Imprisoned Bahraini Clerics Urge Popular Support for Sheikh Qassim

Bahrain’s imprisoned religious scholars and wrote a letter of support for senior cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, who is under renewed pressures by the al-Khalifa regime, and called on the Bahraini people to stand by the top religious figure.

The imprisoned clerics sent the letter out of the prison to show their backing for the Bahraini Shiites’ leader and urged the nation to stand by the top cleric.

The letter reiterated that Sheikh Isa Qassim has never invited people to hostility and hatred and has always stressed the necessity of adopting a peaceful approach to the settlement of the crisis in the tiny Persian Gulf island.

“The experiences of nations show that demanding the nations’ legitimate rights will end in nothing but their victory,” the letter said.

The Al-Khalifa regime has arrested several religious figures and clerics to suppress the protesters who demand democracy and freedom in the Arab country.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Police clampdown on protesters continues daily. Authorities have tried to stop organized protests by opposition parties over the past month by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up.

The opposition coalition wants full powers for the elected parliament and a cabinet fully answerable to parliament.