Bahrain’s largest opposition group Al-Wefaq has said it will pull out of a national dialogue set up by the government.

The Al Khalifa regime had started talks with the aim of healing divisions and offering political reform, after mass pro-democracy protests rocked the Persian Gulf island kingdom earlier this year.
“The Al-Wefaq board decided to pull out of the so-called National Consensus Dialogue and submitted its decision to the Al-Wefaq Shura council for ratification,” Khalil al-Marzouk, Al-Wefaq spokesman, said. “The Al-Wefaq team will not attend today's
[dialogue] session.”
“We have tried but without success to make it a serious dialogue,” Marzouk said.
Al-Wefaq had complained for weeks the opposition had been given too small a fraction of seats -- 35 out of 300 -- and was overpowered by pro-government representatives.
The government says it distributed seats in a way that was representative of Bahraini society.
Continuing protests
On Friday, thousands of people took to the streets in the Bilad al-Qadim area in response to a call for weekly demonstrations by Bahrain's largest opposition group, Al-Wefaq.
During Friday prayers, the country's top cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim, said political reform is a religious demand, adding that religion and politics should not be separate.
He also condemned the Bahraini government for trying to turn the popular revolution into a sectarian conflict.
Anti-regime protesters have been holding demonstrations across the country since mid-February, demanding that the Al Khalifa ruling family relinquish power.
In a speech, Al-Wefaq chief Sheikh Ali Salman reiterated the demand for “radical reform centering on a government elected by the people and a parliament with full legislative powers”.
He said the movement was not calling for the fall of Bahrain, which is ruled by the Sunni Muslim Al-Khalifa dynasty.
Since the 2 July debut of the national dialogue, Al-Wefaq has called for a government led by the parliamentary majority.
The group won 18 of 40 seats in the most recent parliamentary elections, but its MPs resigned to protest against violence against demonstrators.
Al-Wefaq had decided only at the last minute to participate in the dialogue, encouraged by the U.S., whose Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain.
New footage show Bahraini brutality
A new video has emerged on YouTube depicting the latest brutality of the Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime forces against the Bahraini people.
The video shows the Bahraini security forces kicking a door in and firing tear gas into a house only to flee the scene seconds later in their police vans.
Security forces on Friday resorted to violence once more, in an attempt to disperse a rally of anti-regime protesters who have been calling for an end of the al-Khalifa regime, Press TV reported.
Bahraini forces kill female protester
Saudi-backed Bahraini regime forces killed a female anti-government protester on Friday as demonstrations continue in the capital Manama and other parts of the country, activists say.
The woman was killed in Sitra city after the security forces fired a teargas grenade from a hovering helicopter, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Several protesters were also injured and one is in critical condition. The wounded were sent to the Salmaniya hospital under guard.
A number of people were also injured in the towns of Diraz and Eker during demonstrations.
Photo: Pro-democracy protesters shout slogans during a gathering held by the opposition Al-Wefaq party on Friday. (Reuters photo)