Bahrain’s Shiite Scholars Condemn Country’s Monarch & Praise Iran’s Sacrifices for Islam
Bahrain’s Shiite religious scholars have strongly condemned the country’s monarch, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, for suggesting that Arabs had bestowed Islam upon the Persians.
Speaking over the weekend, Al Khalifa said Iran had forgotten “the grace and blessing of the Muhammadan message upon the Persian nation.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the scholars accused the Manama regime of hypocrisy, saying it claims to champion Islam while persecuting the country’s Shiite religious leaders. The scholars also praised Iran as being at the forefront of defending Islam and the Palestinian cause.
“Whoever wishes to claim that he bestowed Islam upon the Persians, as though God’s guidance were a gift from him or those like him rather than a purely divine blessing, and who boasts of his devotion to Islam and his pride in it, should ask himself: What kind of Islam justifies imprisoning the nation’s scholars, driving them from their homes, forcing them into exile, and pursuing students of religious knowledge and those who carry the message of Islam?” the statement said.
The scholars also challenged Al Khalifa by asking, “Who today stands at the forefront of the Muslim world, sacrificing wealth, blood, and children in defense of Islam?”
“The answer is clear,” the statement continued. “The Islamic Republic, under its juristic leadership, together with all its institutions, political leaders, and united people, men and women, young and old, has sacrificed, and continues to sacrifice, everything precious in defense of Islam.”
