qatif, Al-Hasa and Najran where they are majority.

The official bodies in Eastern Province Governance and the Ministry of Religious Affairs do not provide reasons for the ban on Shia.

As a reaction to the above events, Shaikh Hassan Al-Saffar condemned during Friday prayers suppression of religious practices in Saudi and warned of inverse consequences to creed debates and the trials for “imposing and suppressing” people’s practices and rituals.

The recent developments came after of 14 months from the Authorities campaign to close Shia mosques in Khobar which included calling and detaining several Shia clerics and leaders.

More than 20 Shia citizens were arrested for taking part in religious activities during Ashura on last January.

Shaikh Hassan Al-Saffar condemned during Friday prayers suppression of religious practices in Saudi and warned of inverse consequences to creed debates and the trials for “imposing and suppressing” people’s practices and rituals.

During Friday prayers in Qatif, Al-Saffar affirmed people’s freedom to practice their rituals and that societies experiences proved their ability to regained their freedom due to inverse consequences of suppression.

Amid the increasingly suppression rate against Saudi Shia, Al-Saffar condemned any trials to suppress religious practices of any sect.

Recently, Saudi authorities have increased their religious harassment by closing five Shia mosques in Khobar city and the return of arbitrary arrests campaign in Al-Hasa.

Most of the arbitrary arrests were made in Al-Hasa with about 20 detainees for taking part in religious activities during Ashura on last January.

In an  implicit warning to Saudi authorities, Al-Saffar said: “Many governments have tried suppressing people’s practices and rituals but the outcomes were inverse and people regained their freedom.”

He called for practices rationalization of religious festivals of Ahal Al-Bayet (Prophet Mohammad Clan) and not limiting them to trivial practices as “these practices carry deep meanings, goals and great purposes” Al-Saffar said.

Last weekend, about 2 million Saudi Shia celebrated the birth of Imam Al-Mahd (the twelfth Imam as per Shia Imamia sect) in a wide spread religious festivals.

Al-Saffar called the world and humanity attention to Imam Al-Mahdi and said “Imam Al-Mahdi is not an Imam (leader) of one guild, sect, country or nation, rather he comes to spread peace and justice all over the globe.”

He emphasized on ” the necessity to openly direct our attention to humanity away from retarded reality which we have imprisoned ourselves within.”

It should be noted here that all Saudi Shia citizens’ celebrations and festivals are not covered by any official or public media. In addition, official human rights committees are sightless when it comes to Shia suppression or harassment.