Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Sheikh Ali Salman's story is similar to those of the early strugglers, when humans began to write stories of their "struggles" on cave walls and papyrus leaves, when the notion of "documentation", and the idea of "storytelling" and "novels" came to be and when humans began to tell stories of heroism. A young man in his early age decided to stand with his family and people to face a brute force. The brute force changed, varied and evolved: at first it was a beast with real fangs, and then it became a colonizer, and later an authoritarian regime, playing a functional role for a smaller colonizer. Only the brave young fighter remained the same. The only difference is that today he is a man in his 50s, but his heart is the heart of a boy, who raised his head, voice and fist up high.

Sheikh Ali Salman's story is similar to the stories of struggles in countries that seek freedom: How does he differ from Mahatma Gandhi? They both wore the uniform of their country, their elders and their clergies. Both called for the principle of "no to arms" and "no to armament" in a country where they knew that weapons would only lead to death and chaos; and to the endless savagery of the regime. They both fought, unarmed, the monsters that decided to lose their humanity and mind. Did they back down? They didn't. Did they win? Always.

How is Sheikh Ali Salman different from Sheikh Suleiman Al-Hathlin? The heroic elderly man of Palestinian descent, the brave man who fell yesterday under the wheels of the car of a deadly Zionist settler following clashes with Zionists in the village of Yatta in Hebron. Did the 75-year-old get bored or say I am "tired"? He didn't. Did he say, "There are people other than me?". He didn't. Did he say, "This is a brutal, arrogant, savage force that I can't do anything about?" He didn't. His neighbor Salman did the same. Did he say, "I got tired of my prison?" Did he say, "This is a brute force, backed by all the nations of the planet, and we can't do anything?" He did not.

Sheikh Ali Salman holds a bachelor degree in mathematics. He masters rhetoric and good conduct. The court of injustice did not find a charge to accuse him of in order to imprison him so it decided to fabricate one. Seven years have passed since the arrest of the Sheikh of the resistance and the charge against him remains: "Dealing with Qatar." Is Qatar today an enemy of the Bahrain regime?"

This is the story of heroes; they are imprisoned because the jailers know they won't be safe as long as they're free. Bahrain has a special story to be told to the children one day, a story of men who have faced oppression unarmed at the Lualua Roundabout and in Diraz. These men were led by a brave man who is close and dear to his people; he is Sheikh Ali Salman.

Abdulrahim Jassim is a Palestinian Writer

Arabic Version