AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): As the Al Khalifa regime has launched a new wave of arrests, suppression, revocations of citizenship, and security pressures against supporters of the resistance and critics of the American military presence in Bahrain, the "Political Council of the February 14 Youth Revolution Coalition" has issued a harshly worded statement against Al Khalifa, emphasizing that this regime, by relying on the United States and Israel, has turned Bahrain into a "center of aggression" against the nations of the region.
This Bahraini coalition stated that the Bahraini people's stance regarding Iran's retaliatory attacks on American and Israeli targets stems not from "joy at Bahrain being targeted," but from widespread opposition to foreign bases and the American military presence in the region—a presence that, according to this group, has endangered Bahrain's security.
Sharp Reaction to the Statements of Bahrain's Interior Minister
The statement of the February 14 Coalition was issued in response to remarks by Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Interior Minister. This Bahraini official had falsely accused Iran of interfering in his country's internal affairs and claimed that some Bahraini citizens had expressed joy over Iranian attacks on American and Israeli interests.
In response, the February 14 Coalition stated, "The people of Bahrain neither support the war nor seek escalation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, but they consider the presence of foreign military forces in West Asia a direct threat to their own security."
No to Normalization, No to American Bases
This Bahraini group emphasized that the people of the country had clearly declared their stance even before the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran—a stance accompanied by slogans such as "No to normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, no to American bases, and no to war coalitions."
The statement said that Bahrainis from various religious and political backgrounds consider the American military presence as a factor turning their country into a target of regional attacks, and believe that Al Khalifa's policies have placed Bahrain in the service of a "foreign agenda."
Street Protests in Al-Dair
It is worth noting that yesterday, hundreds of Bahraini protesters took to the streets in the Al-Dair area in northern Bahrain, chanting slogans against the repressive policies of the Al Khalifa regime.
Protesters condemned the arrest of Shia Muslims and the security crackdown on those who have supported Iran's retaliatory operations against American and Israeli interests, calling the Bahraini government's actions "political and religious repression."
February 14 Coalition: Al Khalifa Relies on Foreigners
In another part of its statement, the February 14 Coalition declared, "By relying on foreigners and aggressors, Al Khalifa has no path other than destruction."
The group also accused Bahrain's Interior Minister of interfering in religious matters and Shia beliefs "to serve the American-Zionist project," and of attempting to distort concepts such as Wilayat al-Faqih.
Islam Is Founded on the Fight Against Oppression
In one of the harshest sections of the statement, it reads, "This futile effort is because Islam is founded on the fight against oppression, confronting aggression, and resisting occupation."
The February 14 Coalition also emphasized that the suppression of Shia Muslims in Bahrain has a long history, and according to the group, the discriminatory policies of the Al Khalifa family began with their assumption of power in Bahrain in the 18th century.
This Bahraini opposition group accused the Al Khalifa regime of using "forced labor, house demolition, forced displacement, and suppression" over the past decades to control the Bahraini people.
The statement reads, "The people of Bahrain are deeply loyal to their land and, despite decades of oppression and crime, have not left their country."
It is worth noting that since the start of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, the Manama government has sharply increased pressure on Shia Muslims, political activists, and supporters of the resistance.
Bahrain has witnessed widespread anti-government demonstrations since 2011, coinciding with the wave of protests known as the Arab Spring. Protesters, who mainly called for political reforms, an end to discrimination, and greater power-sharing, have repeatedly accused the Al Khalifa regime of organized suppression of Shia Muslims.
The February 14 Coalition, which takes its name from the date of the beginning of the popular uprising in Bahrain, is considered one of the opposition currents to the government and has over the years repeatedly emphasized its opposition to the American military presence, normalization of relations with Israel, and Manama's security policies.
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