Qatar exploits Bahraini Shiites to defame Saudi Arabia’s image

CAIRO – 7 August 2017: Arab official sources revealed to Egypt Today that Qatar has financed Bahraini Shiite opposition leaders to defame Arab states’ image in the United Kingdom.

Qatar’s support to terrorist groups in the region continues despite of the Arab demands to stop supporting and funding terrorists and extremists in Arab countries, the Arab sources added under the condition of unanimity.

The UK embraces many Brotherhood leaders and Shiite entities and figures, the Arab official sources manifested, describing the UK as “Capital of the political Islam groups.”

The sources noted that Doha provides outlawed Brotherhood leaders and Shiite opposition leaders with Iranian funds, aiming at tarnishing the image of Saudi Arabia over false allegations that it backs violations against the Shiites in Bahrain in coincidence of Bahrain’s Independence Day on August 14.

“Bahraini Shiites in exile will organize a series of sin-ins outside the Saudi embassy in London, hoping to drive a wedge between Riyadh and Manama,” the sources added.

In June, Bahrain dismantled a terrorist cell planned attacks on state facilities and security forces in the Gulf country, financed and supervised by al-Ashtar Brigades known for his strong ties with Qatar.

Doha-funded Bahrain Opposition Bloc in London (BOBL) falsely accuses Saudi Arabia of occupying Bahrain since 2011. BOBL claims that Saudi Arabia backs violations against the Shiites in Manama since Bahraini opposition riots in 2011.

On July 17, Qatari-backed Bahraini Shiite protesters attacked Emirati foreign minister Anwar Qarqash’s convoy during his visit to London within a series of attacks against Gulf leaders in European countries.

Qatar hosts Bahraini Shiite opposition leaders in UK research centers to defame Egypt, KSA, UAE and Bahrain. The Arab quartet is a target to the Qatari regime, the Arab sources said.

The main reason behind the Doha-Manama disputes is the Hawar Island ownership that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) approved its property to Bahrain in 2001.

A leaked document revealed that the conspiracy origin goes back to January 2016, when the Saudi government announced its intentions to execute 47 people after convicting them on terrorism charges including Shiite opposition member Nimr Al-Nimr.

The conspiracy; however aimed to put the Saudi government under pressure and use the Kidnapping of the 26 Hunters case as a prisoner exchange deal, so the Iraqi militants (who were secretly agreeing with Iran and Qatar) would release them in the exchange of releasing Al-Nimr.

The whole conspiracy was not convincing to the Saudi government according to the Saudi owned newspaper Al-Riyadh, as the execution of Al-Nimr took place shortly after the kidnapping case.

Al-Nimr was one of the most dangerous Shiite opposition member for the Saudi government. According to BBC he was one of the protestors who demanded ending the marginalization of Shiites inside Saudi Arabia, especially in the eastern area in 2011.

Al-Nimr was known with his sharp speeches against the Saudi regime; as he was investigated more than once by the Saudi police and convicted of “stirring sedition” and “calling external intervention inside the kingdom.”

Iran known of being Shiite-majority country, as about 90-95 percent of Iranians are Shiites and 5-10 percent are Sunnis, also most of the Iranian leaders are known with their extremist thoughts especially after the Islamic revolution 1979, which ended the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah.