Hundreds March in Various Cities of Iran After Friday Prayer Against Bahrain

Media reports indicate that hundreds of people marched in various cities of Iran following a state-sponsored Friday prayer in protest against what they called the "insult" to Sheikh Isa Qassim, the leader of the Bahraini opposition, and the attack on his home. State news agencies report that participants in the Friday prayers in Tehran, Qom, Zahedan, Borujerd, Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz, and several other cities chanted slogans against the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, condemning the "insult to the revolutionary leader of Bahrain," and the "disrespect and detention of Sheikh Isa Qassim." No independent source has confirmed the news of Sheikh Isa Qassim's arrest, and some reports suggest that he is under house arrest. It has been reported that during the attack on the village of Diraz by Bahraini security forces on June 2, five of his supporters were killed, and 300 others were detained. Marchers in Tehran chanted "Death to Al Saud" and "Death to Al Khalifa." Some placards held by demonstrators read: "The red line for the revolutionary youth of Bahrain is the assault on Sheikh Isa Qassim." IRNA reported that in Qom, slogans were chanted such as "Al Khalifa is the House of Abu Sufyan serving the Great Satan America" and "The corrupt and shameless Al Khalifa is a mercenary of the Great Satan America," with marchers calling for the overthrow of the ruling regime in Bahrain. Iran, as the largest Shia country in the world, considers itself a supporter of the Shia in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia also supports the Sunni government in Manama. Bahrain announced on Tuesday that the operation in Diraz, the residence of Sheikh Isa Qassim, was for "establishing security and order." This operation took place two days after a court in Bahrain accused Sheikh Qassim of collecting money from illegal sources and money laundering, sentencing him to one year of suspended imprisonment. A Bahraini security official told Reuters that the operation was not aimed at Sheikh Qassim and added that he had not been arrested. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior stated on Thursday that the five killed were part of a group that attacked security forces during their operation in Diraz. The ministry added that 31 police officers were injured during the attack by this group, which it labeled as "terroristic." These officers attempted to disperse Sheikh Isa Qassim's supporters who had gathered around his house using tear gas and gunfire. The Sunni Al Khalifa monarchy in Bahrain crushed the Shia uprising for reforms and power-sharing with the majority in 2011. The government claims that the opposition seeks to overthrow the ruling body of the country and accuses Iran of being involved in the unrest in Bahrain. Tehran has consistently denied such accusations.