Al-Wefaq ban won't stop Bahrainis’ struggle: Commentator

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ibrahim Mousawi, a political commentator, to discuss a decision by a Bahraini court to uphold a ban on the country’s main Shia opposition group al-Wefaq.

Here is a rough transcription of the interview:

Press TV: It comes as no surprise that the Bahraini appeals court rejected the reinstatement of al-Wefaq as an opposition political group. However, what is it about al-Wefaq that has seen so much repression by the Bahraini regime over the past years?

Mousawi: Well it is simply that the al-Wefaq has been able to portray and to depict the real image of the Bahraini authorities. You are talking here about a political movement that has used all peaceful means, has never indoctrinated any kind of violence against the system. They are asking and requesting the basic rights of the Bahraini people in order to be incorporated into the system. They needed to make certain basic reconciliation, certain basic reformation for the political system in order to have equal opportunities with the fellow citizens in Bahrain.

The problem has to do with the system itself, the problem has to do with the Al Khalifah authoritarian system that never accepted to give any basic rights. Now I tell you, we are not surprised to see that the Amnesty International or other NGOs, other human rights organizations giving this kind of verdict and saying that al-Wefaq has never breached any law or has never compromised the sovereignty of the country.

What is really surprising is that why don’t they pressure their governments and their authorities? It is based in London when we talk about the Amnesty International. What did they do in London? What did they do in the United Kingdom? Why didn’t they tell the prime minister and the others you should not receive the authorities, you should not receive the Emir and the King of Bahrain while they are repressing their own people?

This is real hypocrisy. I believe we should wait for more steps to be taken, for more measures to be taken against the Bahraini government. It is not only enough to say that this is not a right decision by the government of Bahrain or by the authorities in Bahrain. They have to exercise pressure on the authorities, they have to exercise pressure on the Western governments that they have always bombarded us with their flagship of democracy.

Press TV: By dissolving al-Wefaq, it is seen as that though the Al Khalifah regime is trying to dissolve any form of a viable leadership of the opposition movement or the movement that is calling for human rights and democracy in Bahrain. Will it work? 

Mousawi: I do not believe that this is going to work actually. The authorities in Bahrain are not in a position …, it is years now that have passed and the people continue their demonstration on the streets, they continue their peaceful upheaval against the government, against all of the measures.

There has been a kind of unparalleled, unprecedented steadfastness and continuation of the peaceful struggle against the authorities in order to gain and to attain their own basic rights that should be given from the very beginning.

I do not believe that such measures are going to put the al-Wefaq or other groups in Bahrain into a place where they stop their struggle, their peaceful movement and I believe there would be a time hopefully soon when the government and when the authorities will be subject to receive and to understand and to try to change all its policies with the people and to give them their own basic rights.

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