Ayatollah Qassim and 38 Clerics in Bahrain: Our People Demand Equal Citizenship, Not Sectarian State

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful
We, the undersigned on this statement, emphasize:
1. The people and clerics of Bahrain have not raised demands for a sectarian state nor a one-color state of one religious faith, at first, and they do not today.
2. The clerics stand on the people’s side in support of right to a constitutional-based-government of which their fate and interests are tied to. We support the right to a constitution that respects the will of, and is approved by the people. We emphasize on our people’s right to fair and free elections, whereby the people can truly select their representatives in a parliament that expresses their will. The parliament must enjoy full-power without the burden of orders coming from the other two powers, and must also be respected in the selection of its government. The judiciary must serve justice without being forced to go against the constitution.
Our people have been raising demands for right to equal citizenship and attributed rights and duties, without discrimination on ethnic, racist, religious or sectarian grounds. Efficiency and honesty must be strict terms in the formation of the government and its institutions, positions and public jobs in the state. We must work together to strengthen Islamic unity, and national unity among all segments of society.       
3. This demand for reform, which has been the real goal of the movement, is also the pledge made by the National Action Charter and the verbal and written promises of state officials in the periods preceding and accompanying the vote on the Charter.
Moreover, this pro-reform demand is ensured by international covenants.

To this date, our Government is not denying that this is a righteous demand, though it is not responding.
4. In regards to the religious rituals of recognized faiths; it is the responsibility of the three powers, and in accordance to the constitution, the Charter and universal covenants, to protect the identity of these rituals without interfering in their affairs, or harassing and questioning the organizers.

This is a right no faith believers can give up.
This is the truth of the popular demand which the clerics see and an obligatory duty of the rulers.

Monday, 7th March 2016
 1. Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim

2. Sayed Abdullah Alghuraifi

3. Sheikh Abdul-Hussain Sitri

4. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Alrubaie

5. Sheikh Mohammed Sanqour

6. Sheikh Mahmoud Alaali

7. Sayed Majid Almish’al

8. Sayed Saeed Alwida’e

9. Sheikh Issa Eid

10. Sayed Mohammad Alghuraifi

11. Sheikh Fadel Zaki

12. Sheikh Ali Mansour Sanad

13. Sheikh Mohammed Alkursi

14. Sheikh Sadiq Alafiya

15. Sheikh Mohammed Mansi

16. Sheikh Jassim Alkhayat

17 Sheikh Hamza Aldairi

18. Sheikh Ali Rahma

19. Sheikh Ra’ed Alsitr

20. Sheikh Ibrahim Alsafa

21. Sheikh Jaafar Alali AlSitri

22. Sheikh Mohammed Jawad Alshihabi

23. Sayed Majeed Alalawi

24. Sayed Hashim Albahrani

25. Sheikh Hani Albanna’

26. Sheikh Munir Matouq

27. Sheikh Hussein Almahroos

28. Sayed Mohsen Alghuraifi

29. Sheikh Jaafar Shariqi

30. Sheikh Abdul Hassan Alghadiri

31. Sheikh Radhi Mullah Khalil

32. Sheikh Issa Almo’men

33. Sheikh Saeed Almadih

34. Sheikh Ali Almitghawi

35. Sheikh Jamil Alaali

36. Sayed Murtada al-Musawi

37. Sheikh Ibrahim Dimistani

38. Sheikh Mustafa Alsaru

39. Sheikh Hassan Ali Radhi