Bahrainis stand up to defend places of worship

The move organized by February 14 revolutionary group aims to keep the memories of Al Khalifa’s abuses of power alive, a statement to the regime’ sectarian policy.

Countless politicians and religious leaders within and without Bahrain have condemned the regime since 2011 for its open war against the Shiite community, slamming the royals for their brutal crackdown campaign.

When an historic Shia Muslim mosque in Bahrain was bulldozed on 17 April 2011 on the orders of the government, it sent shockwaves through the island's majority Shia community.

The Amir Mohammed Mohammed Barbagi Mosque was more than 400 years old. It had a prominent location on Sheikh Salman Highway, which leads to a causeway linking Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

The mosque was one of at least 30 religious sites, all of them Shia, which were destroyed over a two-month period at the height of anti-government uprising three years ago.