Iraqis show support for Bahrain protesters

[Sara Johnson]

Iraqis show support for Bahrain protesters Friday, March 25th 2011 6:30 PM

Basra, March 25 (AKnews) - The gathering of Hilaf tribes in Basra revealed

about their support for the Bahraini people at the conference which was held

Thursday at the Ataba Bin Ghazwan hall at the center of the province in the

presence of most of the tribal leaders, amid claims to boycott the Saudi goods.

Taher Kabashi, one of the leaders in Hilaf tribes in Basra told AKnews that

the gathering of Hilaf tribes submitted several demands today most notably

scaling the relations of the Iraqi governments with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia,

stopping the work of the Representative of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in Iraq,

appealing the Iraqi prime minister to do his best to support the Bahraini

people and activating the role of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in this regard.

"Our gathering includes all the tribes of Hilaf in Iraq and take Basra as its

center."

"The tribalism system in Iraq was formed and since ancient times on the basis

of defending the oppressed against the oppressor even if the oppressed didn't

belong to the tribe itself, and this requires us to announce our support for

the Bahraini people against the vicious attack done by the Bahraini government

with the help of the Saudi authorities."

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE sent military forces within the Island Shield

forces which belongs to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and includes six

countries in the region to help the Bahraini government to eliminate the

protests done by Shia, who form the majority in Bahrain.

The head of the Basra tribal council Ali Ahmed al-Hilfi told AKnews that "our

humanitarian and Islamic belonging call us to reject all manifestations of

violence practiced against the people of Bahrain by the so-called the Island

Shield forces."

"The humanitarian catastrophe taking place in Bahrain is ironic, especially

that the forces deal with the Bahraini people as an occupier and not as the

owner of the land... The information we received confirms that the Bahraini

authorities are currently conducting indiscriminate killings and mass arrests,

including the wounded who were being treated in hospitals."

"The Iraqi government must intervene officially by appealing the international

organizations to intervene to stop the massacres committed against the people

of Bahrain and to transmit files of all those involved to the International

Court of Justice to be tried as war criminals."

Bahrain is experiencing mass protests since last month that demand of political

reforms, at the time the Shia in the country are complaining that the Sunni

ruling family is following a policy of discrimination against them and the

issue of entry of the forces of the GCC is very sensitive.

Some believe that the entry of forces into the territories of Bahrain would

inflame sectarian tensions in the region that are undergoing fundamental and

wide changes.

MP from the National Caolition (NC) Haifa al-Hilfi demanded the Iraqi

government of boycotting the Saudi goods in an attempt to stop the actions of

Al-Saud against the Bahraini people.

Hilfi expressed her fear that the "Saudi goods and money that are invading the

Iraqi markets will turn into a tool to kill the humans through genocides that

are taking place now in Bahrain."

"The Bahraini people is not different from the rest of the people who expressed

their protests through peaceful demonstrations, but the strange thing is that

the people are killed by the Island Shield forces.... This shield was not

formed to protect the island originally, but to protect some of the Gulf

tyrants."

While the head of the Hilaf tribes gathering Sheikh Ismail Khalil expressed his

rejection for the silence of international organizations towards what he

described as "massacres" committed against Bahrain... "The international human

rights organizations remain silent about these abuses, which makes us lose

confidence in them completely," he said.

Hundreds of followers of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr protested on the 16th and 18th

of this month in Basra in protest against what they called "violations" against

the people of Bahrain.

Reported by Bahaa al-Khadimi

RN\GS AKnews

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/227286/