6 years passed since Bahraini majority Shia people had embarked on a peaceful demonstration against a minority Sunni regime which systematically oppressed legal rights of the public and cooperated with foreign forces in the road to press the ‘revolution’ on the wall.
Revolution, as Shia majority called it, had been on and off during these years and the regime in Manama has all but oppressed it without thinking for a moment that it would be expedient to listen to the voices demanding reform, a change in the political terrain which would improve political participation of the majority in running their country.
Despite the crackdown which culminated in destroying by the al-Khalifa regime of Pearl Square, the center stage of the revolution, a function At-Tahrir Square in Cairo did for Arab Spring in Egypt, the peaceful activity continued; in response, the regime, stone deaf to the demands, requested Saudi military and security to intervene for more crackdown and effective control of the revolution.
The regime launched a different strategy to curb the revolution; earlier in March, it was well-orchestrated to try Sheikh Isa Qassim, a fact which was surprising given the sheikh’s peaceful nature of teaching and demeanor; public support and uproar however made the regime to postpone the trial session to May 7, to give a valve to the pressure from the majority revolutionaries. Sheikh Qassim’s link during hard times had been Sheikh Abdullah Al-Daqaq, no less active and resolved to help the revolutionary, as himself belonged to the movement. The regime detected al-Daqaq as playing key roles in connecting the public with Sheikh Qassim and took measures to silence the former as well.
Visits to Iranian clerics made the regime angry; they tried al-Daqaq in their summary court which gave a 10-year sentence, along with stripping sheikh of its nationality. The court based the verdict on al-Daqaq on ludicrous charges of incitement to overthrow the regime, membership of a terrorist group, and to organize street rallies, using explosives, and illegally leaving the country.
To delve deep into the matter, Mohammad Fatemizadeh, of Mehr News International Service reached to Sheikh al-Daqaq; he told Mehr News that the stripping his nationality would only make his will stronger in moving in the path to help the revolutionaries. The court verdict incited immediate condemnation from Qom-based clerical order with whom Sheikh al-Daqaq had met before. Grand Ayatollah Kazim Hosseini Haeri and Abdullah Javadi Amoli were notable among the clerics with whom Sheikh al-Daqaq shared the developments on Sheikh Isa Qassim’s situation; “the clerics voiced strongest support for Sheikh Qassim; they called the public to defend the sheikh against any attacks and threats by the regime. The public was incited upon receiving the messages which made it almost a religious duty supporting Sheikh Qassim, and forced the regime to postpone his trial,” he told Mehr News.
Sheikh Daqaq was equally unapologetic about his political activity to help the revolutionaries; “This will be an honor to lose my nationality in the path to success of the revolution, but there will be no retreat, no compromise; the regime has prepared extensive measures to curb the revolution through stripping them of their nationalities, even overseas,” said the sheikh, “the regime is irreconcilable to any negotiation and has acted heavy-handedly from position of strength.”
“Any action against the regime in international courts would produce nothing, since western powers support the regime and would easily turn down actions seeking to condemn the regime for its unconstitutional and illegal measures,” al-Daqaq said, but provided a dim light of hope to the better future: “regime in Manama would stripe revolutionaries of their nationalities, but they are equally alien to the country; they are foreigners in the eyes of the majority and will be helpless in facing the waves of the righteous public and will son succumb,” was his parting shot.
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