Bahrain Mirror: The Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society issued a statement on the fourth anniversary of its dissolution, liquidation, and the closure of its buildings by the Bahraini authorities on June 14, 2016, after a lawsuit was filed against it.

The society stressed that the decision to close Al-Wefaq, the largest and most important political presence in Bahrain, was the biggest political sin that ended an era of practicing political action and proportional popular representation. Thus, Bahrain entered a new era, in which the legal state was absent, the social contract was shattered, diversity and pluralism diminished, allowing political action ended, and the door of tyranny and autocracy was wide open.

Al-Wefaq's statement said that the political moment in which the decision was taken to close Al-Wefaq is the same moment in which the decision was taken to criminalize religious rituals and beliefs of a fundamental component in Bahrain and target its authority, and it is the very moment in which decisions were taken to confiscate and fight a fundamental component at all levels.

It pointed out that the decision to dissolve it was an introduction to gagging mouths and confiscating opinions, followed by the decision to close Al-Wasat newspaper, dissolve Wa'ad Society, arrest the remaining activists, use excessive force and violence, as happened in Diraz in May 2017 and carry out mass executions as happened in January 2018 and July 2019.

The closure of Al-Wefaq constituted a collapse of all the effects of the modern state, the Constitution, and the laws related to freedoms and political action. It took the country back to hundreds of years of political and human rights backwardness, until the scale of terror resulting from tyranny and the suppression of political and religious freedoms became unprecedented, and citizens were tried for their intentions.

Al-Wefaq expressed its sorrow for the sharp deterioration of the country's conditions, which made the citizens lose confidence in all authorities, state institutions, the constitution and the rest of the stability requirements. Thus, the country's situation turned into a fragile and weak reality, in which every citizen is waiting for change and transition to another reality on political, economic, social and security levels.

The statement said that the Bahrainis had high hopes for reaching the constitutional monarchy that the Charter talked about, and they were looking for a rise in the level of freedom, pluralism and diversity to an extent that they excel over the countries of the region and the world. They were planning for a society of knowledge, a transition towards a more robust economy and political and societal experiences that the world would admire. However, the reality was contrary to all of that; in fact, all indicators are in a sharp and rapid decline. As a result of the policies of the authorities, Bahrain is becoming a failed and expired state at all levels.

Al-Wefaq noted that all attempts to polish the image through unreal institutions, the role of public relations firms, consultants, the security grip and the spread of fear are exposed, short-term attempts, which will quickly end. However, they consume money and confidence and contribute to the erosion of the state, its laws and all its human and material wealth and history. Even if it happens slowly, its results are very negative.

Al-Wefaq emphasized that the people, their ambitions and hopes for life, construction, peace, stability, political partnership and the rule of law are not subject to expiry or regression; they grow, expand and do not disappear over time. This has been the cycle of life for thousands of years and it must be achieved; it is consistent with instinct, reason, and logic. Most of Bahrainis yearn for that day, even if some of them hide it, or even pretend to refuse it in order to preserve current interests.

The society concluded its statement by emphasizing that Al-Wefaq will remain and so will its vision and project, adding that the supporters increase as the authorities increase their stubbornness, because they see that salvation lies in a comprehensive national project that achieves peace, prosperity, progress, development and construction at all economic and political levels, which is what Al-Wefaq stands for and believes in. The society's top priority is that the Bahraini citizen be the center of all policies and enjoy all rights, freedoms, economic prosperity and active participation in decision-making.

Arabic Version