On January 9, 2015, in Pakistan’s Punjab’s Rawalpindi area, a terrorist attack by a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Shia minority Muslims has left eight people killed and 17 injured. The attack was in the Chitian Hatian area at a Shia Imambargah mosque and worship hall. The attack happened when a Taliban suicide bomber was unable to enter the Shia house of worship at around 9:20 PM local time. The terrorist attack happened during a Shia religious service.

Pakistan: A Shia Muslim mourns over the death of his family member at the site of a blast in Rawalpindi on January 9, 2015 (Source: AP)

Pakistan’s Geo TV reports that “[e]yewitnesses said the explosion that took place outside the Imambargah was so intense that windowpanes of nearby buildings were shattered,” and that “[t]he injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital where some of them were in critical condition.” The Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction of Taliban took credit for the terrorist attack on the minority Shiite Muslims. The Pakistan News reported that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesman of the Taliban’s Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction, stated in an email “We claim responsibility of the attack on the Imambargah and vow to continue such attacks against enemies of Islam.”

Pakistan: Police officer and local residents gather next to a damaged motorcycle at the site of a blast in Rawalpindi on January 9, 2015 (Source: AP)

Dawn also reported that “[a] bomb targeting Shias at a volleyball match killed at least five people and injured 10 in Pakistan’s restive northwest last Sunday.” The January 4 terrorist attack against Shiites by the Taliban was an attack on a child’s playground in Orakzai.

The Taliban has continued a war against religious minorities in Pakistan and other Muslim religions, as part of its rejection of our universal human rights for all people of all religions and all identity groups. Such terrorist hate and violence will target any individuals and deny their human rights of anyone in humanity.

This is continuing terrorist war by the Taliban against the people of the world and an attack on the universal human rights, including terrorist attacks and murders against other Muslims.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) calls for the support of our Universal Human Rights for all people around the world, and a rejection of this violence and hatred.