Bahrain scholars called on residents on Tuesday to defend prominent cleric, Ayatollah Issa Al-Qassem against regime forces who have been launching a brutal crackdown on his house in Diraz.

In a statement, the scholars urged Bahrainis to take to streets in several areas across the country in order to defend the senior religious reference who got a one year suspended prison sentence on Sunday.

“If you want it to be Karbala, then we are the sons of Karbala,” the scholars said, urging all men, women and children to take to Bahrain streets clad in shrouds.

Bahraini regime forces raided Diraz on Tuesday, in a deadly crackdown on the house of Aaytollah Qassem, who was also last year stripped of his citizenship.

Source: Al-Manar