(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Regime forces attacked protesters in several villages including Sitra and Dair. The protesters chanted anti-regime slogans and called for freedom and regime change in the tiny Persian Gulf sheikhdom. Saudi-backed forces fired tear-gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Anti-regime protests have been a daily occurrence in Bahrain since a revolution started there in mid-February. Dozens of people have been killed and many more arrested and tried. A report last month found the regime guilty of using excessive force and torture against protesters.
There is an interview with Mohsen Saleh, a professor at the Lebanese University, to further explore the issue. What follows is a transcription of the interview:
Q: Do you feel the monarchy's approach has changed at all since the release of Bassiouni's report last month?
Saleh: Of course, this regime cannot change its nature. By nature, it is a brutal regime; it is a discriminatory regime and of course backed by the Saudis and the Americans who are having troubles in communicating with the policies in the region from Iraq to Syria, to Lebanon, to Palestine. They have reached their deadlock; they have reached their utmost obstacles in the region.
That is why I guess [they are] continuing in their brutal actions against the oppressed Bahrainis, although they cannot really stop or hinder the Bahrainis from continuing their resilience and their opinion to change the regime and its actions against the peaceful demonstrators. Now the problem is with the Saudis and with the Americans who were criticizing through their committee.
They constituted a committee and they taught the committee to be objective and do something rightful towards the people and since the excessive force is continuing, I guess, this team --the Saudis and the Americans and the Bahraini brutal regime-- are reaching their utmost problem with dealing with this issue with the Bahraini rights of having political participation in their country.
Q: Much has been said about Bahrain's close relations and importance to the United States. Does the Arab public-at-large understand that their interests are being sold out to those of the United States?
Saleh: Absolutely. I guess if you talk about the Arab people, I guess they know that the American came to the region in order to put down all revolutions especially in terms of the great issues like the Palestinian issue, the rights of the people whether in Egypt or in Yemen or in Bahrain. Now the problem with the Arab League and with the people to demonstrate to show their sympathy towards these people who have been tortured and tormented and killed by this monarchy who is preventing the people from their basic rights in demonstrating and doing all peaceful things.
They are talking about other revolutions. What about the Bahraini revolution? Where is the Arab League and the other organizations who are counting on the people and their revolutions in order to change? Where is the word of change whether in the dictionary of the Americans or the Qataris or the Turks or whatever when they talk about revolutions? Now it is their exam; it is their challenge to speak something about the Bahraini people and their strife towards changing their situation politically, economically, discriminatory.
They are discriminating against the people bringing mercenaries from all over the world to defend this what so-called monarchy and this backward regime and I guess they have a great problem, since the Bahrainis are insisting to change the situation and I guess they will be able to change it since at least some of the Arabs in Egypt, in Lebanon, in Palestine and in Iraq are now in the way of doing something for the Bahrainis.
Also in terms of the international community, where is the UN here. We hear everyday Ban Ki-moon talking about freedom and about saving the people of Syria and these things. What about the Bahrainis? They are not talking. When they talk about Bahrain, they become deaf. They do not hear anything, the shouts of the people in the streets talking about freedom and change. Here is the challenge, I guess.
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Anti-regime protests have been a daily occurrence in Bahrain since a revolution started there in mid-February. Dozens of people have been killed and many more arrested and tried. A report last month found the regime guilty of using excessive force and torture against protesters.
There is an interview with Mohsen Saleh, a professor at the Lebanese University, to further explore the issue. What follows is a transcription of the interview:
Q: Do you feel the monarchy's approach has changed at all since the release of Bassiouni's report last month?
Saleh: Of course, this regime cannot change its nature. By nature, it is a brutal regime; it is a discriminatory regime and of course backed by the Saudis and the Americans who are having troubles in communicating with the policies in the region from Iraq to Syria, to Lebanon, to Palestine. They have reached their deadlock; they have reached their utmost obstacles in the region.
That is why I guess [they are] continuing in their brutal actions against the oppressed Bahrainis, although they cannot really stop or hinder the Bahrainis from continuing their resilience and their opinion to change the regime and its actions against the peaceful demonstrators. Now the problem is with the Saudis and with the Americans who were criticizing through their committee.
They constituted a committee and they taught the committee to be objective and do something rightful towards the people and since the excessive force is continuing, I guess, this team --the Saudis and the Americans and the Bahraini brutal regime-- are reaching their utmost problem with dealing with this issue with the Bahraini rights of having political participation in their country.
Q: Much has been said about Bahrain's close relations and importance to the United States. Does the Arab public-at-large understand that their interests are being sold out to those of the United States?
Saleh: Absolutely. I guess if you talk about the Arab people, I guess they know that the American came to the region in order to put down all revolutions especially in terms of the great issues like the Palestinian issue, the rights of the people whether in Egypt or in Yemen or in Bahrain. Now the problem with the Arab League and with the people to demonstrate to show their sympathy towards these people who have been tortured and tormented and killed by this monarchy who is preventing the people from their basic rights in demonstrating and doing all peaceful things.
They are talking about other revolutions. What about the Bahraini revolution? Where is the Arab League and the other organizations who are counting on the people and their revolutions in order to change? Where is the word of change whether in the dictionary of the Americans or the Qataris or the Turks or whatever when they talk about revolutions? Now it is their exam; it is their challenge to speak something about the Bahraini people and their strife towards changing their situation politically, economically, discriminatory.
They are discriminating against the people bringing mercenaries from all over the world to defend this what so-called monarchy and this backward regime and I guess they have a great problem, since the Bahrainis are insisting to change the situation and I guess they will be able to change it since at least some of the Arabs in Egypt, in Lebanon, in Palestine and in Iraq are now in the way of doing something for the Bahrainis.
Also in terms of the international community, where is the UN here. We hear everyday Ban Ki-moon talking about freedom and about saving the people of Syria and these things. What about the Bahrainis? They are not talking. When they talk about Bahrain, they become deaf. They do not hear anything, the shouts of the people in the streets talking about freedom and change. Here is the challenge, I guess.
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