“Since the people do not find anything to persuade themselves to stop their protest movement and are witnessing a surge in the [regime’s] policy of repression, dictatorship and marginalization, they are pressing ahead with their uprising, whatever the cost may be,” Sheikh Qassim said in a statement released on Monday and carried by the Bahrain Mirror news website.

“There would be no way out of the current situation unless the government reaches an agreement with the opposition to draw up a new constitution and found relevant institutions so as to protect the citizens’ rights and recognize their sovereign position in the country’s politics,” the senior cleric pointed out.

Sheikh Qassim further said reforms must be undertaken at a pace satisfactory to the public and must guarantee the authority, dignity, comfort, security and interests of all.

“There is a serious political and legal crisis in Bahrain, the consequences of which will be dangerous for both the nation and the government itself,” the distinguished cleric said.

He denounced the Manama regime over the “absurd” policy of putting more people behind bars, saying such a practice will not even benefit the “unjust political goal” being pursued by the Al Khalifah regime.

“If the purpose of populating prisons with thousands of inmates is to tone down the demands for political and civil rights to mere calls for the release of prisoners, the calls among the prisoners themselves for the nation’s rights [to be guaranteed] will definitely thwart such a conspiracy,” Sheikh Qassem said.

“The people of Bahrain are well aware of the fact that the solution to the country’s crisis lies only in a genuine improvement of the situation and establishment of a political relationship between the nation and the government on the basis of new and viable principles,” the cleric said.

 “Today, the government is distancing itself more and more from people. This will exert a lot of pressure on it and weaken its position both domestically and internationally, even among the friendly countries which it relies on.,” Sheikh Qassem said.

Demonstrations in Bahrain have been held on a regular basis ever since a popular uprising began in mid-February 2011.

The participants demand that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama, however, has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

King Hamad ratified the constitutional amendment on April 3, 2017.

The post New constitution sole way out of crisis in protest-hit Bahrain: Sheikh Qassim appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Manama revoked his citizenship in June 2016, prompting protests and sit-ins in his hometown of Diraz.

Bahraini authorities later dissolved the Islamic Enlightenment Institution, founded by him, in addition to the opposition al-Risala Islamic Association.

The post Qom Seminary teachers honor Sheikh Isa Qassim appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Daghagh, who previously served as the representative of prominent cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim in Iran,  told Mehr News Agency (MNA) correspondent that the Saturday’s parliamentary elections in Bahrain was a ‘farce’ as the Al-Khalifa regime had threatened the people to turn out to vote otherwise they would face big problems living in the country.

He said that the people of Bahrain boycotted the polls because the situation in Bahrain had got worse than ever, adding that the elections would not be real unless the Bahraini authorities reach a real agreement with the people.

“The opposition groups boycotted the elections with the hope of a reaching rule of law and a national reconciliation. But the ruling system seeks to establish a parliament through which they can implement their plans and programs and carry out all of their actions in the name of the Bahraini people,” he said, stressing “the Bahraini opposition and the people of this country will never accept this.”

With regard to human rights situation in his country, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Daghagh said “the prisoners in Bahrain are in a terrible condition. Al-Khalifa regime’s forces are escalating crackdown on the people… A former Bahraini MP who had asked a question on boycotting the elections in a tweet on his Twitter account is in jail now. Everyone in the country who speaks out against injustice is put behind bars.”

The Bahraini cleric said that some parts of the society turned out to vote in the elections because they were under immense pressures from the authorities.

With regard to the silence of the international community against the Al-Khalifa regime’s actions, he said that the international community with the United States at the top are supporting the Saudi kingdom and Al-Khalifa regime and their call for respecting human rights is just words and no actions as they only care about their own interests.

He said that Al-Khalifa regime is the Western countries’ strategic ally and they will not cut their support for it unless their interests require them to do so.

With respect to attempts by Arab countries, especially Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel, Al-Daghagh said “we condemn the process of normalizing relations and the so-called the Deal of the Century…Palestine is our number-one issue. Any country seeking to normalize relations with Israel is a traitor because Israel is an illegitimate government and a cancerous tumor that colonists created in the Arab world…. Anyone who participates in this process will be thrown into the dustbin of history.”

He touched upon Iran’s role in supporting the resistance movement, saying “Iran does a lot in support of religious and press freedom. It tries to send the message of our oppressed people to the world, and this is done through television networks and media programs.”

The post Al-Khalifa regime threatened people to vote in elections: Bahraini cleric appeared first on Iran News Daily.