People in KSA, Bahrain facing tyranny: Commentator

Press TV has conducted an interview with Jalal Fairooz, a political commentator in London, to ask for his insight on Bahraini people’s recent expressions of solidarity with the oppressed people in Saudi Arabia’s Qatif region.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: This demonstration that was taking place in Sitra was in solidarity with the people of Qatif as we’ve just mentioned; the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has also been experiencing a popular uprising against the repressive policies of the Al Saud regime. What is it about the popular movement in Bahrain and that in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia that joins these people together?

Fairooz: It is actually the tyranny, which is governing both countries. It is actually the unjust systems, which are being applied on both the people of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It is actually the Wahhabi direction of thinking, which has… all this sectarianism in the region and has resulted in all this bloodshed everywhere, whether it is in Syria, Iraq even in south Yemen and two days ago in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Now the people of Bahrain have relatives and there are lots of intermarriages between Bahrain and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Actually, today, lots of people were stopped from going to the Eastern Province as they wanted to go and pay their respects to the families of the martyred people of al-Qadih. But now they are stopped from going to Saudi Arabia, then they had to start the mourning in the assemblies in Bahrain itself. And the people went on the streets to express their solidarity with the oppressed people of Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

So, the situation of course should have been taken into consideration by the regime of Bahrain, but unlike that, they were smashed and all the demonstrations were cracked down, there were some injured people today as well.

Press TV: As you’ve just painted, basically, the close relations between the people of Bahrain and that of the Eastern Province, would you say that the fate of these people is also intertwined; as long as the people of Bahrain don’t have their freedom, the people of Qatif and Eastern Province will also continue to see repression?

Fairooz: For sure, that is the case, because both people in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are facing the same situation almost; and even there is repression on the beliefs and practicing their religion and the way of Islam in these two countries. And you can see very obviously how fierce both the police forces in Saudi [Arabia] and in Bahrain are towards the pro-democracy requestors and protesters in the streets. You have thousands of political prisoners in Bahrain now, and you have also hundreds of political prisoners in Eastern Province, you have top clergy, opposition figures in Bahrain in jail, and also in Saudi Arabia, there has been some death sentences in Bahrain and also in Saudi Arabia like Sheikh Nimr.

So, there are all these common things. And for the most, both people are seeking freedom and democracy, which is not there. Seeking development and to get rid of the one-family governing the whole nation.

ABN/HJL

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