Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Dozens of worshipers who pray in Sheikh Aziz Mosque expressed on Tuesday (August 18, 2015) their refusal of a decision made by the Jaffaria Endowment (Waqf) to turn the mosque into a sanctuary after removing its prayer niche (Mihrab).

Worshipers protested in front of the mosque and held posters voicing their opposition of what they described as "blatant interference of the endowment's administration in the mosque's affairs".

The Ulama Islamic Council member, Sheikh Fadhel Al-Zaki said: "There is no doubt that the Shaikh Aziz Mosque is addressed and considered as a mosque, and that is clear and known to everybody. All the official papers and correspondences with the endowment administration and even official statements address this location as a mosque and not only as a sanctuary.

"Thus, we see that there is no justification for the endowment administration's decision to demolish the prayer niche and turn the mosque into a sanctuary," he added, stressing that "this act committed by the endowment administration is groundless and illegal."

Arabic Issue