Bahrain Human Rights : Nabeel Rajab speech at the International Conference ,Montreal Canada
In previous posts we have discussed how the Bahraini Regime has been attacking Shiites and their Mosques as punishment for taking part in protests demanding reform. The Bahraini government along with the help of the Saudis and the USA have erroneously characterized the protests as sectarian of Shiites versus Sunni . They have also erroneously argued that the protests are not native to Bahrain but are being orchestrated by foreign powers ie Iran.
By making the connection with Iran the Bahrainis have convinced without any real evidence Washington and European powers that the protests are the acts of foreign and native terrorists. Once the narrative is changed from being a native legitimate call for reforms to that of branding protesters as terrorists the Obama administration and the Mainstream Media have little or no sympathy for the peaceful reform movement in Bahrain.
The other bit of propaganda by the regime is accusing the reform movement as being not just sectarian and controlled from Iran the Regime falsely argues that the reformers want to replace the Regime with a strict uberconservative Talibanesque Sharia legal system. When in fact the reformers want to replace the current government with a British style of parliamentary democracy .
Some in the Bahraini government have acknowledged this but claim the sort of Democracy Britain has is not suitable for Bahrain or other Arab nations. In other words supporters of the regime argue against any sort of democratic rule . This should be seen for what it is as merely a defense of the current Sunni despotic corrupt monarchy of Bahrain and resistance to sharing more power with Shiites in Bahrain.
Pakistan fails to stop killings of Shias
Published on 2 Feb 2013
Sectarian violence in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province led to the dismissal of the local government last month.
The central government has taken over, but attacks continue against minority Hazara Shia Muslims.
According to one estimate, over the last ten years, nearly 3,000 Shias in Quetta, Balochistan's provincial capital, have been killed in attacks.
Al Jazeera's Imran Khan reports from Quetta.
Bakri Terrorist burn Shia Mosque in Syria
Published on 27 Jan 2013
USA and NATO backed (Wahhabi / Sunni/ Extremist Bakris) terrorists burn Shia Mosque in Syria (Original blocked on YT!) _PLS SHARE!
Note : Bakri / Wahhabi Sunni refer to the Sect That Follow The tyrant Rulers Who Killed the Prophet PBUH &HP, (Abubaker, Umar, Uthman...etc)
Shia / Rafidha, twelver, refer to those who follow Imam Ali, Hasan, Hussain..12 Imams
Bahraini Opposition is Not a Puppet of Iran
Posted by Ryan Mauro worldthreats.com, November - 14 - 2011
The U.S. has condemned the Bahraini Royal Family’s suppression of the Arab Spring, but it’s easy to see (and understand) why a successful uprising is feared. After all, the U.S. sold $53 million in Humvees and missiles to the Royal Family this summer.
The majority of the population is Shiite, the branch of Islam that Iran adheres to, and the Royal Family is Sunni. Iran and Hezbollah have been egging the uprising on and came very close to waging proxy war against Bahrain. But, the reality is that most of the opposition, although Shiite, stand for the exact opposite of what Iran and Hezbollah does.
Eli Lake interviewed Jasim Husain, a top official with the Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s largest opposition party. He was unashamedly anti-Iran and pro-American. He said that the Bahraini opposition wants nothing like the “theocracies” of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Here are the two money quotes:
“We want the U.S. Fifth Fleet to remain in Bahrain because it is providing the sort of security needed for the larger Gulf region.”
“They have turned part of Bahrain into Little America, where there are Starbucks and T.G.I. Friday’s. That has made the place very lively. They are bringing about a better quality of life to Bahrain.”
Yes, you read that right. He called Manama “Little America” and meant that as a good thing!
I’ve long said that we shouldn’t buy into the Bahraini Royal Family’s claims that the opposition is beholden to Iran. Hassan Mushaima and his al-Haq Party are allies of Iran but again, Al-Wefaq is by far the largest party.
Documents released by Wikileaks show that when the U.S. repeatedly asked Bahrain to give evidence of Iranian involvement in the anti-government protests, we never heard back. Al-Wefaq flatly demanded that Iran butt out of Bahrain’s affairs when the regime made noise about intervening. The Democratic Alliance, an umbrella of three opposition parties, condemned Iran’s meddling.
A spokesman for Al-Wefaq’s leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, said “We have our own identity and we don’t want the Islamic Republic of Iran meddling in Bahrain. We don’t want the Velayat-e-Faqih in Bahrain,” referring to Iran’s style of governance. And amazingly, when asked about the issue that brings out the most extreme rhetoric (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), Salman said, “Let the Palestinians solve their own problems.” That doesn’t sound like an Islamic extremist to me.
The chairman of the Bahrain Transparency Council, another group involved in the protests, said, “We want genuine democracy, not clerical.” And the polls show that’s how most Bahrainis feel. Only 25% of Bahraini Shiites want Sharia law and nearly 50% of the Sunni minority is against Sharia law. Nearly three-fourths of the Shiites want a parliamentary democracy where non-Islamist parties are allowed to compete.
My point? It’s time to stop acting like the Bahraini Royal Family is the only ally we have in Bahrain.
Poll: Bahraini Population Not Fighting for Sharia Law Posted by Ryan Mauro World Threats On May - 29 - 2011
The Bahraini Royal Family has justified its crackdown on the opposition by saying they are puppets of Iran. Indeed, the Iranian regime has been meddling and a proxy war there cannot be ruled out. President Obama admitted that there are legitimate concerns about how Iran is trying to destabilize the Bahraini government. However, we should not be suckered into thinking that the uprising in Bahrain is about replicating the Iranian system of governance or implementing Sharia Law. In fact, the main opposition groups have condemned Iranian meddling and specifically reject Velayat-e-Faqih.
A new poll had the following findings:
Over 50% of the population completely rejects only allowing Islamists to compete in a parliamentary system. Only 25% support the idea.
63% of the Shiites, which make up 70% of the population, reject Sharia-based governance. Only 25% support it.
Almost 75% of the Shiites want a parliamentary democracy where all parties are allowed to compete. The level of support for democracy by the Bahraini Shiites is 15% higher than among the Sunnis, discrediting the Royal Family’s propaganda.
Nearly 50% of the Sunnis reject Sharia-based governance, but about 40% support it.
and so it goes,
GORD.
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