Rights groups urge the Pope to intervene to stop discrimination against Shias in Bahrain

Prominent Bahraini human rights activists have urged the Vatican to address a number of serious files and persistent concerns related to religious freedom during Pope Francis’s visit to Manama next month.

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain sent a letter to Pope Francis asking him to discuss and call on “the Bahraini authorities to stop the systematic institutional discrimination against Shias in the Kingdom.”

The organization stated in its letter, which was seen by Shia Waves News Agency, that “the ruling family in Bahrain uses religious discrimination as a tool to maintain its power and exploits public manifestations of interfaith coexistence or papal visits to cover up its violations of human rights.”

The letter also called on Pope Francis “to demand the release of political prisoners.”

For its part, the Vatican responded to the organization’s letter and the demands of other civil activists, and confirmed that it had read it very carefully, however no details were provided about whether the Pope would raise these fears and end discrimination against Shias in Bahrain.

The son of the Bahraini opposition leader, Hassan Mushaima, also sent a letter to the Pope of the Vatican, inviting him to meet with other human rights activists to understand the dire situation in the kingdom.

“If you will be able to meet with me and other human rights defenders from Bahrain, perhaps we can explain further how you can help us in our struggle,” Ali Mushaima, who is currently based in London, wrote.

He continued, “If you cannot, I urge you to at least meet my imprisoned father,” stressing that “a real religious dialogue cannot take place in Bahrain without visiting our prisons and exiled clerics.”