AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Press TV
Saturday

10 March 2012

8:30:00 PM
301857

Saudi Arabia must end occupation of Bahrain

In Bahrain, hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators have taken to the streets across the country to demand an end to the rule of Al Khalifa dynasty.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Demonstrators also called for the immediate release of political prisoners and denounced the Bahraini dictatorship in. Over the past year Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have carried out a brutal crackdown to crush the protests in the Persian Gulf kingdom. We have conducted an interview with Mohsen Saleh, professor at Lebanese University, to share his opinion on this issue. The following is a transcript of the interview: Q: Tell us in your perspective how the past year has unfolded in Bahrain? Saleh: Of course the Bahrainis are marching fully- the people of Bahrain. This is the most and the greatest protest in the history of Bahrain. Some observers say all the Bahrainis united against, first the occupation of the Wahabi kingdom of Bahrain. Second, against this oligarchic family who is really trying to prove that the Bahrainis are discriminated against, shot at, imprisoned and circumscribed with all kinds of torture and torment. This protest came as a historical point in the Bahraini history to get rid of these two powers and say we want to have freedom and we want to have equality and we want to have liberation of our country from all kinds of occupations whether on the respect of the regime and whether on the respect of the Saudi, Wahabi forces in Bahrain. And I guess now it is about time for those people who are open-minded about the human rights, to move to support the Bahrainis, to get rid of these two occupations. Q: Breaking down the response to the uprising in Bahrain, there have been military tribunals, the fear tactics, the trial of medics and doctors and of course let’s not forget the brutal Saudi-backed crackdown on the peaceful protesters. Do you think all of the above have failed to dampen the resolve of those out on the streets demanding the fall of the Al Khalifa’s? Saleh: Well I guess the Bahrainis with strong resilience and with stubborn resilience, I would say, will continue their march in order to achieve these goals-freedom and freedom of the prisoners and freedom from these occupations- and I guess now the human rights organizations in all over the world, they should observe what the Bahrainis want and support them. And I guess it is about time the Bahrainis told the regime and the Saudis and the international community that these people are not a marginal group. The regime and the powers who are supporting this regime are a marginal group in the Bahrain society. They are bringing people. Yesterday I heard some of the Bahrainis saying the Saudis were shooting at people to kill them and one of these protesters was killed by a Saudi fire gun. And this proves for the Americans and the Westerners and unfortunately for the Arab awakening people that the Bahrainis will not be left alone for long time and the Bahrainis in these demonstrations said it clearly and decisively that we cannot abide by such constitution and rule and regime and we are going to continue in order to free all the prisoners and stop all these, I guess one of the backward styles of dealing with the peaceful protest. And this is I guess one of the most significant revolutions because it is peaceful, united, the majority of the people against the regime and all the parties together went to the streets in order to prove to this king and to the international community that we are not a small party. We are the Bahraini people and we want back Bahrain from this oligarchic family and from the Saudis, Wahabis and from the dictatorship. Q: As we are speaking to you now we have breaking news that Bahrainis forces have killed a 21 year old protester trying to get to Pearl Square. Professor Saleh, what about the response to the legitimate demands of the people of Bahrain has received from Western nations, the US and Britain so to say who only seem to advocate human rights on a selective basis? Saleh: Well unfortunately there was a kind of mission to Bahrain from the international human rights organizations to go to Manama the end of the week and they canceled this trip and all the committees consisted by this Bassiouni group and failed to prove that they are really searching for a human or humanitarian solution for the situation. I guess they are helping -the international community-they are helping the regime but I guess now we have seen yesterday demonstrations in Baghdad and we will see demonstrations probably in some of the Arab world supporting the Bahrainis. And now we are as I mentioned we have this new phase of this revolution after this demonstration and I guess the Bahraini regime will have to get under the order of these demonstrators to achieve or to give some freedom to the people. But I am not sure that the situation will going to end in soon time but I guess the Bahrainis will continue. It is a matter of resilience, it is a matter of will and the Bahrainis have the will to continue and they are continuing and they are accelerating the situation and will finish from this regime I guess.

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