Amal Center for Human Rights and Justice has documented in recent days one of the most significant repercussions linked to the regional war and the political tensions in the region, namely the sudden cancellation of Hajj permits for dozens of Shiite citizens in Bahrain, only a few days before the beginning of this year’s Hajj season.
Several administrators working with Hajj campaigns informed the center that they were surprised by the sudden appearance of vacancies within the lists of approved pilgrims, prompting them to review the records of the accredited “Guests of الرحمن” for this season. During the first hours, some administrators believed that the issue was caused by a technical malfunction in the electronic Hajj platform, especially since the cancelled names had already completed all registration procedures and had previously received official approval.
According to the testimonies, administrators attempted to re-upload the missing names through the electronic platform, but were surprised when the system rejected those names from being registered again. This prompted them to contact the Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah Affairs. They were then informed that the matter was not related to a technical issue, but rather to a decision preventing the re-registration of names that had been removed from the lists. They were instructed not to attempt to register those names again, and were told that the decision was final and not subject to discussion.
One pilgrim, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated:
“I paid all the required fees and registered on the platform since last September. This would have been my first Hajj, as I had never performed it before. I was officially informed of my approval and completed all the required procedures, but I received a call on Sunday from the campaign informing me that my name had been removed from the Hajj list. After following up with the local authorities, I was informed that the banning authority was Saudi Arabia.”
One Hajj campaign administrator, who also requested anonymity, stated:
“The Hajj Committee removed a number of religious guides, chanters, and administrators only a few days before the departure of the trips. The number of cancelled permits exceeds 200. After reviewing the matter with the committee, we were informed that if replacements were not registered within 24 hours, the platform would not allow the registration of any substitute after the specified deadline.”
He added that the decision caused widespread confusion within the campaigns, especially since many pilgrims had chosen to register with specific campaigns because of the presence of well-known religious guides or reciters among their staff.
According to information obtained by the center, the majority of the individuals whose permits were cancelled include well-known religious figures, reciters, chanters, former political prisoners, as well as former members of political societies that were dissolved in Bahrain.
The testimonies also indicate that the committee responsible for Hajj placed responsibility on the Saudi side, despite the fact that the permits had already been issued earlier by the relevant Saudi authorities. This raises serious questions regarding the reasons behind the sudden cancellations and the mechanism through which such decisions were made at such a late stage of the season.
Amal Center for Human Rights and Justice believes that depriving citizens of the right to perform their religious rituals after completing all official procedures and paying the required fees, without transparent legal explanations, constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of religion and belief, and reflects the continuation of discriminatory policies targeting Shiite citizens in Bahrain, particularly in matters of a religious nature.