Islam Times - Bahrain Regime Forces Besiege Home of Shiite Cleric Sheikh Qassim

Islam Times - Bahraini security forces have extensively surrounded the house of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, whose health condition is severely deteriorating.

Bahraini security forces have extensively surrounded the house of prominent Shiite scholar Sheikh Isa Qassim, whose health condition is severely deteriorating.

According to officials from the country’s dissolved al-Wefaq party on Sunday, Sheikh Qassim is in immediate need of medical treatment.

Last year, the Bahraini regime dissolved the country’s main Shiite opposition group, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, as well as Islamic Enlightenment Society (Tawiya) and al-Risala Society.

The oppressive regime also revoked the citizenship of Sheikh Isa Qassim, Wefaq’s spiritual leader, in June last year over accusations that he had used his position to serve foreign interests and promote sectarianism and violence. He denied the accusations but was handed a suspended one-year prison term and ordered to pay a fine.

The court has issued the ruling against Sheikh Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of dissolved opposition bloc al-Wefaq.

The ruling against the prominent Shiite cleric also sparked widespread protests and condemnations.

Anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country on February 14, 2011. People have been demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.

Many people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or been arrested, illegally detained and brutally tortured while many have seen their citizenship revoked. In March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — themselves repressive Arab regimes — were deployed to aid Bahrain in its brutal crackdown.