Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Bahrain, along with its allies in the Arab Gulf, claims to combat terrorism and extremist Islamic groups. But, does it really do so? On June 13, 2019, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal decree 32/2019 restructuring the Sunni and Jaffaria Endowments (Waqf) councils. Shaikh Nasser bin Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa was appointed as a member in the Sunni endowments council, who is Sheikh Nasser?
Shaikh Nasser bin Khalid bin Ahmed AlKhalifa (left), leading "Equipping Ghazi" fundraising campaign
- He is the son of royal court minister Khalid bin Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, an officer in the BDF, and former president of East Riffa Club Board of Directors.
- He is known for his extremist and anti-Shia stances, calling for the confiscation and demolition of Shiite mosques, in addition to his support for the armed Salafist groups in Syria and Iraq. He was also one of the strong supporters and participants in the "Equipping Ghazi (conqueror)" campaign that was aimed at equipping extremist fighters and facilitating their travel to fight in Syria between 2011 and 2013. (photos below)
- In August 2014, he called for transferring the historic "Khamis Mosque" that was under the Jaffaria Endowments Directorate (which he labels as apostate organization) to the Sunni Endowments, because the Jaffaria Endowments, according to his view, is responsible for managing records of shrines inside which "heresy" is practiced, in reference to Shiite places of worship. He said that "Khamis Mosque should be transferred to the Sunni Endowments and rebuilt so that prayers would be performed in it (...)"
- Responding to criticism he received after these statements, the son of the royal court minister reiterated his position in September 2014, saying: "If the Jaffaria Endowments does not manage shrines where polytheism is practiced, I am willing to stand before a public trial." "As soon as the truth of the Khamis Mosque was revealed and my invitation to hold prayers inside it was announced, enemies of religion and those who are keen to falsify history by renaming it were irritated," he added. "The Azan will be recited from the historic minarets of Khamis Mosque built in the era of Umayyad Caliph Omar ibn Abdul Aziz and I ask God to allow me to recite it," he further stated. He went on to say that "It is not a matter of challenge or superiority, but rather a way to raise the word of truth and the matter is crystal clear. Look, my brothers, at the situation in Iraq and Syria, did nationalism benefit them." He also stressed that "the slogans of citizenship and brotherhood with those who go against Allah and his Messenger is no longer useful." He said that Bahrain did not benefit from its Arabism, and can only be reformed when it eradicates all manifestations of polytheism.
- His comments on Twitter represented an example of the extent to which the ideology of takfiri Salafist trends was ingrained in some royal family members, which was filled with fundamentalist language that derives its ideas from the same source adopted by terrorist groups. He made a number of comments on his official account before shutting it down: "Bahrain is not for everyone (...) We will not force the Magi (Shia) to adopt monotheism but absolving ourselves from their polytheism is a must and helping them associate other partners with God is a great injustice," he said, also tweeting: "The ‘no Sunnis and no Shiites, only Bahrainis' slogan is a Jahiliyya call made by preachers of polytheism."
- His Twitter account, by which he continued to spread his positions throughout the years 2011-2015, was also one of the most prominent outlets for the "Equipping Ghazi" campaign. Four campaigns were held in Bahrain since 2012. It worked towards preparing militants to send them to fight (perform Jihad) in Syria. He was at the forefront of the fund-raising process for the so-called "Mujahideen". He said in past statements that "the door is still open for arming the Mujahideen (fighters) in Syria, so don't be stingy." He also stressed: "There is no good in the fortunes of Muslims if they don't back their brothers in religion." Nasser also noted that they were working "to obtain an official license from the state to raise funds for Jihad in Syria. The aim of issuing an official license is to reassure donors and at the same time invalidate the arguments of Iran loyalists." On March 24, 2014, he stated that the #One_Body_Campaign funds had reached the intended persons, also noting that there are photos proving this, without specifying the party that received them.
Arabic Version
