Alwaght- Bahrainis have defied a major crackdown by regime forces and performed Eid ul-Fitr prayers next to the residence of prominent Islamic scholar, Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassem.
The Al Khalifa regime stripped Ayatollah Qassem of his rightful citizenship over two weeks ago, in an escalation against the country's Shiite Muslim majority.
On Wednesday, Bahrainis performed Eid ul Fitr prayers in the open, next to Sheikh Qassem's residence in Diraz, west of the capital, Manama.
Speaking after the prayers, Sheikh Said Madeh slammed authorities for escalation, stressing that such move was dangerous, irrational and unjustified.
Sheikh Madeh said Bahraini authorities are targeting Shiite Muslims freedom of worship by banning the Khums, a religious obligation among Shiites to pay one fifth of their annual surplus income.
He also praised Sheikh Qassem as a patriotic figure, urging masses to defend him against the authorities move to revoke his nationality.
Earlier on Sunday, Bahraini King approved revoking citizenship of Ayatollah Qassem.
In revoking Sheikh Qassem's citizenship, Bahrain accused him of sowing "sectarianism and violence," blaming him for the protests which have continued for years despite a heavy-handed crackdown on the island's mostly Shia community.
The decision against Sheikh Qassim follows the suspension of Bahrain's main opposition group, al-Wefaq, who's political chief Sheikh Ali Salman is serving a nine-year jail term on trumped up charges of inciting violence.
Since mid-February 2011, multitudes of protesters opposed to the brutal regime have held numerous peaceful rallies in the streets of the island kingdom, demanding their inalienable human rights. The demonstrators gradually demanded the al-Khalifa clan to relinquish power.
In response, the regime has dealt with peaceful protesters with a heavy-handed crackdown, killing scores of people, injuring and arresting many more. The regime is also abusing the law by withdrawing citizenship of opposition activists.
