Regime in Manama has reportedly tried the sheikh in court in an alleged khoms (religious tax received by higher clerics) case where the prosecutor requested the harshest possible punishment for Isa Qassim. The verdict garnered only anger and severe criticism by Al-Wefaq. The statement warned Al-Khalifa regime on pushing to the extremes in Sheikh Qassim’s case which it believed would jeopardize the country and through the fate of the Island in abyss.
“Sheikh Isa Qassim is the epitome of honesty, erudition in fiqh, and the heir of prophets in Bahrain; he received the ludicrous court verdict for his strong position and brave defense of the people of Bahrain in their struggle for their rights; his character sets example before us to act and [he] is a redline for us, sacrosanct and not to be violated,” emphasized the statement.
“Sheikh Qassim is a great man of the Islamic world; his place in the hearts of the public is source of envy by the malignant minds; his case provides testament to the fact that the regime directly targets Shias in Bahrain and its practices of khoms and religious tax recognized by international conventions and state’s interference and any effort to ban the practice is encroaching in religious affairs by the state and thus is illegal,” the statement added.
Regime’s targeting of a Shia practice had been all too clear, as the ombudsman report attests, stripping of Sheikh Isa Qassim’s nationality had been carried out a month ago; “the same report is unambiguous in indicating that the regime’s encroachment through its Ministry of Justice in religious affairs of Shia communities seeks to hit the practice observed by the public; this is an outright tyranny against the Muslim community and should be immediately addressed and stopped,” said the statement, “any pretext of the lack of knowledge will be subject to condemnation and the community will act according to call of the duty.”
“The regime should clearly condemn violence and extremism and violation of rights of Bahraini people; we emphasize on Islamic unity and political participation in the country through this statement and warn the regime that intransigence will bring no concrete outcomes to whimsical rulers, but will throw the country in an abyss. Act before it becomes very late,” the statement concluded.
SH/PS
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