Activist Calls Revocation of Sheikh Qassim’s Citizenship “Mental Blow” to Bahrainis

In an interview with the Tasnim News Agency, Saeed al-Shehabi said the ruling family’s move to revoke the citizenship of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Qassim signifies the regime’s decision to continue suppression of public protests.

The measure is also tantamount to total rejection of reforms and insistence on the current despotic approach, he added.

Taking a swipe at the Al Khalifa for its plans to bring a permanent change in Bahrain’s population balance, Shehabi said the Manama regime seeks to deal a mental blow to the Bahraini nation by making such controversial decisions, which are also meant to appease the foreign forces in Bahrain, led by Saudi Arabia.

He also said that Al Khalifa has definitely made the decision with support from Saudi Arabia, and even Britain and the US.

Bahrain said Monday that the citizenship of Sheikh Qassim has been revoked, accusing him of sowing sectarian divisions.

Sheikh Qassim, who is considered the spiritual leader of Bahrain's Shiite majority, was alleged to have used his position to "serve foreign interests and promote... sectarianism and violence," the Bahraini ministry said in a statement.

It came days after a regime’s court issued an order suspending the activities of Bahrain’s main opposition bloc, Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, on charges of “terrorism, extremism, and violence”.

Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has been witnessing almost daily protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, with Manama using heavy-handed measures in an attempt to crush the demonstrations.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.