Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Insurgents Take a Military Airport in the North
Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 6:38See also Syria 1st-Hand: A Taxi Ride In the Damascus Suburbs
Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: Talk of Ceasefire Fades as Israel Pounds Gaza
Saturday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Insurgents Change the Situation on the Ground
2059 GMT: Jordan. Security officials are holding and interrogating 130 citizens for 15 days on suspicion that they called for the overthrow of King Abdullah II at protests this week. They face charges of "threatening to undermine the regime, illegal gathering, and creating civil strife", which can carry sentences of up to 5 years.
Human rights lawyer Musa Abdallat said of the detained individuals, "These are prisoners of conscience who should be released".
1919 GMT: Bahrain The Ministry of Interior offers its thought for the day:
Freedom of religion in Bahrainis not an iron curtain behind which politically explosive activities can be used to incite people
— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) November 18, 2012
Some may disagree. The main opposition society AlWefaq recently released a report on the attack on Friday prayers led by Sheikh Isa Qassim which took place on 9 November. Authorities reportedly set up 26 separate checkpoints to keep worshippers away from Duraz. People who attempted to travel to the mosque by foot were fired on with tear gas.
The Government, however, is unlikely to heed the dissent. It said Sunday that “a number” of Shiite religious figures have been referred to the public prosecutor for delivering political sermons or leading anti-regime chants.
See also Preaching Religious Tolerance, Practicing Religious Discrimination.