Al Khalifa regime against freedom of expression: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Saeed Shahabi, a Middle East expert from London, to get his take on a decision by a Bahraini court to uphold prison sentence against pro-democracy activist Zainab al-Khawaja.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: As we’ve mentioned the al-Khawaja family’s one of those icons of the Bahraini uprising and revolution, who have fought since day one to bring about democracy and freedom within the kingdom. What do you make of this recent sentence?

Shahabi: Thank you very much. My condolences to the Muslims for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (Peace be upon him). And Bahraini people have emulated the Imam in standing up against the aggression and for freedom.

And the Khawaja family is one such family that has stood against the dictatorship and hereditary rule of the Al Khalifa, which is similar to that of Umayyah and that of Yazid.

Now, in our date and time a woman or a man must not be held responsible or criminally charged for either expressing his opinion freely or even tearing a picture of any person. That is one form of freedom of expression.

Zainab al-Khawaja did nothing wrong. None of our leaders who are languishing behind bars have committed any criminal activity. So, they were charged for their expression of opinion, for expressing their views openly, this is why they are behind bars and they are tortured.

Zainab, everybody in the world, most of the human rights activists and bodies have called for her immediate and unconditional release like Father Abbas whose only crime was to condemn the aggression on Yemen, like that of Sheikh Ali Salman who said nothing but calling for the rise of people, like that of Hassan Mushaima, Abdulwahab  Hussain, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Nabil Rajab, all our people are in a big prison.

In a big prison, because they want real change, they want real democracy. They just hate that hereditary dictatorship. So, Zainab al-Khawaja must be released immediately and keeping her in prison or holding a sentence on her is just against human rights, against the most fundamental of the rights of the people to live decently on this planet.

Press TV: It’s not just about freedom of expression, you’ve mentioned, the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson. Now, many Bahrainis right now are commemorating those mourning rituals, but the Bahraini authorities are not even allowing that to happen.

Shahabi: Well, the problem with the Al Khalifa is that they see of similarity a stark similarity between their system and that of Yazid. They are the same people. A ruler inherits his father and his family is in charge. This is against the spirit of Islam, against the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him).

This is a mistake and a crime committed by Yazid, by Muawiya and those who held the Muslims hostages to their own desires. Now, today the Al Khalifa are the same. They do not want the mention of Imam Hussein (PBUH) to be in the streets, to be used by the people. The people are there in the streets. They are defying the regime.

They are saying that we are ready to sacrifice ourselves on the line of path of Imam Hussein, who stood against tyranny and against dictatorship. The regime has been conducting merciless attacks on people, on the black shrouds that are being held in the streets to commemorate the occasion. It is just simply against these forms of peaceful expressions.

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