Ayatollah Isa Qassim, the spiritual leader of Bahrain’s dissolved Al Wefaq National Islamic Society and one of the figures associated with the 2011 unrest, recently issued a statement on what he described as the regional struggle, portraying the Islamic Republic of Iran and the so called “Resistance Front” as the embodiment of truth, justice and righteousness while condemning tyranny, oppression and falsehood. Qassim, who has been living in Iran after leaving Bahrain, was once among the most influential Shia religious and political voices.
The statement presents the Islamic Revolution as a model of justice, praises Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and calls on those who seek justice to unite behind what he describes as the “Resistance Front.”
Yet one omission is particularly striking. While discussing the regional struggle, Ayatollah Qassim never expresses solidarity with Bahrain or its people, despite the threats and attacks they have faced from the Islamic Republic. There is no acknowledgement of Bahrain’s security, sovereignty, or the well being of its citizens. Instead, the statement is devoted almost entirely to defending the very regime whose policies have long undermined stability across the region.
It is therefore worth examining some of the central claims made in the statement issued on July 19.
“A great number of those who ruled the Muslim nation… adopted a position of hostility toward Islam…”
Ayatollah Qassim begins by condemning rulers throughout Islamic history for oppression, corruption and abusing religion for political power. Few would disagree that history has witnessed rulers who oppressed their people and betrayed the principles they claimed to uphold. The problem is not his criticism of tyranny. The problem is his refusal to apply the same standard to the rulers of the Islamic Republic since 1979.
While condemning historical tyrants, Qassim remains silent about the regime he has defended for decades. He says nothing about the tens of thousands of Iranian protesters killed in just a few days earlier this year. He says nothing about decades of repression, arbitrary arrests, executions and the systematic denial of freedoms to millions of Iranians.
“Finally came the authentic and victorious Islamic Revolution… to sweep away injustice, establish justice, erase falsehood, and uphold truth.”
Perhaps no claim in the statement is more detached from reality than describing the Islamic Revolution as authentic and a force for justice.
There was nothing authentic about a revolution that was hijacked and ultimately established one of the harshest and most brutal regimes in modern history. Rather than liberating its people, it exploited religion to consolidate political power while undermining development, modernization and individual freedoms.
What justice did the Islamic Revolution actually bring?
Did it bring justice by forcing women to wear the hijab? By abusing young people? By depriving citizens of basic freedoms? By supporting armed groups and terrorists across the region? By assassinating political opponents? By attacking neighboring Muslim countries?
This is not a model of justice. It is a model of authoritarian rule cloaked in religious legitimacy.
It is also the very system of governance that Isa Qassim sought to promote in Bahrain. His praise for both Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei demonstrates where his loyalties have always rested. His admiration for theocratic rulers whose ideology has spread conflict and instability across the region leaves little doubt about the political project he has consistently supported.
“The Resistance Front—the front of truth, justice, guidance, security, and peace…”
Qassim portrays the so-called Resistance Front as the camp of truth and justice while accusing others of arrogance. The real arrogance, however, is displayed by the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
It is the arrogance that led the regime to attack neighboring countries that consistently sought diplomacy. It is the arrogance that convinced its leaders they could defy the world’s leading military power through confrontation. It is the arrogance that rejected compromise while pursuing nuclear ambitions intended to make the regime untouchable.
For decades, the region has heard the same slogans: “the Resistance Front,” “the front of truth,” and “the camp of justice.” Where has this rhetoric led? Not to peace. Not to justice. Not to prosperity. Instead, it has produced terrorism, instability, death and destruction across much of the Arab world.
“All those who care about truth… should unite…”
Qassim concludes by calling upon all who seek truth and justice to unite against oppression and falsehood. If he truly believes in truth and justice, why has he never defended the Iranian people against the abuses committed by the regime he supports?
Why does he not condemn the Islamic Republic’s attacks and hostility towards Bahrain?
Why does he not seek justice for the tens of thousands of Iranian youths killed by the regime and the ruling clerics he continues to glorify?
Why does he not stand with his own countrymen against aggressors who threaten them day and night?
His call for people to unite against oppression and falsehood is also another example of rhetoric that encourages confrontation and violence rather than peaceful coexistence. Once again, he presents mobilisation behind his cause as a moral duty while refusing to apply the same standards to the Islamic Republic.
Statements such as this are ultimately a disservice to a figure who for many years claimed to speak on behalf of Bahrainis. There is remarkably little that is Bahraini about this statement. It contains no expression of solidarity with Bahrain, no concern for its people, and no recognition of the threats the Kingdom has faced. Instead, it is a defence of the Islamic Republic and the ideology it represents.
For years, many in Bahrain have argued that Isa Qassim and Al Wefaq’s loyalties lay with the Islamic Republic rather than with Bahrain. Whatever one’s view of that debate, this statement will undoubtedly be seen by many as a clear evidence supporting that claim. At a time when Bahrainis expect loyalty to their country and concern for its security, Isa Qassim’s priorities appear to lie elsewhere.