Bahrain Mirror: Bahraini Clerics deemed the trial of Bahrain's Shia spiritual leader Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim to be a prosecution of the Shiite sect, in its "extended existence in this country, and a war waged against it". They further stressed that the trial stands as an attempt to liquidate the just cause of the people and confiscate their political rights, since it is strictly a political and sectarian trial.

"The nature of the indictment makes dealing with the Khums religious obligation according to the Shiite regulations, a crime," added the clerics added in a statement issued on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. The indictment describes this obligation in ways not suitable for a religious ritual, or the clerics of the Shiite community. This trial is thus a prosecution of religious regulations and Shiite jurisprudence, noted the statement.

"This trial is a failure, and has no constitutional or legal grounds, since it contradicts the constitution as it states that Islam shall be respected, considering it a major source for regulations. The trial also failed to meet the Islamic legitimacy, as the Khums obligation is a ritual committed to by the doctrine of the Prophet's Household (pbut)," the further stated.

The Shiite clerics held the authorities accountable for what they called "a crazy step with what it accompanies of injustice and trespassing on the Shiite community's sanctities and symbols". They also highlighted the dangerous repercussion this step might have on the stability of the country, civil peace and the national fabric of society."

The clerics concluded their statement by calling upon "religious seminaries and human rights organizations, influential figures in the Arab and Muslim world, in addition to the free world, human rights groups and religious freedoms defenders; to take moral and legal responsibility in defending the people of Bahrain and the Shiite community, in light of the targeting of its existence, sanctities, symbols, and rights."

Arabic Version