A senior member of Bahrain's al-Wefaq National Islamic Society condemned the al-Khalifa security forces' recent raid on the house of prominent Shiite Cleric Sheikh Issa Qassem, and warned Manama that insult to the religious leader is the redline of the Bahraini people.
    

Jamil Kazzem made the remarks on Sunday, referring to the recent protest rallies held in support of Sheikh Issa Qassem.

"The recent events in al-Daraz region and the massive protests in the village to announce solidarity with Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassem, the prominent Bahraini cleric, showed to the al-Khalifa regime that he is the redline (of the people)," he told FNA.

Kazzem underlined that the recent developments in al-Daraz meant a revival of the Bahraini people's revolution against the al-Khalifa regime, underlining that this revolution will continue until a full materialization of people's goals and demands.

Thousands of Bahraini protesters marched in the streets of al-Daraz village, West of the capital Manama, on Friday to oppose the al-Khalifa security forces' crackdown on prominent Shiite Cleric Sheikh Issa Qassem's home.

The Bahraini people's peaceful protests turned violent after al-Khalifa regime's security forces clashed with protesters who were holding the pictures of their top religious leader.

Last week, Bahraini forces raided Sheikh Issa Qassem's home in the village of al-Daraz and searched the house.

Women and children of the sheikh's family were in the house at the time of the raid, but the sheikh was not at home.

Sheikh Issa Qassem had earlier this month underlined the Bahraini people's insistence on restoring their rights and demands.

"The policy of suppression, violence and using iron fist by authorities against the citizens and opposition figures will intensify and prolong the crisis and troubles the possibility of achieving a solution," Qassem said at the time, addressing worshippers in al-Daraz district.

Qassem pointed to the strong willingness of the al-Khalifa regime to use force against the Bahraini people, and said such policies harm people's interests and prolong the ongoing crisis in the country.

"Those who hope that the Bahraini people would relinquish their demands one day are only dreaming," he reiterated.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the al-Khalifa dynasty.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar - were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.