Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The Bahraini regime has reached a stage where it has become completely estranged from the components of its state, as the people no longer have a choice, voice, or right to have an opposing opinion, to defend human rights, to practice authentic journalism, to be part of an opposing political party or an independent religious group, or anything outside the box the regime has drawn. The Bahraini regime has announced this with indifference: One must either be part of the herd or else mustn't exist at all; there isn't a third option. One is either in or out!

You have to be part of the pro-government herd that voices its support for the regime "the homeland"; do whatever the authorities say claiming it's "the will of the people"; promote political violations, sectarian abuses and crimes against humanity, claiming that it is for the sake of "preserving national unity"; glorify everything done by the King including acts of tyranny, obstinacy, frivolity and monopoly of power in the name of "security and stability"; and write poems praising and exalting the King, encouraging him to take further measures and retaliatory steps against "the traitors and coup attempters." The regime will not hold back in dealing with any foreign political or rights group or party that sides with the oppressed people and states that they are right and not at fault.

However, the regime might allow you, if you are not a loyal member of the herd, to live yet in fear and silence, alienated and voiceless for the sake of providing your family and guaranteeing them and yourself stability.

Nonetheless, should you dare and be something else; should you raise your voice with opposition and criticism, you will most certainly be cut off, and thus lose your freedom (imprisonment), voice, rights, nationality, livelihood, and honor. All that will be cut off with a sword sharper than the blades of the brutal ISIS militants.

Since 2011, Bahrainis were forced to choose between being part of the herd or being cut off. All acts of severance and removal were practiced against anyone who speaks or moves freely and independently. The regime mastered the "art" of amputation, severing the limbs and organs of the people one after the other, uprooting the figures of the opposition, and the pro-democracy movement's youth and activists. Thousands were thrown behind bars, dozens killed, dozens of others exiled, hundreds stripped of their citizenships, and left with no other option than immigration. Despite all this, the regime failed to turn the people into a herd, even if the opposition movement has lost some of its spark under the ashes of suppression.

Over the past month, after the authorities lost all hope in forcing the people to join their herd, they went as far as to hysterically pluck out the remaining figures that represented a red line throughout the previous years. The authorities think that they are eradicating and severing what is left of the opposition's body. The regime has dissolved the largest political opposition group, Al-Wefaq, liquidated all its funds, arrested its secretary-general and prosecuted him by a biased judiciary. It has suspended Shiite religious institutions and stripped the country's Shia spiritual leader Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim of his nationality and raised arbitrary charges against him. The regime has severed all relations with the Shiite-majority in Bahrain and thus threatened the Shia's very existence and faith. But there is a question that the authorities have disregarded: Can a body with a beating heart die after having its limbs cut off? Can this heart be ripped out and destroyed?

Perhaps the Bahraini regime is aware or unaware that there are many creatures that can replace their severed limbs with new ones. The crab for instance can regenerate its severed claws; some fisheries even practice declawing, which is the process whereby one or both claws of a live crab are manually pulled off, since some crabs can naturally autotomise (shed) limbs and then about a year later after a series of moults, regenerate these limbs.

The claws of the Bahraini people, by which they are defending themselves; their existence and freedom, resemble that of the crab. A new claw will always grow and take on the national duty of rising against corruption, tyranny and suppression. There isn't a single, last or permanent claw. A new one will always come in the place of the lost and grow. There is; however, a lasting demand that will never change that is the call for equality, justice and freedom. It might take years or decades to be fulfilled but it doesn't matter as long as there is an untouchable beating determined heart.

The campaign launched by the authorities against the people cannot be mended or repaired. They have reached the point of no return, as the authorities have destroyed any link between them and the people and eliminated any remainders of trust that would have one day contributed to mending this broken relation.

Since 2011, the Bahrainis have declared: We shall not be among the herd. Cut off what you wish of our claws for we shall grow stronger ones every time.

Arabic Version