US, UK only pay lip service to human rights: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Saeed Shahabi, a political analyst and Middle East expert in London, to discuss the ongoing protests against the ruling Al Khalifah regime in Bahrain.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Five years into the Bahraini revolution, how much has this people's revolution been able to make its voice heard around the world?

Shahabi: Of course the Bahraini revolution has been trying to reach out to the world and also many quarters in the world, including the United Nations, the European countries as well as America, know that there is a genuine revolution which aims at establishing a functioning modern political order but unfortunately the alliances of these regimes and of these governments do not want to see a change in that region. They want to continue to see the region subservient to their interests but the Bahrainis are adamant that there is no way of going back in history.

We have to go forward, we have to march along with time and this regime must go because it represents the past, it represents the Dark Ages, it represents feudalism, sectarianism, reactionary attitudes and this is why the people are there on the streets day in day out without giving up.  

Press TV: Regarding political prisoners, isn't there anything Human Rights groups can do to quicken their release?

Shahabi: Well we are living in a world of political order which only gives lip service to human rights. Human rights mean nothing. It is only a tool that is used by the oppressors against the oppressed. Of course those bodies which are considered the human rights, including the Human Rights Council and the others, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others, are giving support to the people, calling for release of political prisoners, condemning the use of torture and other forms of degrading treatment but these voices are not heard because they do not have the teeth to enforce their decisions or their attitudes.

The problem with London and Washington which are the main supporters of the Al Khalifah and Saudi regimes is that they will only pay lip service to human rights and will only use human rights as a weapon against regimes that they do not like but they will ignore any plea for any clemency, any reconciliation, any release of political prisoners in Manama or in Riyadh and that is one of the problems of the modern age and this is why we see this extremism, this fanaticism being fanned out in order to stop these countries from supporting those in need.

But however, Bahrainis are there, the prisoners are steadfast whether they are leaders of the revolution or people like Zainab al-Khawaja and other women and prisoners, they are there and their voice is heard but some people do not want to hear the voices of the oppressed and they want only to dance to the tune of the oppressors.

Press TV: And of course the recent story about the Bahraini king sitting right beside Queen Elizabeth on her 90th birthday, what does that tell us and the Bahraini people?

Shahabi: I think that is a bad judgment definitely, it is a diplomatic disaster for the royal family here. You cannot associate the Queen with a dictator, with an oppressor, with a person, a ruler who has sanctioned torture and still sanctioning torture.

So I think the British would have done much better if they did not invite this dictator to Windsor and there is a lot of talking within the human rights world as well as the newspapers like The Times, the Independent, the Guardian, they are all expressing disgust at what happened and how this dictator was allowed to enjoy the company of the Queen at a time when our people are languishing behind bars.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk