Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): In the strangest political\religious trial that Bahrain has witnessed, before Judge Ali Al-Dhahrani, a case with only one plea was presented by the Public Prosecution against the Bahraini opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman.

Judge Al-Dhahrani, who presides over the court whose three members are Sunni, listened to the lengthy plea of the public attorney, Osama Al-Awfi, who is also a Sunni, and then gave the Bahraini opposition leader, the Shiite cleric, Sheikh Ali Salman permission to speak, yet the judge angrily interrupted Sheikh Salman after a few minutes and stopped him from talking. Al-Dhahrani adjourned the hearing without receiving the plea documents of Sheikh Salman's defense team. The court also prevented them from speaking, noting that the team is made up of both Sunni and Shiite lawyers.

This is how the lawsuit was formed, although the judge was supposed to issue the court ruling after two weeks from now: The only plea delivered in court had over 50 pages! Even this plea wasn't allowed to be given to the defense panel. This plea and the very suspicious court proceedings did not take more than a half an hour!

Frustration wasn't the only thing that took over the court hearing, the religious aspect was very evident.

The prosecution's representative, Al-Awfi, opened the plea with some verses of the Quran to give his arguments a sense of holiness and legitimacy, and then said: "The defendant hasn't stopped harming the nation. By "nation", he means the Sunni society, as the extremist Sunni preacher Abdullah Al-Nufaisi stated in one of his speeches that he delivered in a Bahraini mosque: "They are a sect...We are the nation."

Al-Awfi goes on to say to Sheikh Salman: "We came here to tell you to read the book of your deeds and await the court's judgment." The prosecution also analyzed Salman's speeches in a religious and not legal manner, of course, as it claimed that "Salman considers opposing the regime and standing against it is an act of Jihad and a religious duty."

The "Shiite platform" was under attack by the court's contempt and hatred in this plea/lecture. The prosecution spoke of Sheikh Salman's speeches, which all the Shiites in Bahrain believe represent and express their voice (Sheikh Ali Salman was leading the Friday prayer in the biggest Shiite mosques in Bahrain in place of Sheikh Isa Qasim). Al-Awfi accused Salman of "dedicating his platform, knowledge and call to instigate sedition in the nation and incite hatred, rather than benefit and serve the people."

This religious trial also didn't fail to highlight the situation in Iraq as an example; Iraq which has been devastated by the attacks of extremist Sunni groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). For a while, the media propaganda was turning the entire conflict in Iraq to a sectarian one, accusing the Shiites of controlling power and alienating the Sunnis. This is what the prosecution accused Salman of. It claimed that he is turning Bahrain into an "Iraq version" where he becomes the Shiite in control governing the country and alienating the Sunnis (including the prosecution representative and court members of course).

This is the same sectarian/political language adopted by Sheikh Abdulatif Mahmoud, who declared himself as the leader of the Bahraini Sunnis in 2011. It is the same language adopted by extremist Sunni clerics in Bahrain like Adel Al-Hamad, Naji Al-Arabi, Mohammad Khalid, Salah Al-Jowdar, Jalal Al-Sharqi, Jasem Al-Saedi and so many more.

The court isn't trying these people who have attacked the Shiite sect with their bitter words, declared them infidels, permitted shedding their blood, called for destroying their mosques and religious centers and kicking them out of their country. They insulted their religion, rituals, beliefs and holies. Their speeches are killing Shiite Muslims today even during their performance of Friday prayers.

Instead of bringing these people to trial, the court is trying the man who once said: "O beloved ones, every Sunni individual or home is in the trust and protection of us, Shiites...The safety and security of every Sunni in this country is my personal security and safety. His blood is my blood. I do not allow or accept anyone to hurt any Sunni, today, tomorrow, or the day after that. Any attack on them is an attack on me personally."

The ISIS platform is trying Salman today!

The prosecution's representative is still angry because Salman said that some members of Bahraini institutions are affiliated with ISIS and still refuses to admit that ISIS are among us; even though Bahrain exported the second most important "theorist" in ISIS (Turki Al-Binali); even though they are bombing Shiite mosques in Qatif, Dammam and Al-Hasa, after destroying tombs and mosques in Syria and Iraq.

Al-Awfi; however, stands to defend his people, even if they were ISIS militants. His plea is clear and enough to prove that he has an extremist ISIS mentality which overwhelmed the entire court hearing yet it was disguised by the government and law.
Al-Awfi says that Salman's speeches clearly show that he called for the overthrow of the regime by military force, yet, in

reality, Al-Awfi's plea/lecture was very clear and flagrant. He even dared to reveal his ISIS face in this sham trial of the major Shiite political leader in Bahrain in front of the whole world.

He excuses murder because those committing these atrocities, which are considered crimes against humanity, are followers of his sect. He; however, accuses the Shiites of committing these crimes.

Hate speech is not restricted to extremist sermons delivered in mosques anymore, it is now openly present in courts and delivered by the public prosecution. The only thing the prosecution missed is ending its plea by declaring Sheikh Ali Salman a "Rafidi, Infidel" and punish him for that.

Arabic Issue