Bahrain Mirror: The Arab Quartet countries, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have announced in a joint statement issued on Wednesday (November 22, 2017) adding the International Union of Muslim Scholars and the International Islamic Council "Massaa" to their state-sponsor list of terrorism and terror financing.

The four countries have already added the president of the union, Youssef Al-Qaradawi, last June on a terrorism list of 59 persons.

The union, headed by Qaradawi, includes well-known Gulf figures, including Saudi nationals Salman Al-Awda (imprisoned) and Khalid Al-Ajami, along with the chairman of Bahrain's Gathering of National Unity, Abdullatif Al-Mahmood.

It is not known whether Bahrain will take steps against its ally Al-Mahmoud, who has led a rally against an opposition sit-in held at the Pearl Roundabout in early 2011 demanding putting an end to the ruling Al Khalifa family's monopoly over power.

Bahrain turns a blind eye to the Islamists who supported it in the face of the political aspirations of the opposition in the country. The Bahraini branch of the Muslim Brotherhood is one of the ruling family's allies, although it is deemed a terrorist organization by its Gulf allies and Egypt.

Arabic Version