Bahrain Mirror: Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society Deputy Secretary General, Sheikh Hussein Al-Daihi, said that the regime has plunged Bahrain into unfair living conditions that have exhausted the people. There is no way out of them except through a serious political plan, not empty promises decorated by the media, wasting people's money after the failures of such approaches.

This came during a television interview conducted by Sheikh Al-Daihi with Lualua Channel yesterday evening, November 10, 2022.

"Bahrain is living in a state of emergency and a frightening decline at the security, political, social and human rights levels. Since 2011, the country has turned into a large prison and the so-called reform project has failed."

On the visit of the Pope of the Vatican, Sheikh Al-Daihi said  "We have followed up the visit of the Pope since its announcement to convey the truth of what is going on, and we delivered a message from inside the prison to Sheikh Ali Salman about the violations of the regime, in addition to several human rights reports that resulted in the positive calls made by the Pope. We hope that the regime responds to the Pope's calls, although experiences prove that the regime insists on obscuring its violations." 

Regarding the call launched by Sheikh of Al-Azhar to Shia scholars ro hold a dialogue, Al-Daihi replied, "We welcome the call of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar to unite the Islamic rank and believe that it came in response to the absence of Shiite authorities from the forum. This is a commendable demand that must be met and answered."

As for the interaction of detained Al-Wefaq Secretary-General Sheikh Ali Salman with the call of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, he said, "His Eminence Sheikh Ali Salman follows the developments. He appreciated and welcomed the invitation of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar to dialogue in line with his well-known approach of believing in dialogue and rejection of division."

"We affirm that there is no sectarian dispute in Bahrain. It is, however, an argument created by the regime; the people of Bahrain have lived for years in harmony and peace and have wisely failed all attempts to fuel strife. The dispute in Bahrain is purely political."

"Existing crises such as political naturalization have had a negative impact on our Sunni brothers before the Shiites, not to mention poverty, discrimination and quotas," he explained.

Al-Daihi stressed that "The scene of naturalized people who were voting in Pakistan is terrifying. It is a crime that threatens social, cultural and value security. Sunnis are affected by such acts before shiites."

"The opposition, with its sincere efforts, has thwarted, both on media and diplomatic levels, the regime's attempts, the regime that has engaged in fabricating crises and enmities," he confirmed. 

He pointed out that "the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review criticized the human rights reality and the continued detention of tens of thousands. The reality of Bahrain today is worse than it was during the era of the ‘State Security Law'."

In his response to Al-Wefaq's participation in the Parliament race and its subsequent withdrawal from parliament, Sheikh Al-Daihi explained, "We participated in the 2006 and 2010 elections in order to achieve reform and make change, but the regime reneged on its promises in 2011 through extrajudicial killings, demolition of mosques, violation of sanctities and other abuses documented in Bassiouni's report. We left parliament in 2011 because Al-Wefaq does not accept to be a false witness to the crimes of the regime legitimized by its institutions and so that we do not participate in the entrenchment of injustice."

He went on to say "One of the reasons for boycotting Bahrain's elections is the regime's singling out of wealth and its encroachment on the principle of 'the people are the source of powers', as well as discrimination against every Bahraini and illegal naturalization."

"Among the reasons for boycotting the elections is the problem of the dispossession of land and coasts that we have worked on while we were in parliament, as well as the deterioration of services, poverty and the housing crisis in a country that is supposed to be an oil country."

He further stated "What the regime wants is to rob the people of Bahrain of their popular will and their right to legislation, and these elections will produce a nominal council that applauds the supreme authority."

"It is shameful to walk over the blood of our martyrs, the handcuffs of our detainees, their history and their struggle to enter a parliament that obliterates the Palestinian cause."

He concluded by saying "Our message to our beloved people in Bahrain is to keep the interest of the nation in mind, since participation is a sign of further persecution. Do not participate in the loss of the future of your children."

Arabic Version