AhlulBayt News Agency - The officials in the Bahraini regime know very well that Al Wefaq’s Secretary General, Sheikh Ali Salman, has made countless speeches in which he called for political dialogue to reach a resolution to the crisis in Bahrain. His efforts go back to the 90s and were most recently renewed last September, a few months before his arrest in December. He met with a number of officials and was most serious and honest to reach a positive outcome.
The speeches made by Al Wefaq’s Secretary General are full of calls for real dialogue. Yet, it is bizarre that these speeches are the only evidence against him in the hands of the Public Prosecution Office.
We won’t discuss what goes on behind the closed doors, for those who hold the decision to arrest him are very well aware of the obstacles in front of the political dialogue -if existent- and why it was suspended. However, we wonder: how can the accusations against Salman of inciting to change the regime by force stand right while he calls for political dialogue and for the regime officials to remain in a constitutional monarchy? Using these very same speeches as evidence against him is a clear indication of the spiteful motives behind the lawsuit.
- In a speech he made on May 3, 2013 in a public gathering organized by the opposition societies in Sitra island, he stated: “We in the National Democratic Opposition are with a genuine political dialogue that makes political consensus”.abna24.
- The lawsuit papers included a selection from Salman’s speech on October 31st, 2014 as evidence that he was inciting to change the regime by force. But it ignored the fact that in the same speech, Sheikh Ali said, “My program is that I want equality between citizens but you are refusing equal constituencies. In all dialogues, you refused equal constituencies. We want a legislative council with powers but you were the one to refuse this”.
- The lawsuit papers also included the speech he made on December 5, 2014 but ignored the part in which he said: “Now we need to find a political solution for this country. There is a regime, a people and political forces of which we disagree with. We must find a solution. This solution needs to be agreed upon in one way or another. This is an open path between the regime and Al Wefaq. What does an absolute boycott mean? It means the idea of solution has been closed. We’re not being subjective”.
- On December 12th of 2014, Sheikh Ali Salman commented on statements issued by the foreign offices of France, Italy and the USA calling to counter violence, he said: “We are with the calls to counter terrorism. We are the most people who fight violence and the most affected by it because it touches our bodies and homes and areas and we are affected by it more than anyone else. We welcome any side that denounces violence and calls for a genuine political dialogue to reach a settlement. We agree with this vision and we welcome it”. This speech is material evidence under the eyes of the side which prepared the lawsuit documents.
- Two days before his arrest, Sheikh Ali recalled his readiness for political dialogue. In Al Wefaq’s General Conference on 26th December 2014, he said: “We are continuing genuine communicate –not to waste time or present empty images- with those is the authority who want to reach political consensus for a permanent and inclusive political solution that achieves the legitimate aspirations of the Bahraini people for democracy, freedom and equality and produces a real democratic system”. Also, another quote from a speech used as evidence in the case.
After such frank statement calling for political dialogue, can these accusations possibly stand right?
Who is rejecting political dialogue? Those who prepared the lawsuit papers and who hold the political decision know that very well. On 27th of May 2015, a pro-government figure declared in the press that the dialogue has been suspended and will not be put back and that there is no need for such dialogue. This statement was repeatedly said since 2011. This figure was declaring refusal to dialogues only to participate later. He announced the beginning of a dialogue in mid-January 2014, then he declared its suspension at the end of the month. He declared it again in September 2014 and it was later stopped and replaced with the Elite Document which included a selection of personalities chosen to consent to the regime’s will. At every time a dialogue was launched, Al Wefaq spared no efforts to make it achieve.
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