(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - "We are here for the sake of our just demands that we cannot make concessions over and we stick with them because we have sacrificed for them," said Sheikh Issa Qasim, in his weekly sermon before the mass demonstration began on Friday.
Colin Cavell, former assistant professor at the University of Bahrain, elaborates on the situation in Bahrain in an interview with us.
The following is an approximate transcription of the interview.
Q: Bahrainis just marked a year recently since their massive protest began, which also marked decades of marginalization.
People seem to not remember the fact that this suppression has gone on for quite some time, even though the past year has marked these protests in a larger degree.
At this point, what options are there for the regime?
Cavell: Options for the regime? Well they should leave!
They should abdicate, and they should do it quite quickly.
What happened today Kaveh is phenomenal! More than half the population on the streets of Bahrain!
This indicates two things very clearly; one, the regime cannot disable or tarnish the unity of the people, and the people are united in their resolve.
This should send a strong to the US State Department that things are never going to go back to the way they were.
Secondly, it indicates that the security apparatus of the regime is unable to disable the communications, the control and the command of the opposition's tactics and organizing.
The intelligence apparatus that the opposition has is able to outsmart the regime.
And it sends a third message, a message clearly to the international community, that things are not going back to the way they were, there will be no civil peace in Bahrain as long as this regime stays in power.
And it sends a clear message to those who think they're going to participate in the upcoming Formula One race, next month in Bahrain.
The Formula One is the monarchy's baby. They believe this is the way to show their cosmopolitan regime.
But as all events that the last year has indicated, they are a dictatorial murderous regime, and they're option is to go. Otherwise, they will loose out!
Q: Maybe Americans are seeing that their allies are dropping, we saw what happened in Tunisia and Egypt.
But let's look at the big picture here, US military cells, let's focus on that. The six Persian Gulf nations that are being at this point set up to spend 70 billion dollars in US weaponry and equipment, just this year, not counting the 70 billion dollar sell to Saudi Arabia, and as much as 80 billion dollars through to 2015, with Saudi Arabia being the largest purchaser.
The very same countries that are involved now in suppressing, not only this revolution, but other ones, while arming oppositions in other countries, such as Syria.
So this is the United States' way of making sure that these revolutions don’t throw of balance as it has been called the counterrevolution.
Cavell: You're right Kaveh!
The US is supporting financially, militarily and morally these regimes or at least that is what our government is doing.
However, I can tell you that there are many people in the State Department, the US State Department, who are acting in guilty conscious, because they know this is in direct violation of our country's support, or at least vial support for democratic principles.
They know that this is hypocrisy on a scale that is outrages. I mean here we are trying to support the ouster of the Syrian regimes, by having Qatar and Saudi Arabia fund the opposition.
These are monarchies, these are dictators, and they have absolutely no interest in democracy, whereas in Bahrain, we have a clear indication, of more than half the population on the streets of Bahrain, demanding the ouster of their 128-year old monarchy.
As you said Kaveh, this is percentage wise the largest opposition, the largest uprising of all of the Arab Spring revolt, clearly supported by the majority of the population.
And as Mr. Shehabi said, the tactics of the US in supporting the monarchy are not working, they are not working.
And as Ms. Sarah said the support of John Timothy, or John Yates, these murderous mercenaries of the regime are only adding fuel to the fire and leading the people to be more united in their resolve, in their resolution, and they will not back down.
Q: Saudi Arabia is obviously very paranoid and scared that any change in Bahrainis leadership for example, even any concessions given, would have a ripple effect in their kingdom.
They're going around trying to put out fires everywhere, where there's democracy coming into play.
Is Bahrainis only saving grace then, for Saudi Arabia to fall?
Cavell Well Kaveh, it is a regional situation.
And what happens in Bahrain will also have to happen in Saudi Arabia and the other [P]GCC countries.
And it's long overdue, the removal of these outdated regimes, these monarchical regimes which have no place in the modern world, and which only alienate their entire populations.
Saudi Arabia is basically a fascist state to most Americans that don’t know about it, it is the most repressive on the earth today. And they're trying to keep the democracy movement from spreading, by crushing it in Bahrain.
But as Mr. Shehabi pointed out, the sole support today is outstanding, after a year of arrests, of tortures, of murders, of continues tear gases, this shows that the people are completely resolved to oust this monarchical dictatorship.
Because they realize that there will be no better time to do it then now that they united in their resolve, and especially as the regime is going to target anybody in the opposition.
So it's an existential question, they have to come out, stand up for democracy, stand up for their freedom, and they are doing it.
And the state department, the US state department needs to make a decision, because if they continue as Ms. Marusek says, to support this regime, the US is going to loose all of its interest in the regime, and all of its interest in the region.
Yes, interest dictates what the US and other countries do, and the US has to realize that they're interest of keeping the Fifth Fleet base there is at stake.
So either they're going to act to support the opposition, or they're going to go down to a crushing defeat!
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