Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): June 20, 2016 was indeed a watershed moment, when the regime was attempting to crown years of brutal campaigns of repression that were ongoing since March 16, 2011 by eliminating the major leadership of the Shiite community in the country: Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim.

The nationality of one of the founding fathers elected to write the country's first constitution after independence was revoked. The authorities accused him of money laundering, criminalized the Shiite Khoms (religious charity), confiscated his money, and after 11 months, a court sentenced him to a one-year suspended prison term. However, one year later in May 2017, the authorities came back to commit a massacre of the citizens holding a sit-in outside the Sheikh's house. Five demonstrators were killed and hundreds arrested. Gunshots were fired and women and the elderly were beaten. The authorities tried everything to turn the country's citizens into frightened rabbits, but they were not able to cut the head of the leadership.

During May 20 and the ensuing major events, the people of Bahrain adhered to their humanity. The wounds and pain did not drag them to take the wrong path and deviate from their goal. They rather adhered to legitimate fundamental demands that would preserve the people's dignity. These demands continued to be advocated by those who believe that Bahrain is for all of its children, and that the only opponent is tyranny, and no one else.

Thanks to these sacrifices and the spilled blood of five great people, Sheikh Isa Qassim remained unharmed, yet besieged. He was destined to go out to the wider world, carrying in his hand the demands of the people, keeping the promise to protect the cause and goal. On February 14, 2019 marking eight years since the massive popular movement erupted, he declared that "the great troubles of Bahrain due to the ongoing confrontation will only end with the end of this confrontation, which has no way to come to an end unless a new type of relationship is established between the people and the government, recognizing the position of the people and their authority in [their right] to direct their lives and choose their destiny."
Like so, the conflict continues with those demanding their rights, refusing to become frightened rabbits in the face of the monstrosity, ongoing brutal oppression and flagrant discrimination practiced by the regime in front of the whole world.

The late writer Mamdouh Odwan says in his amazing book, The Animalization of Man, that the murderous ruler does not care, of course, about allowing humans to evolve, or even remain human, but such a ruler wants (according to Odwan) to turn his people into two types of animals: terrified rabbits or mice that are made at the hands of other animals, which are the blood-thirsty wolves, so people under the murderous ruler become two kinds: "Some people are skins and others are whips. The two sides live without will, freedom or dignity". The survival of the murderous ruler in power stretches over a long period of time, depending on his skill in managing the conflict between the two parties, and in throwing the necessary number of crumbs to the parties whose support he needs, so that they do not explode in anger, then overthrow him from his seat of power.

Arabic Version