Bahrain events, outcome of Riyadh meeting: Senior cleric

Maher Hamoud, secretary general of the Islamic resistance Ulema union, made the remarks while speaking to IRNA.

Simultaneous with the meeting of the US President Donald Trump and the Arab leaders in Riyadh on Sunday, where Washington expressed support for the reactionary governments in the region, Bahraini government sentenced Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim, the senior leader of Shia Muslims in that country, to jail terms.

The move resulted in mass protest which faced crackdown from the Bahraini security forces who also killed a number of protesters.

The senior Lebanese scholar said the behavior of the Bahraini government is like that of colonialists as the country has been colonized by the UK and US.

Hamoud further described the Bahraini people’s demand as simple and reasonable.

The Bahraini security forces attacked Sheikh Isa Qassim’s house on Tuesday and arrested him.

Iran’s Majlis (Parliament) in a statement, condemned the Bahraini government’s move, noting such a verdict and the arrest of Sheikh Isa Qassim, which happened after the ominous travel of the US President Donald Trump to the region, are cause of concern for the Iranian nation and Majlis as well.

As the senior Sunni cleric told IRNA, the Bahraini people are not to topple the Bahraini rulers but they are pursuing fulfillment of their political rights.

At its Wednesday statement, Iran’s Majlis said it considers the verdict against Sheikh Isa Qassim, his arrest and killing of defenseless people as unacceptable, stressing that Majlis will take appropriate measures to fulfill the rights of the Bahraini people.

1483**1420