Sheikh Isa Qassim said the answer of the people is, “No turning back, no turning back

In his Friday sermon, Bahrain’s prominent cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim said the answer of the people is, “No turning back, no turning back, no turning back until we get our rights, and the movement will not stop”.
During his sermon of 25th May 2012, in Duraz, Sheikh Isa Qassim stressed, “It is time the government responded to the people’s demands, both political and humanitarian demands.” He continued, “There is no way out of this crisis, which is suffocating the country, unless the government grants people their rights and responds swiftly to fulfil their demands.”
He also spoke about establishing justice on earth, arguing that justice is necessary in both life and religion. It is the end of the world if justice is absent as it plays an important role in constructing good relations. Without justice, life turns into chaos, poverty and oppression are prevalent. Justice is important in all aspects of life, not restricted to one particular dimension.
Today, politics has reached every single corner of life and has taken control. But when justice is abandoned and neglected, chaos, oppression and poverty will reach all aspects of life.
Here, he stressed that according to Sharia’ law, a Muslim is not free choose between justice and injustice, he/ she cannot stand in the middle or turn a blind eye, regardless of whether he/ she has suffered from the injustice. Everyone must bear their responsibility to establish justice and stand up to oppression and corruption.
He added that messengers have been sent by God mainly to spread and establish justice in life and to give it a leading role in society.
In the realm of politics, governments in particular are responsible for establishing justice but communities must help with this process and face oppression in order to take the government back on to the right track.
Injustice can be found almost everywhere because of the injustice of the great countries and those that follow them. This is the main factor that encouraged people in the Arab world to start a movement to correct the injustice they face.
He mentioned that “Our land is one of those that has suffered from injustice and that is why the people have revolted and paid the price for the governments intolerance to such a movement.”
He also stressed “all protests are consuming despite being peaceful and the people have paid a high price to gain their rights. None of those protests were for fun or enjoyment, none of them revengeful, nor were any influenced by outside calls. This movement has been active for decades without stopping.
Sheikh Isa Qassim stressed that Bahrain, in terms of it’s human rights violations, is now on the top of the list with countries are known for such abuses and no one can ignore the fact that Bahrain is guilty of grave abuses. Bahrain is internationally condemned, even by it’s closest allies, as has been clear in the United Nations Universal Periodic Review in Geneva. Many countries recommended that Bahrain respect human rights and undertake an independent investigation into complaints made against the excessive use of force and to hold to account and bring to justice anyone who is responsible for these violations, including higher officials.
He added that, “The Human Rights Council did not see any honest intention on the part of Bahrain to implement the BICI recommendations, which was formed by an official will, away from the will of the people.
During the UPR session the government made an outrageous claim that there are no political prisoners in Bahrain. Fortunately this was met with shock and disbelief with Human Rights Watch responding that no one will believe this statement and it is time the government took serious steps to end the human rights crisis.
He continued, “It is the time to abandon all fake media that fabricate and ignore the truth of the vast public opposition and the continuous peaceful and civilised form of protest. The government must stop ignoring the fact that the prisons are full of prisoners of conscience and there are still human rights violations taking place by the authorities.”
He added that the wide public opposition is a real fact on the ground and the people have demanded their rights in the streets for a year and three months of peaceful protest. Despite this, we sometimes hear that there is nothing on the ground and everything is fine, with protesters only being a small minority.
He pointed out that no one needs to be told about the abuses as they are on display for all to see “These agonies are being witnessed by each eye, heard by each ear, all hearts get hurt, and all consciences feel pain because of this. This does not need the media to speak about it in order to inform the people of Bahrain”, he said.
“It is no longer possible for any methods of repression, may they be delays, lies, spreading false claims, tricks to stop the people struggle for democracy. The people insist upon realising their fair and inalienable rights that cannot be waived or abated.”
He argued that the people of Bahrain wonder how the authorities could allow the government delegation to the Human Rights Council to make the claim that there are no political prisoners in Bahrain. Everyone knows that there are hundreds and thousands who are arbitrarily arrested for no reason other than expressing their views peacefully.
He said, “Let’s ask if there are any killings? Any burning? Any damage to private or public property? After the BICI why are they still keeping clerics in detention centres: Sheikh Abdul Jalil Mekdad, Sheikh Mohammed Miqdad, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Mahfooz, Sheikh Mohammed Saeed Noori, Mirza Sheikh Mahroos, Sheikh Abdulhadi Almjudhar. Also professors, politicians and leading figures such as Abdul Wahab Hussein, Hassan Mushaima, Abduljalil Singace, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, besides hundreds of thousands others who have been subjected to arrest, torture, trial and imprisonment.”
“What are their crimes? What are their violations?” he asked. “What kind of violence or terrorism was practiced by these people? We ask for full disclosure for all of these. In fact, we demand their immediate release.”
He said, “Regardless of confessions taken under torture, how many cases of the detainees, in which the judiciary was able to prove beyond doubt that they had committed the crime they were accused of?”
“Why are there hundreds and thousands of other cases like this? Are you sure you have no political prisoners? Not even a single one? If all the huge numbers in the prisons are terrorists, murderers and vandals of property, just imagine how many were killed at their hands? What would be left of this country and it’s institutions if that was the case?”
“In short, the idea that there are no political prisoners is wholly unbelievable.”
“On the international level, there is wide condemnation for the ongoing human rights violations against the people of Bahrain. Also there are recommendations to address these violations and respect the basic rights of the people, admitting that there must be a role for Bahrainis to plan for the future of their homeland, with freedom, dignity and the ability to express their views openly.”
He concluded, “If the implementation for these international recommendations is under the control of the authorities they it is clear they will not happen. And the people will respond again and again and there will be no chance of retreat from the legitimate demands and no cooling down until democracy is realised.”