Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): “Intelligence Service is supposed to expose people’s acts while  people expose its schemes. Enough of sham acts, it’s clear”, the previous columnist in Al-Belad newspaper who defected from “National Unity Gathering” Mohammed Al-Othman commented on the arrest of Mohammed Buflasa.

Mohammed Buflasa was arrested again Monday evening. He is an ex-military officer. He was dismissed from the army after a speech he gave at the Pearl Roundabout last year. He was the first political prisoner in 14 February Revolution despite being a moderate Sunni Salafist.

For the first time, Sunnis in Bahrain reacted angrily and on a wide scale. Badr Al-Hajeri wrote on Twitter: “The regime arrested Buflasa, it wanted us to live like live-stock without demanding any right and without dignity.”

Abdulla Hashem a member in the “National Unity Gathering” said: “Those who consider the group that Buflasa is affiliated to as a following group without any opinion or weight miss reading the future.”

The retired Colonel Mohammed Al-Zayyani wrote: “Buflasa, the one I know,  a 3-minute on the Pearl Roundabout podium made ‘The Great National Activist’ for the Opposition and ‘The Great Heretic and Infidel’ for the Guided Opposition.” He described Buflasa as a nationalist who loves Bahrain, its people and the regime figures.

Al-Zayyani added, Buflasa has turned into a public figure, the people follow his news. We have to deal with him as such, rulers and people. The state has had enough of stupidities.

Another wrote on Twitter: “Though I do not agree with Buflasa in his views, however, I see him talk and demand politely the citizens’ legitimate rights. He is a model for the constructive opposition.”

A Sunni tweep repeated Buflasa’s words and wrote his major problem that: “He said ‘No’.. he did not change, he did not respond to carrot and stick tactics”. The tweep wrote that Buflasa’s arrest came after the Doctors trial that shocked the Sunnis, and it is clear that they are angry, so it was important to object to that.

Activist circulated the news about Buflasa’s arrest. It has been reported that he was welcomed warmly by the political prisoners in the Dry Dock prison, however, the government has not commented yet.

• Link to the Arabic copy