Jassim Al Saeedi is a Bahraini
salafist
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generati ...
MP, member of
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
representing a constituency in
Riffa
Riffa ( ar, الرفاع, ) is the second largest city in the Kingdom of Bahrain by area size. Riffa is divided into three parts: , and . The city is completely located in the Southern Governorate.
The city is growing fast: during the 2001 cen ...
,
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
.
After he was banned from standing in 2002's general election for the main Salafist party,
Asalah
The Al-Asalah Islamic Society ( ar, جمعية الأصالة الإسلامية) is the main Sunni Salafist political party in Bahrain. The party is the political wing of the Islamic Education Society (''Al-Tarbiya Al-Islamiya'') which funds ...
, for being "too extreme", Al Saeedi stood and won the election as an independent. He is often referred to as Bahrain's "most extreme extremist" due to his making statements such as, "O Allah curse the Jews, Christians and the Shi'a and show me in them a black day."
Other campaigns of his include proposals to gender-segregate every aspect of Bahraini society, introduce
Sharia Law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the Five Pillars of Islam, religious precepts of Islam and is based on the Islamic holy books, sacred scriptures o ...
, and replace on the grounds that it is "unIslamic" the ancient
Dilmun Burial Mounds
The Dilmun Burial Mounds ( ar, مدافن دلمون) are a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising necropolis areas on the main island of Bahrain dating back to the Dilmun and the Umm al-Nar culture.
Bahrain has been known since ancient times ...
with luxury villas. In 2003 he was forced to apologise to parliament after he tried to ban Shia Bahrainis from holding Husseini commemorations, which traditionally take place in the streets.
In February 2006, Al Saeedi called for the removal of banners placed around Bahrain by the Shia Islamic Enlightenment Society, which he claimed were inciting sectarianism.
[ The banners, allegedly quoting leading Shia cleric, ]Isa Qassim
Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim (Arabic: آية الله الشيخ عيسى أحمد قاسم) is Bahrain's leading Shia cleric and a politician. He is the spiritual leader of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest opposition society. He is the fou ...
, read, "The battle of Karbala is still going on between the two sides in the present and in the future. It is being held within the soul, at home and in all areas of life and society. People will remain divided and they are either in the Hussain
Hussein, Hussain, Hossein, Hossain, Huseyn, Husayn, Husein or Husain (; ar, حُسَيْن ), coming from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-S-i-N ( ar, ح س ی ن, link=no), is an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hassan, meaning "good", "h ...
camp or in the Yazid camp. So choose your camp."
References
External links
Bahrain Times articleAlwasat News article
Living people
Members of the Council of Representatives (Bahrain)
Bahraini Islamists
Sunni Islamists
Al Asalah politicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
{{Bahrain-politician-stub