BahrainMirror: In October 2012, a video was widely viewed on the Internet showing Islamist Jihadists in Syria thanking Bahraini funders whom they said that they provided them with “anti-aircrafts”. An armed man declared, in a written statement “gratitude to our people in Bahrain, to all that they supplied such as equipment for Mujahidin and anti-aircrafts that helped us defend the territories of Muslims”.

Among dozens of long-bearded fighters, who wielded weapons ranging from light (RPG launchers) to heavy vehicles, he declared that “thanks to anti-aircrafts, the balance of the battles changed”.

In May of the same year, an armed group from Der-Al-Zour announced the formation of a combat faction under the name of “Battalion of the Honorable Bahrainis”. The group stated that “the battalion was named so, because of the support provided by our brethren in Bahrain, from both government and people to the Syrian revolution”.

At first glance, one thinks that this is a gesture the fighters wanted to deliver from faraway, as recognition of favours presented by their logistic supporters in Bahrain, most of which are strict Salafists. But in the interval from May 2012 to June 2013, many of video footages were found similar to the aforementioned footage.

Do the supporting Salafist groups in Bahrain have features that made them earn that magnitude of attention from the Jihadi factions in Syria? In fact, they do for, ever since mid-2012, the majority of donation campaigns held in Bahrain were directed to Syria as both financial and military logistic supply. This supply skips the obvious structure of the Syrian opposition represented by its international declared bodies and heads directly towards the Jihadist factions acting in the fields; the groups that are compatible to the ideology of the supporting groups.

1530 invaders in four months:

This type of support can be distinguished by the campaign that was launched under the name “Equipping

Invaders” which is held in almost six Bahraini Mosques. From this campaign, other campaigns branched, for example, “One Body Campaign”, but they all had a declared main goal: equipping fighters or financing them to go to Syria. In August 2012, the leader of Salafist "Sham Hawks" brigades Abu Issa Al-Sheikh announced in a video that Bahraini funders donated to equip 85 fighters in Jabal Al Zawiya (equipping one fighter costs BHD 1000 / about US$ 2600). In April 2013 Salafist Al-Zubair Bin Al-Awam battalion declared in a statement that it received 600 thousand Syrian lire from Bahraini funders (about US$ 6000).

In June of the same year Salafist "Lady Aisha" Battalion published a video in which it announced that it had received an amount of money equal to US$ 8000 from Bahraini funders.

Whereas the greatest of those campaigns, is the one that held the name "Equipping Invaders" under the supervision of members from Al-Asalah Islamic Society. Moreover, since the end of 2012, almost 4 rounds were organized for the campaign enabling the persons responsible to collect almost US$ 4 million by putting forth shares each having a value of BHD 1000 (about US$ 2600). Meanwhile the member of Al-Asalah Society Sheikh Faysal Al-Ghareer declared that "the number of fighters equipped in a time of 4 months was 1530 fighters".

In the latest announcement he made during a speech on the 28 August 2012, he said: "These funds achieved great victories in Sham, it shot down planes, and lots of other things that ought to be kept confidential."

Amidst all the above, five Bahrainis were killed while fighting with Al-Nusra front. Among those killed was a field commander during the battles that took place in Syria in May and June. The Bahraini fighters recognised were Abdurrahman Al-Hamad (19 years- from Rifa'), Abdul-Aziz Al-Othman (17 years from Arad), Abdurrahman Al-Othman (17 years- from Arad), and Abdul-Monem Ali (25 years- from Muharraq / of Syrian Origins).

Ideology of "Jihad" in Sham:

In March of 2005, the main expert in Al-Qaeda for military strategies "Muhammad Ibrahim Makkawi" published a document on the Internet "The strategy of Al-Qaeda in 2020", in which he displayed 5 stages of the long-term military plan adopted by Al-Qaeda. In this plan, the word Syria, along with Iraq and Afghanistan is one of the most important bedrocks of Triple Jihadism that Al-Qaeda is working on to exhaust the Americans.

Moreover, Makkawi (who is mentioned in several reports that as an ex-expert in the military strategies of the Egyptian Army) indicated that "the development of Triple Jihadism Terror starts in Afghanistan through Iran (currently neutral) passing in the South of Iraq and then south Turkey, South Lebanon, reaching Syria".

On the other hand, the announcements of the Salafist groups in Bahrain form an important gesture for Syria.

In a speech he delivered on 4 August 2012, the prominent MP from Al-Asalah bloc Sheikh Adel Al-Muawada considered that "the core cause of Islam today is in Sham".

Moreover, when he met Syrian Salafist fighters on 6 August, during the visit of a delegation from his political society, he told them "this revolution is not only for the sake of Syria, it is for Islam". Meanwhile, one of his escorts could not hold himself and screamed "Allah is the greatest… This Sham is blessed; this is the land of the brave, Jihad, and resistance". During a solidarity meeting held in Madinat Hamad, south Manama, on 25 August 2012, the Salafist preacher Sheikh Salah Al-Fayez stated that "Americans fear beards, we will practice Jihad, and we will establish an Islamic nation in Syria". He added that "this will happen even if America, the European Union, and Iran refused" dubbing them as "pigs and infidels".

He, moreover, stated that "there are no more shrines or Shiites; either we die or they do, Syria will be purified from Gnosticism, we will not co-live together".

On the 27 February 2012, the Bahraini preacher Hassan Al-Husseini broadcasted a video in which he recited a statement on behalf of Bahraini Sunnis, saying that "whoever is able to join the Free Syrian Army has to join".

As for the Jihadist preacher in Bahrain, Sheikh Adel Al-Hamad, he asked the youth to "seize the opportunity in summer and practice Jihad in the blessed territory.", considering that "Syria is the main cause of the Islamic nation" and that "fighting in Syria is Jihad for the sake of Allah" as he mentioned in a speech delivered on the 24 May 2013.

He said: "Remember that the men that fought with the prophet were all youth, don't miss the chance", adding "motivate people to practice Jihad, fight the Magus of this nation, Rawafid  (derogatory name of Shia) and Nasiriya everywhere".

It cannot be said for sure that these calls are literal for the ideology of Al-Qaeda regarding "Sham", but the death of five Bahrainis while fighting alongside its military arm "Al-Nusra Front" exclusively, may be a reason to ask such a question. There is no doubt that the lies of Al-Asalah delegation about the groups it met during its visit to Syria push one to ask more of such questions.

A lie has no legs… they did not meet with the Free Syrian Army

In august 2012, four members from Al-Asalah Salafist Society sneaked to the Syrian soil that was under the

 control of the opposition. They then announced that they "met the Free Army and handed them donations from Bahrain". On the contrary, the only videos published by the delegation showed that they met no one other than two radical groups in close relation with Al-Nusra Front. Moreover, the video published on the 6 August 2012 (the day the delegation arrived at Syria) clearly shows that they were welcomed by the leader of "Dauoud Brigade" who announced, in March, his intention of establishing an Islamic State. The latter also entered in several battles with Al-Nusra Front, including the battle by which Taftanaz Military Airport, the largest Military Airport in North Syria, was captured by the rebels.

In another video broadcasted on the 13 August, after the Bahraini delegation concluded its visit to Syria, where the MP Sheikh Adel Al-Muawada, along with Sheikh Hamad Al-Muhanadi, MP Abdul-Haleem Murad, and Sheikh Faysal Al-Ghareer appeared in a press conference with the leader of "Sham Hawks Brigades" Abu Issa Al-Sheikh. Al-Sheikh stated that the aforementioned members financed him "to equip 85 fighters". In reference to the brigades, battalions, and detachments of the Free Syrian Army through its official website on the Internet, none of them shows the affiliation of "Sham Hawks" to them. A study by Maher Al-Mouaness, a Syrian scholar, states that "it [Sham Hawks] works dependently, but it fights alongside each of Al-Nusra Front and the Free Army".

"The Time" published an interview with a chief in Al-Nusra Front in which he pointed out to one of the meetings that brought together the leader of the Front, Abu Muhammad Al-Julani, with "Sham Hawks Brigades". Moreover, the latter stated that it refused the American decision to enlist Al-Nusra Front on the list of terrorism, stressing that "Al-Nusra Front is just as the rest of the military fighting battalions".

Meanwhile, Al-Asalah delegation insisted in all of its announcements delivered by the members after returning to Manama, that the visit to Syria was to meet the Free Syrian Army and to support it. As for Sheikh Abdul-Haleem Murad, he declared in a speech delivered on the 28 August 2012 that "we went in a quick visit during which we delivered money from Bahrain to the Free Army".

He added that: "We are not afraid of doing so; we delivered the money to the Free Army so that it defends our dignity". Sheikh Faysal Al-Ghareer added in the same occasion that: "We will continue in supporting the Free Army"; but behind "the support of the Free Army" lies what George Lakoff calls "the metaphors that kill".