Alwaght- A Bahraini criminal court has sentenced the spiritual leader of the Bahrain revolution Sheikh Isa Qassim to one year in jail suspended for three years.
The court further ruled to confiscate properties managed by Ayatollah Qassim worth 3 million Bahraini dinars (almost $8 million) and two of his homes.
The court also ordered Ayatollah Qassim, who is in his mid-70s, to pay 100,000 Bahraini dinars ($265,266) in fines over the charges, which emanate from the collection of Islamic tax called Khums, which in Shiite Islam is collected and spent by a senior cleric in the interests of the needy.
To provide details of the verdict and the Bahraini people’s reactions to the court's decision, Alwaght conducted an interview with Rashed al-Rashed , head of Political Bureau of bahrain's Islamic Action Society, also referred to as Amal Party.
"First of all, we do not recognize Al Khalifa regime as a legitimate government and thus we do not recognize legal any of its court rulings. Second, we see the verdict as a declaration of war on majority of Bahrainis. This is not only against a cleric in Bahrain but the whole Muslims worldwide. This is a confrontation of religious rituals performed by the clerics. The regime’s criminalization of the khums is a declaration of war against this religious ritual performed and will be performed for centuries by the Muslim people," al-Rashed told Alwaght.
In Shiite Islam, Khums is part Furu' al-Deen - the branches of religion- according to which every believer should pay one fifth of the annual surplus income that is spent by marja's (religious authorities) in cases they infer as expedient based on religion.
According to the Bahraini political leader, "Accusing a high-profile cleric of money laundering just because he collects khums is an unprecedented move. It never happened in any Muslim country. The despotic regimes may clash with their political opponents but they never involve the religious rituals in the political struggles. This is a dangerous development, and if it is not protested against, will obliterate the religion and disrespect the people’s beliefs. This is a dangerous declaration of war against the religion. It is coming while the religious freedom exists everywhere, even under the rule of the dictatorships."
Responding to Alwaght correspondent question that why the Bahraini courts have previously delayed the ruling several times and why was the sentence implementation suspended for three years, Al-Rashed told:
The first reason for such a long delay is that the judges have to make a verdict which is brand-new in its kind politically, judicially, and socially. It is impossible to rule against any religious tax or ritual. The case is not civil, nor is it even political. Second reason for delaying the ruling is related to seeking ways to get out of the trouble. After all, there is under way a popular uprising with large demands such as justice, democracy, and the right to determine fate. Sheikh Isa Qassim is a religious symbol enjoying political place and weight. The regime had a fear that any ruling might push the circumstances to an uncertain point. That is why the regime hesitated.
The regime tried to criminalize the case by accusing the cleric of money laundering and illegal fundraising. But the act of khums collection is a religious ritual and not something secret. The source of ambivalence of the regime was the way it could end the case judicially and at the same time deal with the possible reactions to the verdict. The court ruling was suspended to steer clear of the expected popular anger. We know that people are gathering at the mosques, standing ready to respond to any ruling that disrespects Sheikh Isa Qassim. Perhaps the regime foresaw a huge popular fury with unpredictable consequences. Therefore, the suspension of verdict implementation was a kind relief of rage that touched its climactic point recently and particularly in the past three days in Sheikh Qassim's home village of Daraz, when people in cerements poured to the streets signaling readiness to sacrifice life.
The Bahraini uprising has special characteristics. You can see people persistent in their protests, and the religious leaders are firmly standing and pursuing the must-address national demands. The regime has taken the reactions serious. The opposition has taken tough stances, warning the regime that any disrespect of Sheikh Isa Qassim, who is not simply a political leader but a religious figure, will trigger tough responses. During all this time, the regime was studying to see how serious are the reactions and where they can lead the country.
This seriousness reflected itself in the opposition and people’s threats and taking to the streets in solidarity with Sheikh Isa Qassim who is a symbol of Bahrain's identity, religion, and beliefs. So, the form of verdict came to save the regime’s face on the one hand and avoid the public anger on the other hand.
Touching on Bahraini nation's further reactions to the regime courts unjust verdict Amal Party's Political Bureau chief told Alwaght, "The Bahraini people’s cause is not about the regime’s stripping people as prominent as Sheikh Isa Qassim of their citizenship. It is about lack of justice and freedom. It is about national demands and uprising that so far took lives of 320 people. The nation is pressing forward for its rights using political ways. The nation and the opposition agree that they need to continue until seeing their demands being met. The question is that until when the regime can securitize the atmosphere. The economy is declining, and human rights groups are condemning the heinous crimes committed by the regime to crackdown people. There has been resistance for the past seven years. People have been holding rallies to express demands.
Al-Rashed finally concluded that, "The uprising is ongoing, as the time goes by, the pressures build on the regime and its backers and not on the rights, freedom, dignity, and social justice seekers. Despite all of its atrocities and recall of foreign forces to put down the nation’s protests, the regime after seven years has failed to frustrate people and make them bow. Despite the arrests and threats, the nation’s will remain having the upper hand."
