Shia Muslims on “International Baqi Day”: Global silence over grave destruction reflects ongoing complicity

Shia Muslims in Iraq and around the world have strongly condemned what they described as the “catastrophic international silence” surrounding the destruction of the holy graves of the Imams in Al-Baqi Cemetery. The condemnation coincides with the annual commemoration of the demolition, which occurred on the 8th of Shawwal.

Speaking to Shia Waves Agency during International Baqi Day events, several mourners criticized the ongoing lack of diplomatic and humanitarian action more than a century after Wahhabi forces demolished the revered graves in Medina. They denounced the silence of Islamic governments, calling it a shameful failure to protect sacred Islamic heritage.

The mourners warned that continued inaction amounts to painful, implicit complicity. They emphasized that political and economic normalization with Saudi Arabia must not come at the cost of honoring and preserving the sanctity of Ahlulbayt’s graves. They called on Muslim leaders and communities to adopt a firm and unified stance in demanding the reconstruction of Al-Baqi and safeguarding Islamic historical sites.