RNA – In an interview with Rasa News Agency, Hujjat al-Islam Muhammad-Ali al-Tall, a Bahraini Shi’ah cleric, emphasized that the Al Khalifah regime has focused all of its apparatus on the elimination of the Shi’ahs and added, “Al Khalifah seeks to eradicate all Shi’ahs in Bahrain. In other words, the main purpose of today’s court ruling issued by the regime in Manama against Hujjat al-Islam Isa Qasim was to strike against the Shi’ahs.”
The opponent of the Al Khalifah regime added that the Al Khalifah doesn’t consider Shi’ahs as Muslims and consequently, they seek to try Hujjat al-Islam Qasim as the leader of a group which is outside of Islam and added, “As an Islamic country, Bahrain must never enter into these issues but unfortunately, the ruling regime in Bahrain has put the symbol of Islam and the symbol of Shi’ism on trial and this is very dangerous.”
Hujjat al-Islam al-Tall described the condemnation of Hujjat al-Islam Qasim is the condemnation of the Shi’ahs of Bahrain and added, “In addition to the trial of Hujjat al-Islam Qasim, they also described one of the important principles and obligations of Shi’ism as criminal and this is never acceptable.”
In response to the reasons for the announcement of this decision at the same time as American President Donald Trump’s trip to the Middle East, he said, “Over the past while, the rulers of Bahrain were looking for an opportunity to announce this verdict. The meeting between King Hamad ibn Isa of Bahrain with Donald Trump in Riyadh was an opportunity to announce this verdict and to convict Hujjat al-Islam Qasim.
“Everyone knows that Al Khalifah made their decision to issue this verdict a long time ago and the issue was only in regard to the timing of the announcement of the verdict,” he said.
Hujjat al-Islam al-Tall described the verdict issued against Hujjat al-Islam Qasim as “very dangerous” and reiterated the details of the recent ruling aren’t important but what is important is the role of the ruling and the condemnation of Hujjat al-Islam Qasim. With every verdict and every excuse, the condemnation of Hujjat al-Islam Qasim is the condemnation of the Shi’ahs of Bahrain.”
The Bahraini political activist said that the accusations against this Bahraini Shi’ah leader are unsubstantiated and today, the Al Khalifah regime have tried to stabilize these accusations by issuing this decree.
“They seek to instigate the public opinion in Bahrain and other countries that Hujjat al-Islam Qasim and Shi’ahs must be convicted due to the establishment of some ‘incorrect practices,’” he said.
He said that the confiscation of property and religious funds in the possession of Hujjat al-Islam Isa Qasim as “impermissible” and added, “This property doesn’t belong to Hujjat al-Islam Qasim and he was only entrusted with this property and was only obliged to split their property.”
Hujjat al-Islam al-Tall stressed, “This property which was confiscated by the Al Khalifah is stolen property and is prohibited. In the Quran, God Almighty says, ‘Indeed those who consume the property of orphans wrongfully, only ingest fire into their bellies, and soon they will enter the Blaze’ [4:10]. This property must reach the deserving people and by confiscating this property, the Al Khalifah have violated the rights of the people.”
The cleric emphasized that today, the people have reacted to the verdict in a comprehensive manner, saying, “The Bahraini people will rise up against this verdict because this verdict has targeted their religion and school of thought.”
A court in Bahrain has condemned distinguished Shi’ah cleric Hujjat al-Islam Isa Qasim, the spiritual leader of Bahrain’s dissolved opposition bloc the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, to one year in prison, suspended for three years, and ordered him to pay a fine.
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