Bahrain: Crown Prince’s secret war against Shia Muslims

In a serious escalation, Bahrain’s Crown Prince (C) has championed the attack on the native Shia of Bahrain, directed the sectarian campaign being waged by the Embassy in Washington and London and dedicated abundant material resources to carry this campaign forward.

 In his recent visits to the United States, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad has continued his campaign of hatred against the majority of the natives during his meetings with American officials, Congressmen and think tanks intellectuals. The document that was distributed among the guests to the Anti-Discrimination Commission (ADC) reception meeting at Bahrain Embassy in Washington, highlights the depth of the anti-Shia campaign undertaken by Huda Nunu, the Al Khalifa Ambassador to Washington, under the direction of the CP. The two-pages document  is a wholesale outright attack on the Shia Muslims with accusations that they are foreigners, financed by Iran and seeking to impose a foreign agenda on the country. The document was distributed by one of the officials at the embassy, Khalid Al Jalahma, while the ambassador claimed to her guests that some of the victims of torture had “tortured themselves”. To date the ruling family has failed to present one case of self-inflicted wounds, contrary to the claims by Nunu.

In continuation of the anti-Shia Muslim policies, the Al Khalifa occupiers have refused to allow the building of a mosque and cultural centre by the family of the late Hajj Hassan Al Aali, despite the approval by the various committees of the Municipality councils. Both the royal court and the prime minister’s offices have taken close interest in the project and are adamant on refusing it. They have viewed it from purely sectarian angle arguing that Shia Muslim natives must not have prominent cultural or religious presence in the capital, especially the Diplomatic Area where the project would have been located. The Al Khalifa occupiers have suggested a remote area off Budayya for the proposed cultural centre, at a much reduced size.

Meanwhile the political unrest has continued unabated. On Friday 11th June, hundreds of the citizens staged a demonstration near the Duraz roundabout to demand the immediate release of the political prisoners. The demonstrators called for an immediate halt by the riot police and Death Squads of the use of banned weapons against unarmed civilians. . Women also took part in this charged protest which ended shortly before sunset. At the same time the people of Karzakkan went on protest near the round of Buri Town to call for the release of their children whose royal “pardon” has been revoked by the ruler. Al the 19 of them have been ordered to serve three years for allegedly taking part in the killing of a foreign mercenary.

Earlier this year they were acquitted of the any wrongdoing. Since then they testified to Human Rights Watch (HRW) about the horrific torture they had endured during their detention. These testimonies have angered the Al Khalifa occupiers who rushed to order their re-arrest in revenge for the damning report by HRW.

In another serious human rights violation, three Bahrainis have been sentenced to three years imprisonment, for allegedly burning a gas cylinder during a protes. Yesterday, the High Court issued the decision decreed by the royal court against Majid Hussain Sulail and Hassan Abdul Amir Radhi.

In another development, the review of the case of Hassan Salman, who had been convicted of exposing the names of torturers, has been adjourned until 7th November. All evidence point to his innocence, and the Al Khalifa occupiers have decided to delay the review in order to avoid embarrassment of early release. All the procedures employed in the case have been proven to be illegal by the lawyers. First, there is no legal evidence that the alleged information leaked by the victim ought to remain secret. Second there was no legal order to allow the monitoring of the victim. He was subjected by the torture apparatus run by the former ambassador to UK, Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, illegally.

In continuation of the attacks on the civil rights of Bahrainis the Al Khalifa occupiers have sacked Ghazi Al Merbati, the Assistant Secretary of the Gulf Air Trade Union, for allegedly inciting the employees against the Al-Khalifa controlled company and exposing private company information.

This is part of the war against activists whose livelihood is targeted in order to weaken their resolve against tyranny and hereditary dictatorship.

 
Bahrain Freedom Movement
14th June 2010