SHAFAQNA – After Asharq al-Awsat a Pan-Arab newspaper run and owned by Saudi Arabia run a fabricated story on Arbaeen – arguing that pregnancies out of wed-lock had become a source of social instability, activists took to social media to voice their outrage.
Saudi Arabia, which has long labelled Shia Islam an apostasy on account it rejects its devolution: Wahhabism, has attempted to belittle the pilgrimage of Arbaeen by alluding to pilgrims’ alleged moral depravity – going as far as quoting a fake World Health Organization report on unplanned pregnancies.
Needless to say that the affront made to all those women: Muslims and non-Muslims taking part in the ritual has been denounced in the strongest terms by Iraqi officials and responsible media organization.
Shafaqna would like to take this opportunity to absolutely reject Saudi Arabia’s attempt to darken the skies of Shiab Islam by implying amorality. We ought to remember that slander is the weapon of the weak.
Al-Awsat editorial board has removed the news report from their website in an attempt to distance itself from the scandal. It was #WHO which exposed the fabrication.
Anger is nevertheless growing on social media with campaigns carrying the following #: