International Shia Day
International Shia day, is celebrated on June 12 every year, this day was introduced by Shia rights watch as result of increase of oppression against Shia Muslims in different country. Shia Rights Watch chose June 12 as the International Day for Shia Rights in commemoration of the massacre that occurred at Camp Speicher in 2014. ISIS militants escorted upwards of 3,000 plain clothed Iraqi soldiers from Camp Speicher, an Iraqi military base previously operated by the U.S.A., to Tikrit, an ISIS controlled town 140 km north-west of Baghdad. Once they arrived in Tikrit the soldiers were divided by religious affiliation; the non-Shia allowed to live, the Shia condemned to death by firing squad. It is estimated that ISIS killed upwards of 1,700 Shia soldiers, making this the most prolific sectarian mass killing against Shias since the time of Saddam Hussein’s rule. Only one person survived the attacks, Ali Hussein Kadhim, who survived by feigning dead. International Day for Shia Rights is a time to look back at this massacre and all Shia deaths that occurred both before and after, and to stand up and say we will no longer tolerate this source and degree of inhumanity. June 12th creates an opportunity for human rights activists to get together, create unified message and plan on how to defend Shia rights more effectively. http://internationalshiaday.com/is a new outlet used to sponsor an event, ,make a pledge, and get to know like minded NGOs.
| Observed by | Shia Rights Watch |
| Type | International |
| Significance | Solidarity with Shia Muslim oppression |
| Date | June 12 |
| Frequency | Annual |
