Iran clerics slam world silence on Shia genocide in Pakistan

Published:Sat Mar 9, 2013

Iranian clerics and seminary students have strongly condemned international community’s silence over the massacre of the Shia Muslims in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. In a Saturday statement, Chairman of the Assembly of Experts Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani severely criticized the silence of international organizations over the massacre of Pakistani Shia Muslims. The senior cleric also called on religious scholars and students to gather to vociferate their resentment against such brutal acts of terrorism. In protest to the massacre of Pakistani Shias by foreign-backed terrorists, all seminaries in the cities of Tehran and Qom were closed on Saturday, with teachers and students taking to the streets to voice their protest to the silence of international organizations. The protest came after a bombing in the Pakistani port city of Karachi on March 3 killed over 45 Shia Muslims and injured 150 others. Women and children were among those killed and injured. Shias make up 20 percent of the country's 180-million-strong population. Violence has escalated against Shia Muslims in different parts of Pakistan in recent months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country. The attacks have targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.