Sunni and Shi’ite Bahrainis are being urged to stand side by side for Friday prayers amidst terror threats facing the country.

A joint noon prayer will be held tomorrow at A’ali Grand Mosque, an initiative spearheaded by the Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse (BFRCD) to tackle sectarian tensions, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Reports have emerged that Bahraini cleric Shaikh Turki Albinali, a senior figure in IS, has used social media to warn that Bahrain would be targeted this weekend, following a deadly mosque bombing in Kuwait.

Saudi suicide bomber Fahad Suleiman Abdulmohsen Al Gabbaa has been identified as the man responsible for the June 26 attack, which killed 27 people and injured 227.

BFRCD chairman Suhail Al Gosaibi said the prayers, which will be held in a Shi’ite mosque, aimed to unite Bahrainis at a time when extremist organisations were working to divide the country.

“People are nervous about this weekend in Bahrain with some voices saying there might be an attack on a Shi’ite mosque,” he told the GDN.

“We have to rise above this fear and if we give into this fear then that means they [IS] are winning.

“This requires courage and it requires all of us to look beyond our differences and to stand together.

“By doing this we are making a gesture to show our unity and to show that Islam is one religion.

“We want to highlight to these terrorists who are trying to terrorise people or spread social discord in society, that we are united as a religion and as a country against terror.

“It is all about taking a stance against terrorism and we urge people to join the prayer.”

Al Gosaibi said the group will perform another joint prayer in a Sunni mosque next week.

“We are yet to decide on the mosque for the next week,” he added.

“These prayers are about announcing to the world and those trying to create a rift that we are all Muslims and we pray to the same God without any difference.

“We also want to spread the message that we are Bahrainis, who are known for their religious tolerance.

“It is Sunnis and Shi’ites coming together to show our unity in our love for Bahrain, in our love for Islam.”

The bombing at Kuwait’s Imam Al Sadiq Mosque followed two similar attacks in Saudi Arabia and the IS has claimed responsibility for all three blasts.

A suicide bomber disguised as a woman blew himself up outside Al Anoud Mosque in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, killing himself and three others on May 29, while a suicide bombing at a Shi’ite mosque in Qatif city killed 21 people on May 22.

Bahrain has stepped up security at mosques since the bombings, including installing security cameras at places of worship and closing of mosques after each prayer session for caretakers to sweep places of worship for suspicious objects.

Legal action has also been announced by the Interior Ministry against anyone promoting an extremist agenda. - TradeArabia News Service