Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Bahrain's state television broadcasted a show about "The Academy of Change", in which they said they were "revealing the Qatari project to overthrow the regime in Bahrain."

Two trainees who had took a course at the Academy's headquarters in Austria in 2012 made statements on the show.

The show's report pointed out that the Academy of Change is one of the projects launched by the Qatari academic and founder of the "Nahda Project" Dr. Jassim Sultan. "The Qatari connection to the Academy of Change is very close and strong," said Youssef Al-Benkhelil, head of Al-Watan newspaper owned by the Bahraini Royal Court and one of the trainees who took part in the Austrian course, noting that one of the things mentioned to them was that "the Academy is one of the Al-Nahda projects launched in Qatar by Dr. Jassim Sultan."

He pointed out that Sultan "proposed a set of projects, including the Academy of Change project, which was founded in London and then moved to Doha." He further elaborated on the Academy's strategies stating that it is aimed at attracting young people and training them on non-violent methods to overthrow the Gulf regimes starting with Bahrain.

However, upon examining the file of the founder of the Academy, Dr. Jassim Sultan, it is revealed that the Kingdom of Bahrain officially welcomed him in 2009, as he was invited by the Bahraini Ministry of Culture to deliver a lecture on the strategic rules of conflict and civil strife. A free discussion on his book "Laws of the Renaissance" was held with a group of Bahraini young men and women.

The official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) has made three coverages of his visit to Bahrain, all of which are still published on the Agency's official website.

The introduction of one of BNAs coverages shows the extent of the government's celebration of his ideas.

Dr. Jassim Sultan is the most prominent figure in the Muslim Brotherhood in Qatar. Describing his influence, a study stresses that he "has a great leadership and intellectual impact on the Brotherhood in Qatar."

In this sense, one must ask, did Bahrain contribute to supporting the Academy of Change?

Arabic Version