The Revolution will Continue – Rajab Behind Bahraini Prison Bars: “I Am Free…Western Silence is Bought with Oil and Arms Deals”

Imprisoned Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab speaks from behind bars with Rasha Abi Haydar, assuring listeners that despite the regime’s attempts, the peaceful revolution will continue.

Nabeel Rajab to As-Safir From Behind Bahraini Prison Bars: I Am Free…Western Silence is Bought With Oil and Arms Deals
Author: Rasha Abi Haydar – 14 December, 2012 – Translated 18 Decemebr, 2012 by: Tyler Huffman – Al Monitor – As-Safir

Nabeel Rajab is the most influential figure in Bahrain. He is a human rights activist who has been in prison since June 7, and a few days ago was sentenced to two more years in prison — after an initial sentence of three — on charges of organizing “unauthorized gatherings.” Since his arrest, Rajab has become a nuisance and a threat to the authorities’ prestige, and has exposed their continued violations.

Only a few days before his arrest, Rajab met with colleagues from As-Safir in an area that he “loves as much as Bahrain”: Hamra Street in Beirut. Today, after several attempts, As-Safir has succeeded in making his voice heard by the world. No one can silence his statements from behind prison bars.

As-Safir: Why did the judiciary uphold your imprisonment, when the sentences for similar charges are usually much lighter?

Rajab: In fact, the damage incurred by the Bahraini regime as a result of my imprisonment — in terms of its international reputation and image — outweighs the damage this imprisonment inflicts on my own liberties. Keeping a human rights activist in jail all this time because he participated in or called for peaceful demonstrations is something that the civilized world no longer accepts. I was shocked by the judgement issued against me because of something I posted on Twitter, or because [I organized] an unauthorized protest. I didn’t expect the authorities to imprison me as a result of such trivial charges, at a time when it is trying to appear as though it respects human rights.

The authorities claim that they do not prevent anyone from exercising his or her right to demonstrate, but the reality contradicts this. Bahraini prisons are teeming with detainees whose only charge is participating in peaceful marches against the government. Yet, unfortunately, the media has not highlighted their cases as they have mine.

The convictions issued against me reveal the size of the imbalance in the Bahraini judiciary, as well as the extent of the judiciary’s submission to the executive authorities. These charges have drawn international attention to the nature of the regime in Bahrain, and proved to the world that the authorities have had enough of my continued criticisms in the media and the press. [This has proven] that the authorities are willing to violate international law — regardless of the extent of these violations — in order to silence me.

As-Safir: But do you pose a threat to the regime, to the extent that they would imprison you for such a long period?

Rajab: I do not pose a threat to any political system. I am a rights activist. I have not, and do not, call for regime change or a coup. I defend the right of everyone to express their views and demands peacefully. The right to expression is guaranteed to all, both those who call for the reform of the regime and those who call for regime change. Had the regime dealt with these rights in the proper manner, there would been no opposition to the regime today. But the regime is afflicted with greed and tyranny, and is blind to anything but its own interests.

Here I want to tell the authorities that they must understand that violence only begets violence. All past experiences have confirmed that violence does not produce solutions, but only produces more violence and killing, and the past two years in Bahrain are the best proof of that. The continued ratifications of laws and legislation that restrict freedoms will not work.

As-Safir: Why has the regime declared war on human rights activists?

Rajab: This culture of human rights activism is new to the Arab world, and likewise to Bahrain, and human rights activists have had a lot of influence on people because their movements focus on demanding respect for moral and humanitarian standards, principles and values — far removed from seeking political positions or calling for specific political systems. Unfortunately, instead of working with human rights activists as experts [who can help] reform the legal structure to serve the people, the regime has considered them a direct threat to its existence, and decided to wage war on them.

The question here is: Has this targeting succeeded in stopping those demanding their rights? Of course not — in fact, the opposite is true. I believe that the regime now knows that imprisoning activists will not stop this phenomenon. Rather, the oppression practiced by the regime will spread this culture [of activism] more quickly. It has become clear that my imprisonment has doubled the amount of rights activism in Bahrain; it will not stop it or limit it.

As-Safir: Will the revolution in Bahrain be repressed? And to what extent will it continue?

Rajab: The Bahraini people’s revolution is one of the most credible, honest, nationalistic and popular of revolutions. These people have amazed me with their steadfastness and their ability to make precious sacrifices for their freedoms. Despite the excessive violence used against them, they have to this day maintained their peaceful nature. They have not abandoned their values and principles, despite the pressure placed upon them.

The fighting going on today in Syria and Libya emphasizes that the Bahraini people were correct to pursue a peaceful approach in their revolution. Our people have remained peaceful, even though 110 martyrs have died thus far and thousands have been wounded, most of whom will never again be able to live as normal people. Our revolution will continue, our struggle will go on and will increase and grow until our demands for freedom are answered.

As-Safir: Are you still calling for dialogue?

Rajab: Certainly. I am in support of a comprehensive, transparent and honest dialogue that addresses all points of disagreement and is not elusive or manipulative. I am in support of a dialogue that includes participants from the full spectrum of the opposition, with their various political and intellectual approaches. This includes people such as Ibrahim Sharif, Hassan Mushaima, Abdul Wahab Hussein and Skeikh al-Mahfouz, who are the leaders of political groups that have many supporters within Bahraini society.

Any dialogue that does not include these figures is a useless dialogue. Thus, we don’t believe that it is possible to hold a dialogue that is fruitful, effective and capable of producing a comprehensive solution unless these people are released from prison, and all major political opposition figures participate in this dialogue. These political opposition groups represent a large segment of the population, and they have a strong and active presence.

The leaders and supporters of these groups are exposed to all kinds of abuse. The authorities are now trying to divide the political opposition through suggesting a dialogue with some and excluding others. This is an attempt to transfer the conflict to within the opposition, and I’m glad that all opposition forces are aware of this issue.

Up until this point, it doesn’t seem that the regime wants dialogue. Rather, it is only working on buying time with more repression. The regime is putting pressure on political groups — specifically, the Wefaq National Islamist Society — in order to get them to abandon their partners in the opposition and submit to any agreement the regime proposes. The regime could also pressure the opposition to agree with groups who have no weight, neither politically nor in terms of popular support. This confirms that the regime is still being manipulative and misleading, and is not serious about getting out of the political crisis.

As-Safir: What is your message to the regime?

Rajab: I sent many messages to the regime, hoping that they would realize the historical mistakes they had made concerning their people. I asked that they stop the violence immediately, and that they embrace the political opposition as a key component of society and a partner in governance and political decision-making. I ask them to respect freedom of opinion and expression, and to allow for the freedom of gathering and demonstration. I ask them to put an end to the rapid deterioration of the judiciary, and to restructure it in a manner that ensures its total independence.

Stop isolating Shiites on a sectarian basis and re-integrate them into every aspect of life. They must also stop dismissing and marginalizing the opposition in all domains and at all levels. They must start a serious, true dialogue that is based on equality and justice among all components of society in order to overcome the crisis. When we see that the regime is serious about reforming itself and changing its programs, we will work with the opposition to ensure that the dialogue is a successful project.

As-Safir: What is your message to the people of Bahrain?

Rajab: Sometimes I am amazed by the struggles of these great people. I am impressed and proud of these people, who have struggled and are giving all they have for the sake of their freedom, dignity and rights. I must thank all Bahrainis for honorably supporting me and all political prisoners in Bahrain’s prisons. What raises my morale in prison, and the morale of hundreds of other political prisoners, is the daily, continued struggle of these people. They have remained unified despite the regime’s attempts to divide them, and its attempts to manipulate their sectarian, cultural and political fabric.

My message to the people is be vigilant and wary of getting drawn into the authorities’ schemes to sow sectarian divides and push the people to clash with one another. The regime believes that it will be strengthened by divisions among the Bahraini people, and by them entering into religious, sectarian and ethnic conflicts. The Bahraini regime doesn’t care about Sunnis or Shiites, it doesn’t care about Arabs or Persians, it is only concerned with its own interests and the interests of those in the regime.

I say to the people of Bahrain, history has shown that when people fight against injustice and tyranny, it always ends in favor of the people. The Bahraini people’s revolution will go on. It is the peaceful nature of the people that will defeat the regime’s barbarism and cruelty.

As-Safir: What has been the international community’s stance regarding your revolution?

Rajab: Western states must stop praising the oil states in the Gulf — particularly Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Moreover, they must maintain a similar distance from the Arab Spring revolutions, whether in Syria, Libya, Egypt or Bahrain.

Now these states are buying the West’s silence through major oil and arms deals. Yet, will this position serve Western strategic interests in the region in the long run? The answer to this is: of course not. The West builds its strategy on the fact that Gulf governments will remain and not change, and this is a fatal error. We expect the fledgling democracies to help us and to contribute to the spread of democracy in the rest of the Arab world, especially in the Gulf region. I’m really surprised that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi continuously fails to mention the struggle of the Bahraini people and the Gulf peoples’ need for democracy and freedom, just as the Egyptians have this same need. Unfortunately, we had hoped that the first post-revolution Egyptian president would support us, just as our people had supported the Egyptian revolution.

As-Safir: Any final words, as an imprisoned human rights activist?

Rajab: Sorry, but I am internally free, for I have been liberated from them and their despotism. However, they are the prisoners, they have bound themselves and imprisoned their fate in the prison of their own greed and desires. I don’t know when they will find a way out of this crisis, which they threw themselves into. Today, I am isolated from the outside world, I am not allowed to mix with imprisoned activists or political prisoners. They are trying to isolate me as much as possible to break my resolve and my spirit, but every day I am more and more determined to continue on. The clock is ticking, and contrary to what they think, time is not on their side.

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