This interpretation raises the possibility that the continuation of current policies may transform Shia institutions from organized social forces with a degree of autonomy into weaker institutions that are increasingly dependent on government approval. The responsibility of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas becomes clear when these three levels are considered together. The security services that carried out the arrests and the institutions that imposed restrictions on religious practices and endowments operate within a system of government whose overall policy is determined at the level of the king. The direction of these measures and their impact on the Shia religious authority therefore became political questions directly related to the choices of the ruling establishment. They cannot be reduced to individual decisions of the Ministry of the Interior or administrative bodies. Judicial independence and guarantees of a fair process are also another test of the institutions' ability to handle the case outside the calculations of the political conflict. Against this background, the statement issued by the Bahraini investigators and the calls for a peaceful protest towards November 8 appeared as expressions of opposition to this course of action, as the arrests and trials became a matter affecting the future of the religious establishment. Those calling for mobilization chose to clarify their position before the judgments were handed down, in an attempt to influence the course of the case and prevent further cuts in the positions of the investigators. This initiative reveals an awareness that the consequences of the trials will not be limited only to the detainees and their families, but will also reach the synagogues, mosques and institutions to which they are connected. The trials on November 8 will reveal something of the direction of the government's policy towards the Shiite religious establishment in Bahrain.

This interpretation raises the possibility that the continuation of current policies may transform Shia institutions from organized social forces with a degree of autonomy into weaker institutions that are increasingly dependent on government approval. The responsibility of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas becomes clear when these three levels are considered together. The security services that carried out the arrests and the institutions that imposed restrictions on religious practices and endowments operate within a system of government whose overall policy is determined at the level of the king. The direction of these measures and their impact on the Shia religious authority therefore became political questions directly related to the choices of the ruling establishment. They cannot be reduced to individual decisions of the Ministry of the Interior or administrative bodies. Judicial independence and guarantees of a fair process are also another test of the institutions' ability to handle the case outside the calculations of the political conflict. Against this background, the statement issued by the Bahraini investigators and the calls for a peaceful protest towards November 8 appeared as expressions of opposition to this course of action, as the arrests and trials became a matter affecting the future of the religious establishment. Those calling for mobilization chose to clarify their position before the judgments were handed down, in an attempt to influence the course of the case and prevent further cuts in the positions of the investigators. This initiative reveals an awareness that the consequences of the trials will not be limited only to the detainees and their families, but will also reach the synagogues, mosques and institutions to which they are connected. The trials on November 8 will reveal something of the direction of the government's policy towards the Shiite religious establishment in Bahrain.