Bahrain Mirror: A Bahraini court sentenced a cleric to six months in prison after convicting him of using offensive terms against Yazid bin Muawiyah, the Umayyad ruler who killed the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib.

The court condemned the Shiite cleric for insulting a symbol and figure praised by a sect of people, by uttering inappropriate words as stated in the papers, setting a 100-dinar bail for suspending the execution of the sentence.

In the course of the Court's examination of the case, the defendant's attorney denied the charges, and stated in the defendant's plea that there is no crime since it is unfounded; claiming that Yazid bin Muawiyah is a subject of controversy among Sunnis.

In response to the attorney's claim that Yazid is a controversial figure, the court said in its ruling that it is not true since the correct view that the Sunni scholars have is that "it is not permissible to curse Yazid or any other Muslim, based on the Prophet's saying: ‘A Muslim does not curse,' and ‘He who curses a Muslim is the one cursed,' alleging that "Yazid was a true Muslim."

Shiites in Bahrain mark the occasion of Ashura annually, in commemoration of Hussein bin Ali, who was killed by Yazid on that day. This is first court ruling of its kind in Bahrain.

Arabic Version