Bahrain Shia Cleric and Opposition Breakdown and connections to Iran - PowerPoint Presentation

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Bahrain Shia Cleric and Opposition Breakdown and connections to Iran

8.31.11

Ashley

Harrison

Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain*

1970

s

Bahrain Islamic Freedom* 1990s

Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain 1990s

Wa’ad

Early 2000s

Wefaq

* 2001

Al

Amal

Early 2000s

Shia Opposition Flow Chart

Al

Haq

* 2005

Wafa

* 2009

*Iranian Connections/Influence

Bahrain

Islamic Freedom Movement (BFM)

Part of “

Coalition For A Republic

”

A London based Bahraini opposition group with a headquarters in a north London mosque BFM played a lead role in the 1990s uprising in BahrainUnder the 2001 reforms all exiles were invited to return to Bahrain to

participate in the political process. All

of BMF’s members have received political amnesties and most have returned to Bahrain to participate in the political process, but several remain in London where they hold the status of asylum seekers.

Bahrain

Islamic Freedom Movement

Said

Shehabi

* - Leader

Shehabi

was formerly a member of Wefaq but resigned along with several other members in

Sept. 2005 after it made the decision to end its boycott on parliamentary elections. Shehabi is a columnist with the London based Arab newspaper, Al Quds Al Arabi. He was arrested during the recent unrest and serves a life sentence along with Mushiama and is in strong opposition to the constitution, not so much the regime, but rather the oppressive constitution, which the regime backs. He does however greatly blame the regime for the way they treated the Shias during the unrest. During his testimony he publicly denied being associated with Iran.

He seems to have very close ties to Mushiama.

Al Wefaq

Wefaq was founded in 2001

C

alls

for Bahraini PM to

step down and for the regime to grant the Shiites a greater share of political power. Demand a proper constitutional monarchy in which the PM would be elected, and where the elected chamber would have exclusive legislative and regulatory powers. Most recently Wefaq has said “The parliament has to have full authority. At the moment the

shoura council shares power with the parliament, there’s no need for

that. We also need the redrawing of the electoral districts. One person, one vote is not applicable in Bahrain.” Wefaq’s first deputy speaker, Khaleel Marzooq has been supported by Sunni scholars, too, like Ahmed al-Zain from Lebanon. Sheikh Ahmad al-Zein, the Sunni head of the board of trustees of the Muslim Scholars coalition, said that the demands of the Bahraini protesters were legitimate but were shocked by the level of the unjustified response by the Bahraini government which involved unacceptable collusion by Arab human rights groups.

Al Wefaq

Sheikh Ali Salman – Leader

Salman

is a mid-level Shia cleric who is an adherent of

Twelver

Shi’ism which is prevalent in Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Lebanon. He was educated in Qom, Iran and in 1995 he was exiled by Bahrain to Dubai for leading a popular campaign demanding the reinstatement of the constitution and the restoration of the parliament. (His demands are largely similar to those of

Wefaq

today). He continued his opp. movement from London and was associated with the Bahrain Freedom Movement (see bullet). Salman returned to Bahrain in 2001 under amnesty. Salman is calling for U.S. help to urge Saudi Arabia to withdraw its forces. He also called on Iran not to meddle in Bahraini affairs. He has stated Wefaq does not want an Iran-style theocracy, he just wants a civil state.

Al Wefaq

(cont.)Sheikh Isa

Qassim

*

– Religious LeaderAbdul Amir Al

Jamri (Teacher in Najaf)Abdullah Al Guraifi (Teacher in Najaf)Abduallah al-Madani (Teacher in Najaf)Abbas Al-

Rayes (Teacher

in Najaf)Mahmood Al-Qashimi (Teacher in Qom)Kadhem Al-Haeri* (Teacher in

Qom)Fadhel Al-Lankarani* (Teacher in Qom)

Qassim is Bahrain’s most popular Shia cleric and exercises considerable influence over Wefaq.  He studied at Najaf

under teachers: Abdul Amir al-Jamri and Abdullah Al Guraifi and Abduallah al-Madani and Abbas Al-

Rayes.  Jamri, Guraifi, Qassim and Rayes believed similar things and even lobby for the same demands from the government and Parliament.  Qassim, Jamiri,

Madani, and Rayes were also part of a ‘religious bloc’ formed in 1972. 

Qassim acquired his status of Ayatollah during his 1990s exile in Qom. Bahrain's preeminent Shia cleric and a member of the 1973 parliament, Isa Qassim took no public position on the opposition's decision to boycott the 2002 parliamentary elections. 1972 Qassim was elected to the Constituent assembly in Iraq where he greatly influenced the incorporation of parts of Islamic sharia in the 1973 constitution.  In 1973

Qassim was elected a member of Bahrain’s Parliament until it was dissolved in 1975. In the run-up to the 2006 parliamentary elections, however, he publicly proclaimed his strong support for participation. Qassim refers for guidance to Grand Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf, who also supports Bahraini Shia participation in parliament. This support from its Marjaiya enabled Wifaq to engage with the government and run candidates, but also led

Mushaima and other rejectionists to split from

Wifaq and establish Haq. It also stoked differences within the Ulama Council which continue to this day. Qassim also studied in Qom, Iran with

Mahmood Al-Qashimi, Kadhem Al-Haeri.   Qassim is the founding chairman of the Ulama council.   Qassim has ties to Iraq and to Iran due to his studies in Qom and Najaf.

Abdulamir

Al Jamri- was the 'spiritual leader' of Bahrain's Twelver Shi'a population and the 1990s Intifada.  Jamri was born in Bahrain and studied in Najaf and in 1973 al-Jamri became a member of Bahrain's parliament, the National Assembly of Bahrain, until the parliament was dissolved in August 1975.  In 1992, al-Jamri joined forces with Islamists, liberals and leftists to draft and submit a petition to the ruler of Bahrain calling for restoration of the parliament and reinstatement of the suspended constitution.   In 1994, he helped re-launch another petition, signed by 25,000 Bahraini citizens calling for restoration of parliament and reinstatement of suspended constitution. Died in 2006.  He was one of the most popular Shia cleric and opp. leaders during the unrest in the 90s. 

Abdullah Al Guraifi is a very well-respected Shia cleric. Guraifi praised

any genuine call for dialogue, but warned that it would fail if there is no "valid ground and conditions" for talks and that the protesters should move under the banner of unity and cohesion. Guraifi and Qassim still support each other and in 2009 Qassim, Guraifi and the other chairmen for the

Ulama council signed a public statement calling for the government to stop its threats to close down the school, because it has been interrupting studies and work flow

Abduallah

al-Madani does not believe the same things as the others who studied in Nafaj. Madani attributes the sectarian division between Shia

and Sunni as the fault of Iran and said Iran is behind all the crisis in Bahrain.

Abbas Al-Rayes after eight years in Najaf Sharif returned to his home country of Bahrain

when the situation between Iraq and Iran worsened.

Rayes was an elected a member of the National Council of Bahrain after the country's independence in 1970, a deputy of the western region of Bahrain, having won an overwhelming majority, and also helped establish the Islamic Enlightenment Society Baldraz. He was big into poetry and science

Kadhem Al-Haeri

was a top leader of Al-

Da’wa

(Shia political party in Iraq) and was exiled to Qum Iran because of it.

Haeri

is considered as the successor to the uncle of

Muqtada

al-Sadr and serves as the advisor to to

Muqtada

al-Sadr

Fadhel

Al-

Lankarani

was born in Qom and

was one

of the leading supporters for Iran’s Islamic revolution. He was very anti-Shah regime and studied under Ayatollah Imam

Ruhollah

Khomeini and was VERY close to Khomeini

(led

the movement against the Shah and was the Supreme leader of Iran after the fall of the

Shah) and

most importantly he

believed firmly in

VeF

Al Haq

Hassan

Mushaima

, former

hard-

line member of Wefaq, formed Al Haq in Nov. 2005Haq's membership is overwhelmingly Shia, but it has included a few Sunnis in its leadership, like former leftist politician Ali Rabea and iconic cleric Isa Jowder

(signed a petition ‘92 calling for restoration of Constitution)

Haq is unregistered and opposed the 2002 constitution, and calls for the toppling of the regimeHaq competes with Wefaq for Shia supportHaq was unable to immediately generate support from the clerical establishment, Musheima attempted to take the mantle of religious guide for himself and lacking

formal clerical training, he convinced few that he had religious credentials. Instead, Haq relies on the passion of its radical message and its ability to put on the streets youths who are small in number but ready to skirmish with the police whenever necessary.Part of “Coalition For A Republic”

Al Haq

Hassan

Mushaima

* –Leader

Sheikh Mohammad

Sanad* –Religious LeaderStudied in Qom and was taught by: Hussein Waheed Khorasani*Mohammad Reza AlkalpiqaniyMohammad Husseini al Rouhaney

Jawad

TabriziHashim AlamlaYahya Al Ansari ShiraziAbduljalil al Moqdad –Former Religious Leader (now leader of

Wafa)

Mushiama is believed to be in close contact with the Iranian regime, he played a lead role in escalating the protests and provoking clashes between Sunni security forces and Shia in an effort to brand the conflict in Bahrain as a purely sectarian affair. Mushaima was one among several activists who authored a document saying that they wanted to do away with the monarchy and topple the regime in favor of a republic.

Mushaima was a founding, hard-line member of Wifaq, left to found Haq in November 2005. He still wants a toppling of the regime. He returned from being exiled in Feb 2011 after first stopping in Lebanon. Now he is in prison and sentenced to life

.

Ayatollah Hossein Vahid Khorasani born January 1, 1921 is an Iranian Twelver Shia

Marja. He was born in Iran and moved to Najaf and studied in seminaries of Grand Ayatollah Khoei until he moved back to Iran in 1972 and currently resides and teaches in the Seminary of Qom, Iran. Khorasani has MUCH influence among other clerics in Iran. He is also the father in law of

Sadeq Larijani.

Ayatollah Sadegh Ardeshir Larijani is an Iranian cleric, politician and current head of the judicial system of Iran. Larijani served as one of the 12 members of the Guardian Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran for eight years. Described as "relatively junior" or "inexperienced cleric" with "close ties to Iran's military and intelligence agencies", he was appointed head of the judicial system of Iran by supreme leader Ali Khamenei

in 2009. Larijani condemned protesters and those who expressed doubts in the 2009 presidential election results, calling the protests as "illegal" and any doubts "baseless". He is the brother of Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament. He is a well-known critic of ex-president Mohammad Khatami and his reforms.

Ayatollah

Mirza

Jawad Tabrizi was an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja. He was born in Tabriz, Iran in 1926, at 22 he moved to Qom and later to Najaf, Iraq until he was deported. He then moved back to Qom and was a teacher in the Hawza of Qom until his death

in 2006. Most importantly he opposes VeF.

Hashim Alamla studied in Tehran in science of jurisprudence, and assets, literature, philosophy, and theology. After completing this preliminary stage, high in Tehran, he went to Qom in the year to attend the lessons of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Abdul

Karim Haeri, and Ayatollah Kouhcomera, and Ayatollah Shah Abadi, and Ayatollah Muhammad Ali al-Qomi, and remained there for six years, and won on the degree of diligence, have supported the diligence of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Abdul Karim

Haeri and Ayatollah Mohammad Hajj. He then traveled to Najaf, to attend the lessons of Ayatollah Abu al-

Hasan Isfahani, and Grand Ayatollah Sheik Mohammed Hussein Alnaúana, and Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Zia Iraqi debt, and others. After spending thirty years in Najaf returned to

Iran.

Sheikh Mohammed Sanad was born in Bahrain and is not a member of the Ulama Council, but generally agrees with its public statements. After completing high school at 16 he migrated to study in London and earned a bachelor's degree in engineering. In 1980 he went to study religion in Qom. And more recently flew to Najaf, where he lived and taught in the Mosque of 'Imraan ibn

Shahin. His relative influence on the Shi'a community is low because he only spends two months a year in Bahrain; the rest of his time he spends teaching advanced students in Qom. He comes from a well-known Manama family and politically, he opposes the government. In 2002, he called for the U.N. to oversee the drafting of Bahrain's new constitution out of distrust of the GOB's intentions. He has publicly questioned the legitimacy of the Al Khalifa family's rule. Haq, looks to him as its Marja

', and he in turn refers to senior clerics in Qom. Sanad and Qassim

take differing approaches to politics. Sanad was arrested in Dec 2005 for ‘inciting the public against the regime’ and was arrested right after he got off the plane from Iran. Political observers attributed the reasons for the detention to a speech delivered in the village of Sanabis.

Wafa

As opposed to al Haq,

Wafa

,

has the public blessing of senior Shia cleric,

Abduljalil Al Maqdad. Thus, while Wafa's following is at present still small, it had the potential at first to appeal to more pious ShiaNot licensed from the government

Stemmed from Haq and became a new party in Feb

2009Want to overturn the monarchy and refuse to participate in electoral politics. Wafa pointedly recruits only among Shia. Part of “Coalition For A Republic”

Wafa

Abdulwahab Hussein* – Leader

Abdulamir

Al

Jamri (Hussein gained

Jamri’s trust during 1990s unrest)(Signers of ‘92 petition for the restoration of the constitution and the dissolved parliament as stated in the constitution)Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Mahmood Mr. Mohammed Jaber

Sabah Sheikh Isa Al-

Joder Mr. Hamid Sangoor Sheikh Abduljalil Al Moqdad* – Religious LeaderSheikh Hussein Najati

Abdulwahab

Hussain's stature and credibility as a conservative leader is much greater than Musheima's. Hussain was higher up in the Shia opposition of the 1990s, when he had the ear of the late opposition clerical leader Abdulamir Al Jamri in a way that Musheima never did.

Hussain also has a reputation as a thinker. In November 1992, Hussain and Al Jamri and 4 others, sponsored a petition calling for the restoration of the constitution and the dissolved parliament as stated in the constitution. The petition was signed by hundreds of leading personalities from all sections and tendencies in Bahrain’s society. The petition was submitted to the Amir in

November, the Amir disregarded it. Hussain remained in Bahrain rather than going to exile - which led to his arrest in 1995 and again in 1996 - he was released by King Hamad when he assumed the throne in 2000. Although the late

Shaikh Abdulamir Al

Jamri was the religious leader of the Shia oppositionists at the time, Hussain's admirers claim he was the thinker behind the unrest. Hussain coordinated activities with the exiles in London. With Hassan Mushaima, Hussain

acted as a trusted interlocutor between the Government of Bahrain and the exiles when King Hamad came to power. Hussain worked hard to get Shia street support for the 2001 National Charter, and chaired the committee that founded Wifaq in 2001. When King Hamad promulgated the constitution in 2002, Hussain himself convinced many of the opposition societies to boycott the parliamentary elections that year. When, in 2006, Wifaq

decided to run parliamentary candidates, Hussain resigned from the society and stopped making public statements.

Abdulamir Al Jamri- was the 'spiritual leader' of Bahrain's Twelver Shi'a population and the 1990s Intifada.

Jamri was born in Bahrain and studied in Najaf and in 1973 al-Jamri

became a member of Bahrain's parliament, the National Assembly of Bahrain, until the parliament was dissolved in August 1975. In 1992, al-Jamri joined forces with Islamists, liberals and leftists to draft and submit a petition to the ruler of Bahrain calling for restoration of the parliament and reinstatement of the suspended constitution. In 1994, he helped re-launch another petition, signed by 25,000 Bahraini citizens calling for restoration of parliament and reinstatement of suspended constitution. Died in 2006. He was one of the most popular Shia cleric and opp.

leaders during the unrest in the 90s.

Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Mahmood is a university professor and a leading Sunni figure and leader of National Unity Gathering. Most recently he called for the PM to step down after the PM deals with the Shia unrest. Al Mahmood is critical of

Wefaq and accuses it of being involved with Wefaq.

Mr. Mohammed Jaber Sabah (an ex-MP, a nationalist and a Sunni personality, leader of National Democratic

Assembly (NDA), an opposition grouping closely linked to the Iraqi Baath party, called for the suspension of the naturalization policy, which it claimed was unfair for Bahrainis by allowing foreign workers to compete with them for available jobs. Participated in National Dialogue)

Sheikh Isa Al-

Joder (a Sunni religious scholar is a Sunni cleric and nationalist political activist in Bahrain. He is a member of the Haq Movement. He was a signatory to both the 1992 and the 1994 petitions calling on the then Amir to reinstate the authority of the 1973 elected parliament (dissolved by Amiri decree in 1975). Al Joder was briefly arrested by the government during the 1990s Uprising. He had previously been arrested for his political activities in 1957, 1963 and 1968. He participated in the National Dialogue),

Hamid

Sangoor (a lawyer, a nationalist and Shia personality).

Al

Moqdad

was born in Bilad Al Qadeem and continues to lead prayers there. Moqdad refers to Najaf for guidance. Shi'a started talking about him in 2006, the same year that Haq split from Wifaq. Much of his influence derives from his humble beginnings and continued closeness to the poor. Al

Moqdad

is also close to Sheikh Hussein

Najati

, and replaces him as Imam in

Muharraq

when he travels. Al

Moqdad

distrusts the government and considers

Wifaq

ineffective.

The Shi'a street believes that Al

Moqdad

handles much of the money Bahrainis send to clerics abroad

. 

Although he helped found the

Ulama

Council in 2004,

Maqdad

resigned from the council in 2005 when he publicly disagreed with

Wifaq's

decision, supported by

Shaikh

Isa

Qasim

, to run in the 2006 parliamentary elections.

Maqdad

publicly criticized the

Qassim

-led

Ulama

Council in 2007 for its silence regarding

issues

like discrimination and detainees, and some religious issues.

Maqdad

is a prominent Shia cleric who runs his own

Hawza

(Shia seminary). His admirers call him "Wise Mentor" and "the pious one

.”

Maqdad's

brother, Mohammed

Habib

Maqdad

, was arrested with

Mushaima

on January 26

for his role in an alleged terrorist plot and accusations of terror finance

.     

Abdul

Jalil

Al

Moqdad

was brought into Al Grain Prison and arrested on 27th March 2011 along with his brother and son (15 years). Abdul

Jalil

Radhi Al Moqdad, age: 51, sentence: life.

Sheikh

Hussein

Najati

is the

other

Faqih

, is not a member of the

Ulama

Council, but generally agrees with its public statements. Unlike many of the other clerics on this list,

Najati's

influence does not derive from his family, but instead from his status as a

Faqih

. He is in his early fifties and is an

Ajmi

-- a Bahraini Shi'a of Persian origin.

Najati

started his studies in Najaf, but transferred to Qom. He still refers to Najaf for guidance. When he returned to Bahrain in 2002, he was relatively unknown. He supported the government, and had several audiences with the King.

In 2006

Najati

began criticizing the government for allegedly betraying King

Hamad's

political reform project. He has called for the government to amend the constitution and improve the standard of living for all Bahrainis.

Najati

preaches on

Muharraq

island

Wa’ad

Socialist/leftist

party.

Wa’ad

desires a peaceful rotation of power and a secular, liberal state Wa’ad consists of primarily middle class professionals, male and female, from both sects. Wa’ad boycotted the 2002 elections and constitution and supports a new family law. Sharif led a Wa’ad delegation to Lebanon in late July 2008 where he met and publically praised Hizballah fighter Samir Al Qantar

. (Al Qantar was jailed for 30 years for killing 4 soldiers and kidnapping and murdering an Israeli soldier

.)Wa’ad was banned by the government until June 20 and previously called for the removal of the Khalifas from power, but now the govt. is letting them participate and now Wa’ad they no longer want a removal of the regime. Wa'ad

seeks a more representative parliament with legislative powers that are not weakened by an upper Shura council appointed by the king. Radhi al-Mousawi is leading al Wa'ad in Ibrahim Sharif's absence. They announced June 23 that they will nominates 3 candidates for Parliament elections,

Ebrahim Sharif, board member Sami

Seyadi and Munira Fakhro. However, Aug 10 Wa’ad announced it will not field candidates, while its secretary-general Ibrahim Sharif is in prison.

Wa’ad

Ibrahim Sharif Al-Sayed - Leader

Sharif

became the leader in 2006 when he took over for Abdul-

Rahman

Al Nuaimi when the group changed its name to

Wa’ad from National Democratic Action Society. He was formerly associated with the underground and leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain and

spent many years in exile. Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain was an underground political party in Bahrain with a leftist Marxist trend and origins from the Arab Nationalist Movement (ANM). ANM was revolutionary and committed to socialism and secularism and anti-Zionist. Sharif was also arrested March 17 by the govt. for his role in the unrest in which he called for genuine democratic reform.

Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain

Gave

birth to the non-violent Al

Amal

A

Shia resistance group active from the 1970s to the 1990s, advocated democracy in Bahrain and the overthrow of the Khalifa family.It was responsible for the failed 1981 coup attempt inspired by the Iranian revolution and it is also reported that Iran helped in the coup attempt. Several of its leaders were jailed throughout the 1990s and its influence in Bahraini politics steadily waned until it became stale.C

arried out a series of indiscriminate bomb attacks on civilian targets in Bahrain in the 1990s.

Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain

Hojjat ol-Eslam Hadi

al-

Madrasi

* – Leader (Iranian cleric)Abdulhadi

Al Khawaja* – Former Leader

Madrasi has also been blocking negotiations between the opposition and the government, putting moderate Shia on the defensive by stoking sectarian tensions and demanding no less than the overthrow of the Sunni monarchy.

Abdulhadi

Al Khawaja is the president of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights who is described by the Centre in an article it has published on its website as an “admirer of Ayatollah Khomeini” (follower of VeF). Also, the brother Salah Al-Khawaja

, who is the Vice President of the Islamic Action Society (Amal); Layla Dashti sits on the board of both the BCHR and Amal. Other members of the Centre are on record of stating their admiration for Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini and several members were exiled in Iran.

The Centre’s Zainab Al Khawaja, (who is Abdulhadi’s daughter), has used her blog to describe Khomeini, as a ‘great man’ and the ‘reason for the [Iranian] revolution’s success.’ In

2006, Zahra Al Muradi (member of BCHR),

stood (unsuccessfully) for the Islamic Action Society on a platform to run Bahrain according to Sharia Law. Ms Muradi, despite being a member of Amal, is also a member of Al Wefaq

. Salah Al Khawaja, brother of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, was formerly the Vice President of the Islamic Action Society. Abdulhadi Al Khawaja was arrested in September 2004 for calling for the death of the country’s Prime Minister, at a public seminar. In

2005 a court sentenced Al Khawaja to one year in prison on charges which included “inciting

hatred.” Although its license was revoked, members of the centre have remained active and the group recently launched its own English-language website.

Al ‘Amal (Islamic Action Society

)

N

on

-violent heir to Islamic

Front for the Liberation of BahrainAmal members are often referred to as "Shirazis" for their alleged ties to Ayatollah Muhammad Al-Shirazi A number of Amal's supporters did prison time while Amal

joined Wifaq's boycott of the 2002 parliamentary elections.

Al Mahfouth founded Amal in 2002, but refused to register the society until 2005. Amal has no seats in parliament, and loses influence in the Shi'a community to Wifaq.

Amal did not attend the National Dialogue and participated in demonstrations against the government which led to them being banned along with Wefaq April 14.

Al ‘Amal (Islamic Action Society)

Mohammed Ali Al Mahfouth

- Leader

Mohammed

Ali Al

Mahfouth is identified with the followers in Bahrain of the late

Ayatallah Shirazi. A number of Bahrain's

Shirazis were jailed for sedition in the 1990s; Al Mahfouth spent much of the nineties in Damascus calling for the overthrow of the Al-Khalifas. He and his followers were eventually pardoned. The Shirazis reject velayat-e faqih

(which is what the Iranian mullas believe in). Mahfouth. Despite his political proximity to the Haq, and his frequent presence at demonstrations, he has issued statements supporting the King's recent call for calm and dialogue to address sectarian tensions. Al Mahfouth leads prayers in

Bani Jamrah, a frequent hotspot for anti-Al

Khalifa demonstrations. Sheikh AlMahfoodh and his two sons were arrested May 2. Most of the board members have been arrested too and over 40 staff members. Because of the arrests, Amal holds the Bahrain authorities and their allies and supporters, the US, UK and European Union, responsible for the safety of Sheikh AlMahfoodh, Secretary General of the Society. They heavily blame the US, especially Britain for not taking action in Bahrain.

Brief Review of Iranian Connections

Bahrain Islamic Freedom Movement:

- Said

Shehabi

(Leader)

Wefaq:-Sheikh Isa Qassim (Religious Leader): Fadhel Al-Lankarani (Taught Qassim in Qom)Kadhem

Al-Haeri

(Taught Q in Qom)Haq: Mushiama (leader): Sanad (religious leader)

KhorsaniWafa:Abdulwahab Hussain (Leader): Sheikh Abduljalil Al

Moqdad (Religious Leader)

Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain:Hojjat ol-Eslam Hadi al-Madrasi (Leader)Abdulhadi

Al Khawaja (Former Leader)