AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The news outlet Mar'at al-Bahrain, in a report referring to the latest actions of the Al Khalifa regime against Bahraini Shia, announced that the destruction of the authentic Shia identity in Bahrain is not an accusation leveled against the ruling system, but rather a dangerous project that is being implemented immediately. This is a reality experienced by the sons of this community due to the consecutive and very rapid steps taken daily by the ruling power.
In the latest actions taken directly by Hamad bin Isa, the King of Bahrain, the Sunni and Ja'fari endowment councils and their associated departments were abolished, and a council for endowments headed by the minister was established.
This action cannot be separated from the chain of decisions that have recently targeted the Shia community and its affairs: the siege of its sons, accusing them of treason and defamation, revoking their citizenship, prosecuting them for their religious beliefs, imprisoning their prominent scholars, and depriving them of performing rituals that have had a history in Bahrain for decades.
Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this decision is not its administrative or organizational dimension, as the government tries to justify it, but its deep political and religious symbolism. When the management of Ja'fari endowments is removed from its natural environment and placed under the direct control of the government and a minister affiliated with the executive branch, the message becomes clear: there is no independence for any Shia affair, even in matters most closely related to belief and religious identity.
This transformation cannot be interpreted except within the framework of an integrated project seeking to rebuild Bahrain according to a specific political and sectarian template—a template in which the Shia community is merely a monitored and besieged group, not an authentic partner in the homeland.
For years, the Bahraini Shia have lived under constant pressure: if they express their opinion, they are accused of treason; if they adhere to their faith and rituals, they are placed under surveillance; and if they demand their civil and political rights, they are subjected to prosecution and defamation. Today, the targeting of endowments confirms that the project has entered a clearer stage, the title of which is complete control over Shia religious affairs and the stripping of any independent ability to manage them.
Some believe that the government will increase the level of tension against this community and will not be satisfied with previous decisions. The most dangerous scenario is the targeting of the upcoming Ashura ceremonies. The government will try to rid itself of the Ashura image that Shia Muslims embody each year on the map of occasions in Islamic countries.
Fear is growing of intensified interference by tightening the noose on the departure of Hussaini mourning processions (as usually happens on the known routes outside the Hussainiyas) and suppressing large popular commemorations.
Therefore, today the question is no longer whether there is a war against the existence of the Shia in Bahrain, but rather how far the ruling power can go on this path, which is open to further escalation.
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