Manama - On the eve of Bahrain's reconciliation talks, the country's top cleric urged the kingdom's Sunni rulers on Friday not to use the dialogue to marginalize the Shia opposition, which they tried to crush earlier this year. Sheik Isa Qassim's appeal underscored doubts over Bahraini king's efforts to draw the country's biggest Shia block into the government-organized talks, set to open on Saturday. Washington has encouraged dialogue in the island nation, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, and had urged the monarchy to meet some of the opposition's demands after a wave of protests by Bahrain's Shia majority for greater freedoms and more rights. The Al-Wefaq party is to decide Friday whether it will join the talks. In an effort to draw the reluctant party into the talks, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on Wednesday announced the creation of an independent commission that will investigate allegations that protesters' rights were violated during the anti-government demonstrations that erupted in February. Authorities also halted the practice of bringing anti-government protesters to trial at a special tribunal with military prosecutors and transferred the cases to civilian courts. “These are good steps in the right direction,” the Sheik Isa said during a Friday sermon in Diraz, a Shia opposition stronghold northwest of the Bahraini capital, Manama. The cleric warned against marginalizing Shias during the talks and called on the Sunni rulers to strive for “real reform” by talking to all opposition leaders, including those serving life sentences for their role in the protests. Hundreds of opposition supporters, leaders, activists and Shia professionals like doctors and nurses remain in prison even after Bahrain officially lifted martial laws imposed in March to quell dissent. At least 32 people have been killed since February, when Bahrain's Shias - inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Middle East - started a campaign to end the Sunni minority's hold on power. Four people have died in custody.
