U.S. follows two paths on unrest in Iran and Bahrain – by Mark Landler and David E. Sanger

Shiite protesters in Bahrain carry the coffin of a comrade who died a day earlier from his wounds following clashes with police. Photograph: Adam Jan/AFP
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has responded quite differently to two embattled governments that have beaten protesters and blocked the Internet in recent days to fend off the kind of popular revolt that brought down Egypt’s government.
With Iran — a country under sanctions pursuing a nuclear program that has put it at odds with the West — the administration has all but encouraged protesters to take to the streets. With Bahrain, a strategically important ally across the Persian Gulf from Iran, it has urged its king to address the grievances of his people.
Those two approaches were on vivid display at a news conference on Tuesday.
President Obama accused Iran’s leaders of hypocrisy for first encouraging the protests in Egypt, which they described as a continuation of Iran’s own revolution, and then cracking down on Iranians who used the pretext to come out on the streets. He then urged protesters to muster “the courage to be able to express their yearning for greater freedoms and a more representative government.”
But speaking to other restive countries, including Bahrain, Mr. Obama directed his advice to governments, not protesters, illustrating just how tricky diplomacy in the region has become. He said his administration, in talking to Arab allies, was sending the message that “you have a young, vibrant generation within the Middle East that is looking for greater opportunity; and that if you are governing these countries, you’ve got to get out ahead of change. You can’t be behind the curve.”
Mr. Obama’s words on Iran, on the other hand, were among the strongest he has ever voiced in encouraging a street revolt, something his administration initially shied away from doing in June 2009, after a disputed presidential election provoked an uprising that was crushed by the government. Later, the administration embraced the protests, but by then the “Green Movement” in Iran had been crushed.
But now, administration officials see an opportunity to expand the fissures in Iranian society and make life more difficult for the mullahs.
“This isn’t a regime-change strategy,” a senior administration official insisted in recent days. “But it’s fair to say that it’s exploiting fractures that are already there.”
Dealing with other countries in the region is more complicated, however, particularly if they are strategic allies — which was true of Egypt and which prompted criticism that the White House was initially reluctant to put more pressure on such a crucial partner. The same complexities apply to Bahrain, an island state that is home to the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Two protesters have been killed in Bahrain. The authorities also blocked a video channel that was carrying images uploaded by demonstrators in Pearl Square, a traffic circle the protesters have dubbed Bahrain’s Tahrir Square.
But on Tuesday, Mr. Obama did not mention the violence in Bahrain and chose to draw his distinction between Egypt’s successful uprising and the 2009 crackdown in Iran.
“What’s been different is the Iranian government’s response, which is to shoot people and beat people and arrest people,” he said.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton drew a similar distinction in a speech on Tuesday on Internet freedom. Both Egypt and Iran temporarily shut down the Web and cellphone networks, she said.
In Iran, she said, “after the authorities raided homes, attacked university dorms, made mass arrests, tortured and fired shots into crowds, the protests ended. In Egypt, however, the story ended differently.”
In addition to those two countries, Mrs. Clinton listed China, Cuba and Syria as other nations that have censored Facebook and other social networking services.
A senior administration official said the White House had been consistent in calling for all these countries to respond to the demands of their frustrated young people, to allow them to assemble freely and to avoid violence.
But the official said there were deep differences between Iran and Bahrain.
In Iran, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that Egypt had followed in the footsteps of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, an “Islamic awakening” he said would result in the “irreparable defeat” of the United States and Israel.
“Frankly, Iran presented this opportunity itself when Khamenei was the only leader in the region who attempted to take credit for Egypt,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. “Our messaging on this is simply to underscore the hypocrisy.”
The official said the administration deplored violence anywhere it occurred, and late on Tuesday the State Department issued a statement saying it was “very concerned” about the two deaths in Bahrain. But the official noted that Bahrain’s monarch, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, had responded to the deaths by calling on Tuesday for an investigation and promising to continue a process of political reforms.
King Hamad has been a stalwart American ally in isolating Iran; in fact, in documents released by WikiLeaks, he was quoted by American diplomats as urging the United States to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Likewise, in Jordan, another close ally of Washington, the administration official said that King Abdullah II had attempted to stay ahead of popular unrest by dismissing his government and replacing it with officials who have pledged to pass a more fair election law and rights of assembly.
Last weekend, the State Department sent William J. Burns, a senior diplomat and former ambassador, to meet with King Abdullah in Jordan. Mr. Obama’s chief counterterrorism adviser, John O. Brennan, has played that role with Yemen, speaking regularly by telephone with its president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, whom he has also urged to avoid violence in responding to protests, the official said.
The administration’s response to Yemen, where demonstrators have marched on the presidential palace, is complicated by the fact that the United States conducts counterterrorism operations with Mr. Saleh’s government.
Mr. Obama used his news conference to argue that while the revolution in Egypt started quickly, the next act could take far longer. Drawing on studies he had asked for inside the government, he said “the history of successful transitions to democracy have generally been ones in which peaceful protests led to dialogue, led to discussion, led to reform and ultimately led to democracy.”
He cited Eastern Europe and the country where he spent much of his youth: Indonesia, “a majority Muslim country that went through some of these similar transitions,” which he said did not end up dividing the nation.
Source: The New York Times

Demonstrators calling for reforms chant and wave Bahraini flags near Pearl Square in the capital, Manama, on 15 Feb 2011.
بحرین: امریکہ اور سعودی عرب کی بے چینی
بِل لا
رپورٹر کراسنگ کانٹینیٹ
امریکہ کا پانچواں بحری بیڑہ خیلیج کی چھوٹی سے ریاست بحرین میں ہے جہاں آج کل احتجاجی مظاہرے ہو رہے ہیں۔ اور امریکی اور سعودی عرب نگاہیں ان مظاہروں پر بڑی باریک بینی سے جمی ہوئی ہیں۔
بحرین میں شیعہ مسلمانوں کی اکثریت ہے لیکن یہاں اقتدار سنی مسلک سے تعلق رکھنے والے شاہی خاندان کے پاس ہے جنھیں الخلیفہ کہا جاتا ہے۔
جوں جوں مصر میں تیزی کے ساتھ واقعات آگے بڑھے، بحرین میں حقوقِ انسانی کے کارکنوں نے چودہ فروری کو غصے کے دن کے طور پر منانے کا مطالبہ کر دیا۔
چنانچہ پیر کو جزیرے کے ان دیہاتوں میں جہاں شیعہ مسلمانوں رہتے ہیں جھڑپیں ہوئیں اور دارالحکومت مناما میں ’مصر کی تحریر سکوائر جیسی تحریک‘ کے آغاز کی کوششیں ہوئیں۔
مظاہرین کی طرف سے بنائی گئی وڈیو سے جسے انٹرنیٹ پر بھی پوسٹ کیا گیا ہے دکھائی دیتا ہے کہ پولیس پُر امن مظاہرین پر اشک آور گیس سے حملہ کر رہی ہے اور ان پر ربڑ کی گولیاں چلا رہی ہے۔
ابھی تک حکومت کی طرف سے درشت طرزِ عمل کا مظاہرہ کیا گیا ہے۔ درجنوں مظاہرین زخمی ہوئے ہیں اور دوہلاک ہوگئے ہیں۔ اکیس برس کے ایک نوجوان کی ہلاکت ربڑ کی گولی لگنے سے ہوئی۔
منگل کو جب اس نوجوان کے جنازے کے موقع پر احتجاجی مارچ ہوا تو گولی لگنے سے ایک اور شخص ہلاک ہوگیا۔
ماضی میں بھی احتجاج کرنے والوں کو عام طور پر آنسو گیس کا بھی سامنا ہوتا ہے اور سکیورٹی افواج کے ہاتھوں مار پیٹ کا بھی۔ لیکن گزشتہ کسی برسوں میں پہلی بار اس طرح کی ہلاکتیں ہوئی ہیں۔ خیال ظاہر کیا جا رہا ہے کہ ان ہلاکتوں کی وجہ سے بحرین کے عام لوگوں میں غصہ مزید بڑھے گا۔
مظاہرین جن میں سے اکثر بحرینی پرچم لہرا رہے ہوتے ہیں، اب ایک نئے آئین کا مطالبہ کر رہے ہیں۔ ان کا یہ بھی مطالبہ ہے کہ اگست سنہ دو ہزار دس سے اب تک جن سینکڑوں شیعہ افراد اور لڑکوں کو حراست میں لیا گیا ہے انھیں رہا کیا جائے اور شہری حقوق کی پامالیاں ختم کی جائیں۔
بحرین میں سکیورٹی پر مامور افراد بحرینی نہیں بلکہ پاکستان، یمن، شام اور اردن کے سنی مسلمان ہیں۔ ان کی شہریت یقینی بنانے کے لیے برق رفتار طریقے استعمال کیے جاتے ہیں اور ان کے ساتھ ترجیحی سلوک کیا جاتا ہے۔ اور مظاہرین ان لوگوں سے تنگ ہیں۔
بحرین کے بادشاہ نے سرکاری ٹی وی پر آ کر وعدہ کیا ہے کہ دو مظاہرین کی ہلاکتوں کی تقحقیات کی جائے گی اور تبدیلیوں پر بات چیت کے لیے انھوں نے ایک کمیٹی بنانے کی بھی پیشکش کی ہے۔
لیکن بحرین کے حقوقِ انسانی کے مرکز میں نجیب رجب نے اپنے فوری ردِ عمل میں یہ کہا: ’بہت دیر ہوگئی اور یہ سب کچھ بہت کم ہے۔کل لوگ اصلاحات کی مانگ کر رہے تھے لیکن آج ان کا مطالبہ ہے کہ حکومت تبدیل کی جائے۔‘
تاہم مغربی تجزیہ کار کہتے ہیں کہ ان کے خیال میں بحرین میں مصر جیسا انقلاب شاید نہ آئے۔ جین ڈیفنس ویکلی کے لیے مشرقِ وسطیٰ کے سینیئر تجزیہ نگار گالا ریانی کہتے ہیں ’بحرین اس طرح کی بد امنی کا عادی نہیں ہے۔ یہاں حکام صورتِ حال پر قابو پا لیں گے جیسا کہ وہ ماضی میں بھی ایسا کر چکے ہیں اگر احتجاج کی نوعیت فرقہ وارانہ ہوئی تو۔‘
لیکن یہ ایک بڑی ’اگر‘ ہے۔
خاتون صحافی ریم خلیفہ جو بحرین کے اخبار الوسط کے سینیئر ایڈیر ہیں کہتی ہیں ‘اس مرتبہ احتجاج مختلف قسم کا ہے۔ نوجوان سنی اور شیعہ دونوں اکٹھے مارچ کر رہے ہیں اور وہ نعرے لگا رہے ہیں ہم ’نہ سنی نہ شیعہ صرف بحرینی‘۔ ریم کہتی ہیں کہ اس طرح کی صورتِ حال ہم نے پہلی نہیں دیکھی۔
ریم کے مطابق اس احتجاج میں خواتین کی بھر پور شمولیت ہے جس کی ایک وجہ یہ ہے کہ سیکورٹی کے اہلکار ان کے ساتھ بدتمیزی شاید بہت کم کریں۔ تاہم انھوں نے خود ایک خاتون کے ساتھ اس وقت بدسلوکی ہوتے دیکھی جب اس خاتون نے ملکی پرچم لہراتے ہوئے سکیورٹی لائن عبور کی۔
بحرین میں سکیورٹی پر مامور افراد بحرینی نہیں بلکہ پاکستان، یمن، شام اور اردن کے سنی مسلمان ہیں۔ ان کی شہریت یقینی بنانے کے لیے برق رفتار طریقے استعمال کیے جاتے ہیں اور ان کے ساتھ ترجیحی سلوک کیا جاتا ہے۔ اور مظاہرین ان لوگوں سے تنگ ہیں۔
مظاہرین میں سے ایک نے مجھے بتایا ’ان میں سے کچھ پولیس والے ایسے ہی جو عربی ہی نہیں بولتے اور نہ لوگوں کے لیے ان کے دل میں کوئی احترام ہے۔ انھیں احترام ہے تو بس اپنے آقاؤں کا۔‘
ادھر امریکی صدر براک اوباما کو ایک اور سر دردی کا سامنا ہے کیونکہ بحرین میں پانچواں امریکی بحری بیڑہ ایران کے بڑھتے ہوئے خطرے کے سامنے دیوار کے طور پر دیکھا جاتا ہے۔
اگر یہ مظاہرے فرقہ وارانہ تقسیم سے آگے نکل گئے اور بحرینی حکومت نے ان کو دبانے کے لیے مزید وحشیانہ طریقے استعمال کیے تو واشنگٹن کے لیے مشکلات بڑھ جائیں گی
اور مصر کی طرح امریکی پالیسی یہی رہی ہے کہ بحرین میں استحکام اور لوگوں کو دبا کر رکھنے والی حکومت کی حمایت جاری رکھی جائے اور بحرینیوں کے جائز مطالبات نظر انداز کیے جاتے رہیں۔
لیکن اگر یہ مظاہرے فرقہ وارانہ تقسیم سے آگے نکل گئے اور بحرینی حکومت نے ان کو دبانے کے لیے مزید وحشیانہ طریقے استعمال کیے تو واشنگٹن کے لیے مشکلات بڑھ جائیں گی اور بحرینی حکومت کی مدد کرنے کا مطلب ایک اور عرب ملک میں لوگوں کی جمہوری خواہشات پوری نہ کرنا ہوگا۔
سعودی عرب کی پریشانی تو اور بھی زیادہ ہے۔ کیونکہ پانی کے اوپر سے ایک راستہ بحرین کو سعودی عرب کی سلطنت سے ملا دیتا ہے۔
طاقتور سعودی وزیرِ داخلہ شہزادہ نایف سے قریبی تعلق رکھنے والے ایک ماہر نے مجھے بتایا کہ اگر بحرین میں صورتِ حال قابو سے باہر ہوگئی تو سعودی حکومت وہاں مداخلت کر دے گی۔
گالا ریانی بھی متفق ہیں اور کہتے ہیں کہ ایسی صورت میں سعودی عرب کو بحرین کی حمایت کرنے میں کوئی مسئلہ نہیں ہوگا اور بدترین صورت میں براہِ راست سعودی مداخلت کا بھی امکان ہے اگر بحرینی حکومت مظاہرین پر قابو پانے میں ناکام ہوگئی۔
Source: BBC Urdu
Bahrain’s Pearl Square fills with thousands of protesters (VIDEO)
A protester shows U.S.-made non-lethal weaponry used by the government against protesters at Salmaniya Hospital in Manama February 19, 2011. Anti-government protesters in Bahrain swarmed back into the symbolic Pearl Square on Saturday, putting riot police to flight in a striking victory for their cause and confidently setting up camp for a protracted stay. REUTERS/Caren Firouz
Bahrain
In Bahrain, the death of a second protester, killed when police clashed with mourners at a funeral assembly for a demonstrator shot Friday, prompted more than 6,000 people to march into Pearl Square in the capital of Manama. Many declared their intention to remain until the government addresses long-standing grievances over political discrimination and police repression.
Protesters have said their chief demand is the resignation of Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the king’s uncle and one of the wealthiest men in the country.
http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/mideast-protesters-press-leaders/1151901
Bahrain is strategically important to the U.S. and its ruler, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has been instrumental in aiding the U.S.’s anti-terrorism, anti-Iran stance. And so far he’s been attempting to keep the peace. King Hamad expressed contrition for the deaths of Mushaima and another protester, and instructed the police to allow protesters into Pearl Square.
Tuesday, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley expressed the administration’s concern. “The United States is very concerned by recent violence surrounding protests in Bahrain. We also call on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from violence,” he said.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/02/and_now_unrest_in_bahrain.html
Bahrain police open fire on funeral procession leaving one dead
King pledges inquiry into ‘regrettable’ deaths as thousands of protesters set up camp in capital
Ian Black, Middle East editor
The Guardian, Wednesday 16 February 2011
Bahrain has moved to defuse unrest by promising to investigate the killings of opposition protesters who had been inspired by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
The latest violence in the Gulf state saw the shooting of a young man at the heavily attended funeral of another who was killed by security forces on Monday.
More than 10,000 people were taking part in the funeral procession for Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima when police opened fire without warning as they chanted slogans calling for a new constitution, a democratically elected government and an end to anti-Shia discrimination in the Sunni-ruled island kingdom.
“The scene is just unbelievable,” a witness told the Guardian. “There are thousands upon thousands on the road … there were definitely chants against the regime. The crowd was getting angrier and angrier. A lot of signs said they are peaceful, and this is what we get in return.”
The latest victim was named as Fadhel Matrook by an activist, Nabeel Rajab, of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. Matrook was allegedly shot by security forces using pellet guns at short range.
In Iran, meanwhile, hardline MPs demanded that two senior opposition leaders be executed after rare anti-government demonstrations on Monday left one person dead and dozens injured.
In the Yemeni capital Sana’a protests resumed for a fifth day, with thousands calling for the removal of veteran President Ali Abdullah Saleh and alarm over reports of increasing violence by security forces.
The continuing unrest across the Middle East prompted a call from Barack Obama for Arab governments to respond peacefully to protests. The US president advised that “to stay ahead of change, you have to be out in front”. But Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, urged the US to temper its pro-democracy tone.
Bahrain’s drama saw a personal intervention by King Hamad, who went on state TV – with a message for the birthday of the prophet Muhammad – to express his condolences to the families of the two victims and to promise to verify the circumstances of their “regrettable” deaths.
The political crisis deepened when Bahrain’s main Shia party, al-Wifaq, announced that it was withdrawing from parliament, where it has 18 of the 40 seats. “We decided to suspend our membership until further notice, after the aggressive attacks by the police on civilians demonstrating and carrying the kingdom’s flag and calling for political and constitutional reforms,” said leader Abdul-Jalil Khalil.
Thousands of protesters descended on Pearl Roundabout in the capital Manama and set up tents in echoes of Cairo’s Tahrir Square, pledging to stay until their demands are met. Protests began with a Day of Rage on Monday, and mass rallies are now expected after prayers on Friday. Bahrainis complained at the slowness of internet connections, fuelling speculation that the government had forced service providers to throttle speeds to slow the dissemination of information.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/15/bahrain-police-funeral-procession
The unrest in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, adds another layer to Washington’s worries in the region. In Yemen, police and government supporters battled nearly 3,000 marchers calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a fifth straight day of violence.
Yemen is seen as a critical partner in the U.S. fight against a network inspired by al-Qaida. The Pentagon plans to boost its training of Yemen’s counterterrorism forces to expand the push against the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula faction, which has been linked to attacks including the attempted airliner bombing in December 2009 and the failed mail bomb plot involving cargo planes last summer.
Yemen’s grinding poverty and tribal complexities also stand in contrast to the relative wealth and Western-style malls and coffee shops in Bahrain’s capital of Manama.
But many in Bahrain still boiled down their discontent to a cry for economic justice as well — saying the Sunni rulers control the privileges and opportunities and the Shiite majority struggles with what’s left over and are effectively blackballed from important state jobs.
“I demand what every Bahraini should have: a job and a house,” said student Iftikhar Ali, 27, who joined the crowds in the seaside Pearl Square. “I believe in change.”
Protesters quickly renamed it “Nation’s Square” and erected banners such as “Peaceful” that were prominent in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Many waved Bahraini flags and chanted: “No Sunnis, no Shiites. We are all Bahrainis.”
Others set up tents and distributed tea and kabobs for those planning to spend the night under one of the city’s landmarks: a nearly 300-foot monument cradling a giant white pearl-shaped ball that symbolizes the country’s heritage as a pearl diving center.
Someone used stones to spell out the message in Arabic: “The real criminals are the royal family.”
There is no direct call to bring down the king, whose family has ruled Bahrain for more than two centuries. But he is suddenly under unprecedented pressure to make serious changes in how the country is run.
The key demands — listed on a poster erected in the square — included the release of all political prisoners, more jobs and housing, an elected Cabinet and the replacement of the longtime prime minister, Sheik Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Even the security forces they have battled represent something more than just state-backed muscle.
Bahrain’s leaders have for years granted citizenship to Sunnis from across the region to expand their base of loyalists and try to gain demographic ground against Shiites, about 70 percent of the population of some 500,000. Many of the Sunnis — Jordanians, Syrians and others — receive police jobs or other security-related posts.
In a clear sign of concern over the widening crisis, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa went on nationwide TV to offer condolences for the deaths, pledge an investigation into the killings and promising to push ahead with promised reforms.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700110438/Bahrain-square-new-center-for-anger.html?pg=2
Security forces allegedly killed two anti-government protesters. This prompted King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa to promise to probe the deaths, and the United States to offer condolences to the families and encourage the investigation.
Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni minority, and the Shia majority has long complained of discrimination.
“Bahrain’s leaders have for years granted citizenship to Sunnis from across the region to expand their base of loyalists and try to gain demographic ground against Shiites, about 70 percent of the population of some 500,000. Many of the Sunnis — Jordanians, Syrians and others — receive police jobs or other security-related posts,” AP reports.
Located in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain is a strategically important ally of the United States. It is a base for the U.S. Navy’s 5th fleet. Unlike in Iran, where Washington has appeared to encourage the protests, in Bahrain, it has put pressure on the king to address the protesters’ concerns.
“Those two approaches were on vivid display at a news conference on Tuesday. President Obama … urged protesters to muster ‘the courage to be able to express their yearning for greater freedoms and a more representative government,’ ” reports The New York Times. “But speaking to other restive countries, including Bahrain, Mr. Obama directed his advice to governments, not protesters, illustrating just how tricky diplomacy in the region has become.”
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/middle-east/110215/bahrain-pearl-square-protesters
¶ The day began early, around 7 a.m., at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, where Ali Mushaima, 21, died the night before from a shotgun wound to his back. About 2,000 mourners lined up in a parking lot behind a truck that carried his coffin on its roof.
¶ As soon as the procession exited the hospital grounds, a young man bolted from the crowd and charged at the police standing nearby. He threw a rock and the police fired tear gas into the crowd. They fired other weapons, too, and Fadel Matrouq, 31, was killed.
¶ The mourners regrouped a block away and walked slowly for about 90 minutes behind the coffin to the Jidi Haffiz cemetery, a dusty expanse of sun-baked land dotted with simple graves. For more than an hour thousands of people milled peacefully around the area in a blend of politics, mourning and faith.
¶ Mr. Mushaima’s father was escorted by both arms gently through the crowd, after his son was laid out on a white tile table, washed for burial and wrapped in a cloth decorated with golden Arabic script from the Koran. When the body was taken to the gravesite, there were as many as 10,000 people in the street, some mourning, some calling for the government to be dissolved, some chanting slogans and prayers.
¶ Among the crowd were some people who carried protest signs stating their political demands, while others carried black, yellow and red flags that said “Ya Hussein,” referring to the most revered figure in Shiite Islam.
¶ When the body was in the ground, people in the crowd moved toward Pearl Square, not knowing if they would arrive at their destination or be cut off by the police, again. When they made it, they rejoiced.
¶ “The government has brought us past the tipping point,” said Abd al-Amir al-Jawri, 40, an activist who was elated as he recorded events with a video camera. “This is it.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/world/middleeast/16bahrain.html
Bahrain charges 23 Shias with terrorism
Sunni minority government starts clampdown ahead of general election
Associated Press
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 October 2010
Bahrain has charged 23 Shia activists with terrorism and conspiring against the government, a top justice official said today. They were detained in a sweeping crackdown by the country’s Sunni rulers.
Prosecutor general Abdul-Rahman al-Sayed said the men, who were among hundreds of Shia opposition figures and activists rounded up in recent months, also face charges of spreading false information and forming an illegal group that supports terrorism.
Their trial is due to begin on 28 October, al-Sayed said. If convicted, they could face up to life in prison.
Shias, who are a majority in Bahrain, have long complained of discrimination in state jobs and housing and say they are barred from influential posts in the security forces.
Rights groups say more than 250 activists, including opposition figures and academics, have been detained in the government clampdown before parliamentary elections later this month.
The wave of detentions and clashes this summer has fuelled concerns of deeper unrest and heavy-handed tactics in the country where the US navy’s fifth fleet is based. Janet Sanderson, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, said on a visit to Bahrain today that she discussed the country’s human rights situation with Bahraini leaders. But she said Washington is not pressuring Bahrain on the issue.
“We are not here, frankly, to impose our views on others, but to encourage the countries of the region to fulfil their priorities in this area,” she said. “The dialogue that we had on human rights could be difficult, but it is open, ongoing and part of our relationship.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/13/bahrain-shias-terrorism-conspiracy-charges
Marginalize the majority indigenous people (Arab Shia)
Indigenous people in Bahrain are Arab in origin but they are shia in beliefs; they also known as Baharnah. These people are marginalized almost from all human rights right such as getting jobs in the government and getting houses. Various types of discrimination practice by the government on the indigenous people (Bahranah).
[edit]Freedom of religion
Main article: Freedom of religion in Bahrain
The Constitution states that Islam is the official religion and that Shari’a (Islamic law) is a principal source for legislation. Article 22 of the Constitution provides for freedom of conscience, the inviolability of worship, and the freedom to perform religious rites and hold religious parades and meetings, in accordance with the customs observed in the country; however, the Government placed some limitations on the exercise of this right. The Government continued to exert a level of control and to monitor both Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, and there continued to be government discrimination against Shi’a Muslims in certain fields. Members of other religious groups who practice their faith privately do so without interference from the Government. There were occasional reports of incidents between the Government and elements of the Shi’a majority population, who were often critical of the Sunni-controlled Government’s rule. Problems continued to exist, stemming primarily from the Government’s perceived unequal treatment of Shi’a in the country.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Bahrain#Marginalize_the_majority_indigenous_people_.28Arab_Shia.29
‘Bahrain increasingly torturing Shias’
Wed Oct 6, 2010 5:15PM
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The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has expressed grave concern about the country’s growing violence against the detained opposition activists.
The BCHR said on Monday despite the Bahraini authorities’ efforts to keep the world in the dark about the detainees and their conditions, the group is receiving more and more reports about the mistreatment and torture of Shia activists in the custody of the National Security Apparatus.
The prominent rights group also accused the Bahraini authorities of giving poor medical treatment to those detainees who were tortured and sustained serious injuries during interrogations.
According to the BCHR, while AbdulJalil Alsingace — head of the human rights unit of the Shia Haq political party — is in need of an emergency surgery because of sustaining continuous head traumas, the National Security has denied providing him with any medical treatment and still holds him in solitary confinement.
The BCHR urged the international organizations to pursue the rising torture cases against the detained political activists, human rights defenders and religious leaders in the Persian Gulf state.
Bahrain has arrested more than 250 Shia activists since mid-August, ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, accusing them of having links with terrorists and conspiring to overthrow the Bahraini government.
According to human rights groups, the Shia detainees were ill-treated and tortured during interrogations and were forced to make false declarations and accusations against other human rights defenders.
The fabrications were later broadcasted on the state media as “confessions” made by “terrorists.”
The human rights groups have also criticized Bahraini authorities for their crackdown on the freedom of expression notably through blocking internet websites and opening judicial proceedings against those journalists denouncing human rights violations in the country.
The Shia opposition also refuses to recognize the 2002 Constitution, which curbed the power of the Shia-majority parliament, calling for the boycott of next month’s parliamentary elections.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/145530.html
Ahead of elections what do Bahraini Shias really want?
Posted By Shenaz Kermali Friday, October 22, 2010 – 5:54 PM Share
Bahraini authorities are getting increasingly irritated with their indigenous community. Since August, Shias have taken to the streets, demanding the government release dozens of activists who have been rounded up on suspicion of conspiring against Bahrain’s rulers. In September, a police clampdown on opposition leaders made headlines across the world and Human Rights Watch released a damning report stating that after having taken steps to curtail the use of torture in recent years, the government had returned to it for interrogations of security suspects.
It’s a strange paradox, as Bahrain is often praised for its ‘liberal, open and transparent’ financial market and efforts to establish a progressive and accountable parliament. But the opposition movement has only grown since democratic reforms were implemented in 2002, including a return to constitutional rule. And the reason for this lies largely in the country’s demographics. More than 75 percent of Bahraini’s are Shia of Persian or Arab origin (only over half of whom are citizens), while the remaining population and the ruling Al-Khalifa family are Sunni.
Despite their demographic predominance in the Kingdom, however, Shias have long complained of systematic discrimination by the government and its Sunni supporters, and are unable to secure adequate housing or public-sector jobs. “While the Shia form…[the majority]…of the population, they only fill 13 percent of the senior positions in Bahrain,” says Najeeb Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. “Most of these posts are based in service institutions or the non-government sector.” The government dismisses these claims, denying that discrimination exists at all and that the mass arrests by police had only to do with a “cell” of activists who stand accused of “plotting to overthrow the ruling family”.
Following the arrests, the Bahraini authorities referred ominously to the involvement of “outside forces”, which most observers have taken to mean Iran, which has long been accused of harboring territorial ambitions over Bahrain. For Adel Al Moawda, the chairman of Bahrain’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee, the reason behind the opposition movement rests largely on Iran’s alleged support to Bahraini Shias in establishing an independent state. “They [the Shia] are loyal to the land of Bahrain, not to the regime or to the political system. We need them to be loyal to everything. It takes time. This problem has occurred after Khomeini and his revolution [in Iran]. Since then, they thought they needed their own state.” Does the ruling government feel the vast majority of Shias, then, want their own state? “Yes, I think the majority of illiterate ones do. The educated ones know better.”
But how inclined are actually Bahraini Shias towards Iran?
Maryam Al-Khawaja is a 23-year-old human rights activist who has been active in the opposition movement within Bahrain since she was 14. “People in Bahrain do have a connection to Iran but it’s a religious connection…it’s the same connection that people have to the Pope or to Italy,” she says. “What the government talks about is the Shia being funded by Iran. If that were true, they would have been more violent with the government. Up until now, the Shia have never taken up arms.”
Educated at the University of Bahrain, Maryam recalls Shias in her classes not being allowed to express their views. “In the mandatory history class, which speaks about the Sunni ruling family and their glorious achievements, all parts of Shia involvement in the making of Bahrain are overlooked,” she says. “When one of our American professors allowed us to express our opinions in class, he was put under probation by the university board and threatened with expulsion.” Maryam’s worst experience with the Bahraini authorities came nearly three years ago when she saw her father being beaten at a protest. “He was attending a peaceful demonstration organized by a group of unemployed Shia youth that was and attacked by the Bahrain Special Security Services,” she recalls.
Ali, a 24-year-old IT technician who has never participated in a protest, lives in a Bahraini village and relates a similar encounter with police. Last month, his brother was arrested in front of his home by riot police after youth demonstrations broke out in the village:
We heard two jeeps pull up in front of our house. They pulled my brother from the door and beat him…punching him and then putting a cover on his head. My mother and father were watching and my mother was crying. We all went to the police center and they asked him to sign a paper saying that he had been involved in some sort of issue and that he would not be involved in any other crime or else he would be returned back to them. He is not even a protestor…he is a driver for a small company. This sort of thing caused terror in my family, especially for my mother. It is this image in my head that I consider even worse than my brother being beaten — seeing my parents helpless. My father begged the police to release him but they refused. They kept him for one night.
Ali says the experience has only strengthened his identity as a Bahraini. “All of this makes me feel even more like a part of the country.” “It’s a contradiction,” he admits. “We are the majority…that means it’s our land so they should give us at least a bit of freedom. I just want a bit of reform. The King can be there, yes, but we just want some reforms in parliament and freedom of speech. The government knows as well as anyone that we are loyal citizens.”
It’s a sentiment that’s echoed even among the more hard-line opposition activists. “You can’t question the loyalty of those whose ancestors are from Bahrain. You can question the loyalty of someone whose ancestors are from outside,” says Saaed Shehabi, who leads the Bahrain Freedom Movement based in London. “It’s they [the government] who feel like they do not belong — not us.”
Shehabi’s movement aims to bring a new constitution to parliament and played a leading role in the 1990s uprising in Bahrain, after which Shehabi was exiled to the UK. Shehabi says that the Bahrain Freedom Movement does not have ambitions to overthrow the current regime, but that a “different government would be ideal”. “They think we’re an illegitimate movement and we think they’re an illegitimate government…it is clear they want to change the demographic nature of the country,” he says, referring to a whistleblower’s claim in 2006 that the authorities are trying to erode the country’s Shia majority by granting citizenship to foreign Sunnis. “But you can’t suppress a majority population or make them second class citizens.”
With parliamentary elections being held on Saturday, it is possible that the rise in protests and ensuing Shia crackdown are a warning to other Arab governments (who have been supportive of the ruling family) and the silent Western governments, that Bahrain’s Shias are unlikely to remain acquiescent.
Shenaz Kermali is a London-based freelance journalist with a focus on Middle Eastern politics. She has previously worked for Al Jazeera English (London and Doha), BBC News and CBC Television.
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/10/22/ahead_of_elections_what_do_bahraini_shias_really_want
15 August 2010 Last updated at 23:48 Share this pageFacebookTwitterShareEmailPrint
Bahrain arrests four Shia activists on security charges
Previous arrests of Shia activists have led to widespread protests in Bahrain
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‘Unfair’ trial of Bahrain Shias
Bahrain rocked by days of clashes
Timeline: Bahrain
Authorities in Bahrain have arrested four Shia Muslim activists on security related charges, officials say.
One of those held is Abd al-Jalil Singace, head of the Shia-dominated Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy.
He was arrested on his return from London where he had been giving a lecture on human rights in Bahrain.
Correspondents say the arrests could heighten tensions between the Sunni-led government and Bahrain’s Shia majority ahead of elections in October.
The Shia community has long complained of discrimination.
Three of the arrests were made on Sunday, while Mr Singace was detained on Saturday, the BNA state news agency reported, citing officials.
Clashes
The other three were named as Abdulghani al-Kanjar, who heads a committee of Bahrain human rights groups, activist Saeed al-Nouri and Shia cleric and activist Sheikh Muhammad Habib Moqdad.
The four were taken into custody “over charges of forming… an organised network aiming to shake the security and stability of the country”, BNA reported.
Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said that clashes erupted in at least two Shia villages following the arrest of Mr Singace.
Mr Singace and Mr Moqdad were among three activists held for several months in 2009 on charges of plotting to overthrow the government.
They later received a royal pardon after weeks of protests.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10982402
‘Unfair’ trial of Bahrain Shias
Crowds gathered near the courtroom when the trial opened in February
Campaigning group Human Rights Watch has condemned Bahrain over the trial of 35 opposition activists charged with trying to overthrow the government.
The group of defendants includes Hassan Mushaima, the leader of the mainly Shia opposition movement Haq.
HRW says Bahrain is showing contempt for the right to a fair trial.
It says the televised trial uses coerced statements against the mostly young defendants who have been detained for weeks without access to lawyers.
A defence lawyer says that many of the accused at a hearing in February complained they had been tortured.
The accused also include Shia cleric Sheikh Muhammad Habib Moqdad, who with with Mr Mushaima was arrested in late January, and political activist Abd al-Jalil Singace, who has been released on bail.
The indictment said defendants set up “an illegal association that opposes Bahrain’s constitution and uses terrorism as a means to achieve its goals”, punishable by life imprisonment.
It also said they “propagated to overthrow the regime and the political system by force” and spread “hatred” of the government, crimes which carry between three to five years in jail.
As he entered his not-guilty plea, Mr Mushaima, 61, said the charges were “malicious”, “fabricated” and “revenge” for his political activity.
Most of the defendants are young Shias said to have been trained in Syria to commit terror attacks in Bahrain, which is ruled by members of the small country’s Sunni Muslim minority.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7959043.stm
Foreign Policy: Bahrain’s Shia crackdown
Posted By Steven Sotloff Friday, September 10, 2010
The Kingdom of Bahrain — a country that is usually overshadowed by its larger and more powerful neighbors — has historically been able to keep its domestic troubles outside the international limelight. But the tiny Gulf state has made big headlines the last few weeks with its recent crackdown of dozens of Shia activists who have been tortured for their alleged campaign to topple the ruling family. The island nation’s ruling Sunni minority has always had a tumultuous relationship with its Shia majority, who constitute 70 percent of the population. And as the other major Gulf states are applauding Bahrain for its crackdown on these Shia activists, it’s worth taking a deeper look at the turbulent relationship between Bahrain’s Sunnis and Shia which — as the nation edges closer to parliamentary elections in October — is sparking violence because of the deep and long-standing discrimination underlying this sectarian divide.
In large part, Bahrain’s sectarian divide is not a Sunni-Shia one, since the two communities have few problems co-existing. The discord in fact lies more between the royal family and the Shia. The monarchy has marginalized the Shia and prevented them from working in certain sectors of the government, justifying the discrimination by claiming Shia loyalties rest with Iran. Though such beliefs are not entirely unfounded, they are largely exaggerated. Shia tradition requires laymen to choose a senior scholar, follow his rulings and pay him alms. These ayatollahs largely live in Iraq and Iran, making Bahrain’s Shia susceptible to charges that they have dual loyalties.
Regional tensions have spilled over into Bahrain, affecting the way locals view foreign conflicts. The monarchy backed Saudi Arabia when it attacked a dissident Yemeni Shia group known as the Huthis in November, 2009, enraging Bahrain’s Shia who came out in support of their embattled co-religionists. Members of al-Wefaq, the largest Shia party in parliament, stormed out of the legislature in protest, helping to crystallize the idea of a perfidious Shia element on the island. Yet though foreign factors have piqued tensions between the orthodox Sunni ruling elite and the heterodox majority, it is the government’s domestic policies which are at the root of Shia animosity. Despite the fact that they make up more than 80 percent of the labor force, they have been predominantly prevented from working for the country’s largest employer, the security forces, which have only a three-to-five percent Shia makeup. Before their political awakening which followed the 1979 Iranian revolution, the Shia staffed the majority of the non-officer positions in the security services.
The monarchy’s ability to marginalize the legislature and its drive for reform has equally vexed the Shia. After gaining independence in 1971, Bahrain established a parliament and promulgated a constitution ensuring basic rights and equality. However, when parliament demanded greater transparency in government budget distribution as well as a desire to stem the rising authoritarianism of the ruling family, tensions erupted. The parliament refused to pass a draconian measure sponsored by the regime known as “The Security Law,” leading the monarchy to dissolve it in 1975. The regime passed the law anyway, which stipulated that political prisoners — primarily Shia — could be held for up to three years without charge for anything deemed threatening to the country. Torture was rampant for years. These measures eventually proved unsustainable, and violent riots aimed at bringing about democratic reform, along with the death of the king, precipitated change in 1999.
The current king, Sheikh Hamad al-Khalifa, enacted the National Charter in 2002 with a desire to establish ethnic harmony in Bahrain. The charter largely revisited the 1973 constitution, but while the older document had been negotiated openly, the current version was brokered through secret talks in which the Shia were largely absent. Another tenuous attempt at social overhaul was the Amnesty Law, which was poorly received by the Shia because it acquitted both torturer and tortured, and has failed to sweep a dark chapter of Bahraini history under the rug.
Other initiatives sponsored by the king have equally failed to assuage Shia anger. Though the 2002 elections offered the Shia a chance at government office for the first time in three decades, they mostly boycotted the balloting, believing it to be a charade. Eventually, hope for tangible transformation paved the way for a Shia parliamentary majority in the 2006 elections, but they quickly discovered they commanded scant political power to generate change. Real power is vested in the king-appointed upper house of parliament known as the Shura Council, since its job is to ensure the monarchial agenda is pursued and to block any motions emerging from the elected body of parliament that oppose it. Of its 25 members, only three are Shia.
Today, the Shia are united in desiring change, but there is no unanimous view on how to achieve it. Parties such as al-Wad and al-Wefaq have joined the political process and despite the fact that electoral districts have been gerrymandered to prevent Shia dominance, al-Wefaq holds a majority with 17 of parliament’s 40 seats. Though control of parliament should give it the authority to effect political change, the party has found much of its power lies in public protest.
Against an increasingly apathetic constituency, al-Wefaq has decided to contest the upcoming elections at a time when many Shia are strongly considering boycotting the polls. Organizations outlawed by the regime like al-Haq, which split from al-Wefaq, want to take control by force and advocate overthrowing the regime. Small riots take place almost nightly in Shia neighborhoods with youths coordinating tire burnings with their compatriots in other villages. The riots are becoming such a nuisance that many of the opposition members accused of inciting the protests have recently been arrested under anti-terrorism laws. The riot police, composed of an amalgam of foreign Sunnis, are sent in to control the pandemonium, creating further tension between the Shia and the government. It’s no surprise, since the monarchy has long sought the aid of foreign Sunnis to suppress its indigenous Shia population in the past. In the early 19th century, Bahrain’s rulers invited Saudi tribes to pillage and devastate Shia villages in order to make room for Sunni expansion. In the 1990s, Shia riots were quelled when the regime threatened to bring in Saudi paratroopers to subdue the protesters.
Today the monarchy is attempting to mitigate the Shia majority by extending citizenship to as many as 100,000 Sunnis from Yemen, Syria, Jordan and Pakistan and offering them employment in the security services. This policy has not only enraged unemployed Shia, but also angered local Sunnis who are hard pressed to find work. The regime has also recently welcomed puritanical Salafis into government bureaucracies. These Salafis are Muslims who abhor the Shia and often advocate violence against them — as has been the case in Iraq and Pakistan.
Both Sunnis and Shia have also been infuriated by the government’s housing policy. All Bahrainis are entitled to government housing, yet many have been waiting 15-20 years for assistance. Foreign Sunnis who serve in the security services are given citizenship and housing after five years of service, depriving the native population of the opportunity to acquire such benefits at a time when Shia neighborhoods face severe housing shortages. This kind of discrimination was slated to end following reforms instituted in the wake of mid-1990s uprisings, but the changes have been merely cosmetic. With elections approaching next month, there is a real fear that disenfranchised Shia will opt to return to violence, believing it to be the only effective way of gaining government concessions.
The current political system does not permit a popular Shia voice. A Shia victory in parliamentary elections is meaningless unless real changes are made to assuage government injustices against them. But the al-Khalifas fear that giving the Shia more rights in line with the 1973 constitution represents an existential threat to the monarchy. And as tensions increase, changes that could have potentially minimized friction in the past will no longer do. There is little chance the monarchy will reform its policies or that cosmetic changes will mollify the Shia. Many Shia claim that the kingdom’s interest is to fuel Shia unrest in order to promote the idea that they are a public danger, giving the regime reason to maintain the status quo. Such a policy may prove misguided as ever-increasing tensions will boil over if Shia concerns are not addressed. If this happens, the Shia may no longer look to elections to address their concerns, but rather seek a widespread movement for change by force.
Steven Sotloff writes about Arab affairs and recently visited Bahrain.
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/09/09/bahrain
Timeline: Bahrain
A chronology of key events:
1913 – Britain and the Ottoman government sign a treaty recognising the independence of Bahrain but the country remains under British administration.
Manama is a major port city, commercial centre
Lies on the north-east tip of Bahrain island
Declared a free port in 1958
Population: 135,000
1931 – The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of California (Socal), discovers oil at Jabal al-Dukhan and production begins the following year.
1939 – Britain decides that the Hawar Islands which lie in the Gulf of Bahrain between Bahrain and Qatar belong to Bahrain not Qatar.
1961 – Sheikh Isa Bin-Salman Al Khalifah becomes ruler of Bahrain.
Britain moves bases
1967 – Britain moves its main regional naval base from Aden to Bahrain.
1968 16 January – Britain announces it will close its bases east of Suez by 1971.
1970 19 January – The Administrative Council becomes a 12-member Council of State, headed by a president, the ruler’s brother, Sheikh Khalifah Bin-Salman Al Khalifah.
1970 May – Iran renounces its claim to sovereignty over Bahrain after a United Nations report shows that Bahrainis want to remain independent.
Independence
1971 15 August – Bahrain declares independence and signs a new treaty of friendship with Britain. Sheikh Isa becomes the first Emir and the Council of State becomes a cabinet.
1971 16 December – Bahrain gains formal independence from Britain.
Bahrain was the first Gulf state to sign a free trade pact with the US
1971 23 December – Bahrain and the US sign an agreement which permits the US to rent naval and military facilities.
1972 December – Elections are held for a Constituent Assembly. Only Bahraini males over 20 can vote.
1973 December – After the constitution comes into force on 6 December, elections are held on 7 December for a National Assembly, an advisory legislative body, with 44 members (14 cabinet members and 30 elected by male voters) .
Assembly dissolved
1975 26 August – Following claims by prime minister Sheikh Khalifah Bin-Salman Al Khalifah that the National Assembly is impeding the work of the government, the Emir dissolves the assembly and rules by decree.
1981 25 May – Bahrain joins the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, more usually known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which also includes Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
1981 13 December – Seventy-three people, said to be members of the Tehran-based Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain, headed by Iranian cleric, Hojjat ol-Eslam Hadi al-Mudarrisi, are arrested and accused of conspiring to overthrow the government on 16 December, Bahrain’s National Day.
1986 In April, Qatari troops occupy Fasht al-Dibal Island but withdraw in June after mediation by Saudi Arabia.
1986 26 November – Opening of the King Fahd causeway which links Bahrain to the mainland of Saudi Arabia.
Operation Desert Storm
Allied jet in Bahrain: The country is a key US ally
1991 January/February – As part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Peninsula Shield Force, Bahrain participates in the coalition “Operation Desert Storm” against Iraq (the Gulf War)
1991 July – Qatar takes its territorial claim to the Hawar Islands, Fasht al-Dibal and Qitat Jaradah before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague but Bahrain rejects the claims.
Defence agreement with US
1991 27 October – Bahrain signs a defence cooperation agreement with the United States providing for port facilities and joint military exercises.
1992 20 December – The establishment of a 30-member Consultative Council, appointed by the emir for a four-year term.
1994 December – Demonstrations follow the arrest on 5 December of Shia cleric, Sheikh Ali Salman, who calls for the restoration of the National Assembly and criticises the ruling family.
1995 15 January – Sheikh Ali Salman is deported and seeks asylum in Britain.
1995 15 February – Bahrain rejects International Court of Justice (ICJ) mediation in its dispute with Qatar.
1995 26 June – After a reshuffle, the cabinet includes five Shia ministers.
1995 25 September – A Shia cleric, Sheikh Abd-al-Amir al-Jamri, arrested in April, is released from prison.
1996 January/February – After bomb explosions in Manama’s business quarter, Al-Jamri is arrested again on 18 January. A Sunni lawyer and poet, Ahmad al-Shamlan, is also detained on 8 February, but released in April.
‘Coup plot’ uncovered
1996 3 June – The government says it has uncovered a coup plot by an Iranian-backed group, Hezbollah-Bahrain. Bahrain recalls its ambassador to Iran and downgrades its representation to charge d’affaires level.
1996 28 September – The Consultative Council members are increased from 30 to 40.
PRO-DEMOCRACY CLERIC
Abdul Amir al-Jamri led protests demanding return of parliament
Democracy campaigner dies
1997 1 April – Bahrain acquires sole ownership of Bapco.
1998 February – Sheikh Khalid Bin-Muhammad Bin-Salman Al Khalifah replaces British citizen, Ian Henderson, as Director of the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) .
1998 16 -19 December – Bahrain provides military facilities for “Operation Desert Fox”, the US and UK bombing campaign against Iraq.
1999 6 March – The emir, Sheikh Isa, dies and is succeeded by his eldest son, Sheikh Hamad. On March 9, Sheikh Hamad’s son, Sheikh Salman, becomes Crown Prince.
1999 July – Sheikh Abd-al-Amir al-Jamri is sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment but is pardoned by the new Emir.
1999 29 December – The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin-Khalifah Al Thani, visits. Both countries establish committee to settle territorial disputes.
2000 September – Emir appoints for the first time non-Muslims and women to the Consultative Council, including four women – one of whom is a Christian – and a Jewish businessman.
Political reform
2001 February – Referendum on political reform; Bahrainis overwhelmingly back proposals under which Bahrain would become constitutional monarchy with elected lower chamber of parliament and independent judiciary.
2002 14 February – Bahrain turns itself into a constitutional monarchy and allows women to stand for office in a package of reforms.
2002 May – Local elections are held, Bahrain’s first poll for almost 30 years. For the first time women vote and stand as candidates, but fail to win a seat.
2002 October – Parliamentary elections held, the first for nearly 30 years. Authorities say the turnout was more than 50% despite a call by Islamists for a boycott.
Political grievances are aired during protest marches
2003 May – Thousands of victims of alleged torture petition king to cancel law which prevents them from suing suspected torturers.
2004 April – Nada Haffadh is made health minister – the first woman to head a government ministry.
2004 May – Protests in Manama against fighting in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf, Karbala. The king sacks the interior minister after police try to prevent the protest.
Trade deal
2004 September – Bahrain and US sign free trade pact; Saudi Arabia condemns the move, saying it hinders regional economic integration.
2005 March-June – Thousands of protest marchers demand a fully-elected parliament.
2006 January – US President George W Bush signs a bill to enact the 2004 US-Bahrain free-trade agreement after it is approved by the US Congress.
2006 March – A pleasure boat capsizes off the Bahrain coast, claiming the lives of 58 passengers.
2006 November – The Shia opposition wins 40% of the vote in a general election. A Shia Muslim, Jawad bin Salem al-Oraied, is named as a deputy prime minister.
2007 September – Thousands of illegal foreign workers rush to take advantage of a government-sanctioned amnesty.
2008 May – A Jewish woman, Houda Nonoo, is appointed Bahrain’s ambassador to the USA. She is believed to be the Arab world’s first Jewish ambassador.
2008 December – Authorities arrest several people who allegedly planned to detonate homemade bombs during Bahrain’s national celebrations.
2009 April – King pardons more than 170 prisoners charged with endangering national security, including 35 Shi’ites being tried on charges of trying to overthrow the state.
2010 September – 20 Shi’ite opposition leaders – accused of plotting to overthrow monarchy by promoting violent protests and sabotage – arrested in run-up to elections.
2010 October – Parliamentary elections. Main Shiite opposition group, Islamic National Accord Association, makes a slender gain.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/817505.stm
Bahrain country profile
Bahrain – which name means “two seas” – was once viewed by the ancient Sumerians as an island paradise to which the wise and the brave were taken to enjoy eternal life.
It was one of the first states in the Gulf to discover oil and to build a refinery; as such, it benefited from oil wealth before most of its neighbours.
OVERVIEW
Overview Facts Leaders Media
Bahrain never reached the levels of production enjoyed by Kuwait or Saudi Arabia and has been forced to diversify its economy.
AT-A-GLANCE
Politics: The Khalifah family has ruled since 1783; Bahrain is now a constitutional monarchy with an elected legislative assembly; majority Shiites are demanding more power from Sunni-led government
Economy: Bahrain is a banking and financial services centre; its small and reasonably prosperous economy is less dependent on oil than most Gulf states
International: Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Bahraini-Qatari ties have been strained though they settled a territorial dispute in 2001
Timeline
The country has been headed since 1783 by the Khalifah family, members of the Bani Utbah tribe, who expelled the Persians. From 1861, when a treaty was signed with Britain, until independence in 1971, Bahrain was virtually a British protectorate.
The king is the supreme authority and members of the Sunni Muslim ruling family hold the main political and military posts. There are long-running tensions between Bahrain’s Sunnis and the Shi’ite Muslim majority. On occasion, these have spilled over into civil unrest.
In 2001 Bahrainis strongly backed proposals put by the emir – now the king – to turn the country into a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament and an independent judiciary.
Elections were duly held in 2002 for a 40-member parliament, the Council of Deputies. It was the first such poll in nearly 30 years. The new body included a dozen Shi’ite MPs.
The country has enjoyed increasing freedom of expression, and monitors say the human rights situation has improved. However, opposition groups and campaigners continue to press for political reforms, including greater powers for the elected assembly.
Bahrain – a chain of around 30 islands – is a haven for tourists from the region, who take advantage of its relaxed social environment. A close ally of the US, it is home to the American navy’s Fifth Fleet.
FACTS
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Full name: Kingdom of Bahrain
Population: 807,000 (UN, 2010)
Capital: Manama
Area: 717 sq km (277 sq miles)
Major language: Arabic
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 75 years (men), 78 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Bahraini dinar = 1,000 fils
Main exports: Petroleum and petroleum products, aluminium
GNI per capita: US $25,420 (World Bank, 2009)
Internet domain: .bh
International dialling code: +973
LEADERS
Overview Facts Leaders Media
King: Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah
Sheikh Hamad’s title changed to king when Bahrain switched from being an emirate to a monarchy in February 2002.
Sheikh Hamad succeeded his father in 1999
He had been crown prince since 1964, when, on the death of his father Sheikh Isa in March 1999, he became emir.
Born in 1950, he was educated at a public school in Cambridge, England, and went on to study at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England, and at the US Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
In 1968, he founded and became commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF). He served as minister of defence from 1971 to 1988.
MEDIA
Overview Facts Leaders Media
There is a lively private press, but most Bahraini radio and TV stations are state-run. A 2008 study found that nearly 99% of households had a satellite receiver.
A press law guarantees the right of journalists to operate independently, but they are liable to jail terms for offences which include insulting the king, and self-censorship is practised.
BBC World Service is available on FM in Manama (101 MHz in English; 103.8 in Arabic).
By June 2010, Bahrain had 649,300 internet users (InternetWorldStats.com).
Rigorous filtering targets political, human rights, religious material and content deemed obscene. “Many websites run by national or international non-government organisations are inaccessible,” Reporters Without Borders notes.
The press
Akhbar al-Khaleej – private,daily
Al-Ayam – private, daily
Al-Wasat – private, daily
Bahrain Tribune – English-language
Gulf Daily News – English-language
Television
Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) – state-run; operates five terrestrial TV networks
Radio
Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) – state-run; operates General Programme in Arabic, Second Programme featuring cultural and local programmes, Holy Koran Programme, Sports Service, English-language Radio Bahrain
Voice FM – private, for Indian listeners
News agency
Bahrain News Agency (BNA) – English-language pages
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/790690.stm#facts
I wonder how much attention Al Jazeera is paying to the ‘revolution’ in Bahrain
http://criticalppp.com/archives/39793
Only reproducing the chronology of what has been and is happening in Bahrain is not enough. We should use our own grey matter for what the wind is singing. The common arabs that remained silent for so long are no more silent and a wave of change is taking place thanks to internet and satelliite channels. For United States, all the kings horses and all the kings men could not put humpty dumpty together again. For the wrong diplomacy and strategic relations by the previous American government, Obama has to face the music because now it has started to play.
Speaking of Bahrain, just look at its georgraphical position first. It is one hour boat sail from Iran. Most of the population of Bahrain is shiattees, but ruled by one Sunni family of Khalifas. It is not only an entertainment center for Saudis and Kuwaitis that visit on cars and enjoy the nights (casinos, horse racing and what not) and return back, but, most importantly, it is the strategic center for American fleets, aircraft carriers for round the clock surveillance of Iran. They were quite happy with yes government of Khalifas, but now there must be some sort of hiccups in Pentagon.
USA is in the grip of multi-problems. The change in Egypt has endangered Camp David Treaty. Camp David had given Israel a blank check not to worry about their southern front. They were only dealing with North (Syria) and East (Hammas and Iran) – No More. It means more deployment of forces (in South as well) more defense expenditure and more worries. The trend says puppet governments in muslim countries surrounding Israel are caving in. Someone is greatly mistaken that the change would take effect overnight. It has got to go a long way, but it has started the march. Muslim countries need education, muslim countries need technology before they say to Israel “Hello, what do ya think?”.
About the double standard of USA foreign policy, meaning thereby, condemning uprising in Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain while appreciating the same in Iran, well she has a right to do so. Every country has their policy line to the best of their interest. In international relations, all is fair in love and politics. Every day is just another day.
About the double standard of USA foreign policy, meaning thereby, condemning uprising in Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain while appreciating the same in Iran, well she has a right to do so. Every country has their policy line to the best of their interest. I TOTALLY AGREE.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121635518925202.html
اطلاعات کے مطابق مظاہرین بدھ کو بحرین کے دارالحکومت مناما میں واقع ایک چوک پر قبضہ برقرار رکھے ہوئے ہیں۔
احتجاج کا یہ سلسلہ پیر کو شروع ہوا تھا اور اس دوران دو افراد ہلاک ہو چکے ہیں۔
بدھ کو مظاہرین ہلاک ہونے والے اس شخص کی نماز جنازہ میں شرکت کر رہے ہیں جو کہ ہلاک ہونے والے پہلے شخص کی نماز جنازہ کے دوران ہلاک ہوا تھا۔
مظاہرین دارالحکومت کے مرکزی چوراہے پر جمع ہیں اور سیاسی اصلاحات تک احتجاج جاری رکھنے کا اعلان کیا ہے۔
امریکہ کے محکمۂ خارجہ کے ترجمان پی جے کرولی نے مظاہروں پر تشویش کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ’ ہم نے تمام جماعتوں سے کہا ہے کہ تشدد سے پرہیز کریں۔‘
امریکہ کا پانچواں بحری بیڑہ خیلیج کی چھوٹی سے ریاست بحرین میں ہے جہاں آج کل احتجاجی مظاہرے ہو رہے ہیں۔ اور امریکی اور سعودی عرب نگاہیں ان مظاہروں پر بڑی باریک بینی سے جمی ہوئی ہیں۔
بحرین میں شیعہ مسلمانوں کی اکثریت ہے لیکن یہاں اقتدار سنی مسلک سے تعلق رکھنے والے شاہی خاندان کے پاس ہے جنھیں الخلیفہ کہا جاتا ہے۔
جوں جوں مصر میں تیزی کے ساتھ واقعات آگے بڑھے، بحرین میں حقوقِ انسانی کے کارکنوں نے چودہ فروری کو غصے کے دن کے طور پر منانے کا مطالبہ کر دیا۔
چنانچہ پیر کو جزیرے کے ان دیہاتوں میں جہاں شیعہ مسلمانوں رہتے ہیں جھڑپیں ہوئیں اور دارالحکومت مناما میں ’مصر کی تحریر سکوائر جیسی تحریک‘ کے آغاز کی کوششیں ہوئیں۔
مظاہرین کی طرف سے بنائی گئی وڈیو سے جسے انٹرنیٹ پر بھی پوسٹ کیا گیا ہے دکھائی دیتا ہے کہ پولیس پُر امن مظاہرین پر اشک آور گیس سے حملہ کر رہی ہے اور ان پر ربڑ کی گولیاں چلا رہی ہے۔
ماضی میں بھی احتجاج کرنے والوں کو عام طور پر آنسو گیس کا بھی سامنا ہوتا ہے اور سکیورٹی افواج کے ہاتھوں مار پیٹ کا بھی۔ لیکن گزشتہ کسی برسوں میں پہلی بار اس طرح کی ہلاکتیں ہوئی ہیں۔ خیال ظاہر کیا جا رہا ہے کہ ان ہلاکتوں کی وجہ سے بحرین کے عام لوگوں میں غصہ مزید بڑھے گا۔
ابھی تک حکومت کی طرف سے درشت طرزِ عمل کا مظاہرہ کیا گیا ہے۔ درجنوں مظاہرین زخمی ہوئے ہیں اور دوہلاک ہوگئے ہیں۔ اکیس برس کے ایک نوجوان کی ہلاکت ربڑ کی گولی لگنے سے ہوئی۔
منگل کو جب اس نوجوان کے جنازے کے موقع پر احتجاجی مارچ ہوا تو گولی لگنے سے ایک اور شخص ہلاک ہوگیا۔
ماضی میں بھی احتجاج کرنے والوں کو عام طور پر آنسو گیس کا بھی سامنا ہوتا ہے اور سکیورٹی افواج کے ہاتھوں مار پیٹ کا بھی۔ لیکن گزشتہ کسی برسوں میں پہلی بار اس طرح کی ہلاکتیں ہوئی ہیں۔ خیال ظاہر کیا جا رہا ہے کہ ان ہلاکتوں کی وجہ سے بحرین کے عام لوگوں میں غصہ مزید بڑھے گا۔
مظاہرین جن میں سے اکثر بحرینی پرچم لہرا رہے ہوتے ہیں، اب ایک نئے آئین کا مطالبہ کر رہے ہیں۔ ان کا یہ بھی مطالبہ ہے کہ اگست سنہ دو ہزار دس سے اب تک جن سینکڑوں شیعہ افراد اور لڑکوں کو حراست میں لیا گیا ہے انھیں رہا کیا جائے اور شہری حقوق کی پامالیاں ختم کی جائیں۔
بحرین کے بادشاہ نے سرکاری ٹی وی پر آ کر وعدہ کیا ہے کہ دو مظاہرین کی ہلاکتوں کی تقحقیات کی جائے گی اور تبدیلیوں پر بات چیت کے لیے انھوں نے ایک کمیٹی بنانے کی بھی پیشکش کی ہے۔
لیکن بحرین کے حقوقِ انسانی کے مرکز میں نجیب رجب نے اپنے فوری ردِ عمل میں یہ کہا: ’بہت دیر ہوگئی اور یہ سب کچھ بہت کم ہے۔کل لوگ اصلاحات کی مانگ کر رہے تھے لیکن آج ان کا مطالبہ ہے کہ حکومت تبدیل کی جائے۔‘
تاہم مغربی تجزیہ کار کہتے ہیں کہ ان کے خیال میں بحرین میں مصر جیسا انقلاب شاید نہ آئے۔ جین ڈیفنس ویکلی کے لیے مشرقِ وسطیٰ کے سینیئر تجزیہ نگار گالا ریانی کہتے ہیں ’بحرین اس طرح کی بد امنی کا عادی نہیں ہے۔ یہاں حکام صورتِ حال پر قابو پا لیں گے جیسا کہ وہ ماضی میں بھی ایسا کر چکے ہیں اگر احتجاج کی نوعیت فرقہ وارانہ ہوئی تو۔‘
لیکن یہ ایک بڑی ’اگر‘ ہے۔
خاتون صحافی ریم خلیفہ جو بحرین کے اخبار الوسط کے سینیئر ایڈیر ہیں کہتی ہیں ‘اس مرتبہ احتجاج مختلف قسم کا ہے۔ نوجوان سنی اور شیعہ دونوں اکٹھے مارچ کر رہے ہیں اور وہ نعرے لگا رہے ہیں ہم ’نہ سنی نہ شیعہ صرف بحرینی‘۔ ریم کہتی ہیں کہ اس طرح کی صورتِ حال ہم نے پہلی نہیں دیکھی۔
ریم کے مطابق اس احتجاج میں خواتین کی بھر پور شمولیت ہے جس کی ایک وجہ یہ ہے کہ سیکورٹی کے اہلکار ان کے ساتھ بدتمیزی شاید بہت کم کریں۔ تاہم انھوں نے خود ایک خاتون کے ساتھ اس وقت بدسلوکی ہوتے دیکھی جب اس خاتون نے ملکی پرچم لہراتے ہوئے سکیورٹی لائن عبور کی۔
بحرین میں سکیورٹی پر مامور افراد بحرینی نہیں بلکہ پاکستان، یمن، شام اور اردن کے سنی مسلمان ہیں۔ ان کی شہریت یقینی بنانے کے لیے برق رفتار طریقے استعمال کیے جاتے ہیں اور ان کے ساتھ ترجیحی سلوک کیا جاتا ہے۔ اور مظاہرین ان لوگوں سے تنگ ہیں۔
مظاہرین میں سے ایک نے مجھے بتایا ’ان میں سے کچھ پولیس والے ایسے ہی جو عربی ہی نہیں بولتے اور نہ لوگوں کے لیے ان کے دل میں کوئی احترام ہے۔ انھیں احترام ہے تو بس اپنے آقاؤں کا۔‘
لیکن اگر یہ مظاہرے فرقہ وارانہ تقسیم سے آگے نکل گئے اور بحرینی حکومت نے ان کو دبانے کے لیے مزید وحشیانہ طریقے استعمال کیے تو واشنگٹن کے لیے مشکلات بڑھ جائیں گی اور بحرینی حکومت کی مدد کرنے کا مطلب ایک اور عرب ملک میں لوگوں کی جمہوری خواہشات پوری نہ کرنا ہوگا۔
ادھر امریکی صدر براک اوباما کو ایک اور سر دردی کا سامنا ہے کیونکہ بحرین میں پانچواں امریکی بحری بیڑہ ایران کے بڑھتے ہوئے خطرے کے سامنے دیوار کے طور پر دیکھا جاتا ہے۔
اور مصر کی طرح امریکی پالیسی یہی رہی ہے کہ بحرین میں استحکام اور لوگوں کو دبا کر رکھنے والی حکومت کی حمایت جاری رکھی جائے اور بحرینیوں کے جائز مطالبات نظر انداز کیے جاتے رہیں۔
لیکن اگر یہ مظاہرے فرقہ وارانہ تقسیم سے آگے نکل گئے اور بحرینی حکومت نے ان کو دبانے کے لیے مزید وحشیانہ طریقے استعمال کیے تو واشنگٹن کے لیے مشکلات بڑھ جائیں گی اور بحرینی حکومت کی مدد کرنے کا مطلب ایک اور عرب ملک میں لوگوں کی جمہوری خواہشات پوری نہ کرنا ہوگا۔
سعودی عرب کی پریشانی تو اور بھی زیادہ ہے۔ کیونکہ پانی کے اوپر سے ایک راستہ بحرین کو سعودی عرب کی سلطنت سے ملا دیتا ہے۔
طاقتور سعودی وزیرِ داخلہ شہزادہ نایف سے قریبی تعلق رکھنے والے ایک ماہر نے مجھے بتایا کہ اگر بحرین میں صورتِ حال قابو سے باہر ہوگئی تو سعودی حکومت وہاں مداخلت کر دے گی۔
گالا ریانی بھی متفق ہیں اور کہتے ہیں کہ ایسی صورت میں سعودی عرب کو بحرین کی حمایت کرنے میں کوئی مسئلہ نہیں ہوگا اور بدترین صورت میں براہِ راست سعودی مداخلت کا بھی امکان ہے اگر بحرینی حکومت مظاہرین پر قابو پانے میں ناکام ہوگئی۔
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/world/2011/02/110215_libya_protests_rza.shtml
Police in Bahrain Clear Protest Site in Early Morning Raid
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN and NADIM AUDI
Published: February 17, 2011
MANAMA, Bahrain — Without warning, hundreds of heavily armed riot police officers rushed into Pearl Square here early Thursday, firing tear gas and concussion grenades at the thousands of demonstrators who were sleeping there as part of a widening protest against the nation’s absolute monarchy.
¶ Men, women and young children ran screaming, choking and collapsing.
¶ The square was filled with the crack of tear gas canisters and the wail of ambulances rushing people to the hospital. Teams of plainclothes police officers carrying shotguns swarmed through the area, but it was unclear if they used the weapons to subdue the crowd.
¶ “There was a fog of war,” said Mohammed Ibrahim as he took refuge in a nearby gas station. He was barefoot, had lost his wallet and had marks on his leg where he said he had been beaten. “There were children, forgive them.”
¶ At least two people were killed in the mayhem, according to witnesses at a nearby hospital and news agency reports. Many people were injured in the chaos — trampled, beaten or suffocated by the tear gas.
¶ The unrest posed another diplomatic challenge to the United States as it struggles with how to respond to largely peaceful movements against entrenched rulers. Bahrain has long been a strategically important American ally, hosting the Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
¶ Only hours before Thursday’s crackdown on the protests, the square had been transformed from a symbol of the nation — anchored by a towering monument to its pearl-diving history — into a symbol of the fight for democracy and social justice that has been rocking autocratic governments all across the Middle East. Tens of thousands of people had poured into the square during the day, setting up tents, giving rousing speeches and pressing their demands for a constitutional democracy.
¶ By 11 p.m. Wednesday, the square had started to quiet down. Young men sat smoking water pipes, while young children slept on blankets or in tents. At 2:45 a.m. Thursday, the camp was quiet, those awake still reflecting on the remarkable events of the day. And then, the blue flashing lights of police vehicles began to appear, encircling the square. At first there were four vehicles, then dozens and then hundreds.
¶ Wearing white crash helmets, the police rushed the square.
¶ “Everybody was sleeping, they came from upside and down,” said Zeinab Ali, 22, as she and a group of women huddled, crying and angry, in small nearby market.
¶ The protest had begun on Monday, when young organizers called for a “Day of Rage,” modeled on the uprisings in Egypt or Tunisia. On that day, the police were unforgiving, refusing to allow demonstrators to gather, overwhelming them with tear gas and other rounds. One young man was killed, shot in the back by the police. A day later, another young man, a mourner, also was killed, shot in the back.
¶ That galvanized the opposition and under pressure from the United States, the king withdrew his police force from the streets.
¶ For a time, it appeared that change might be coming quickly to Bahrain, a tiny nation in the Persian Gulf ruled for more than 200 years by the Khalifa family. The royal family is Sunni while the majority of the nation’s 600,000 citizens are Shiite.
¶ The Shiite community has long complained of being marginalized and discriminated against.
¶ On Wednesday, as the protesters gained momentum, Shiite opposition leaders issued assurances that they were not being influenced by Iran and were not interested in transforming the monarchy into a religious theocracy. Those charges are frequently leveled against them by Sunni leaders here.
¶ Still, the leaders of the largest Shiite political party, Al Wefaq, announced that they would not return to Parliament until King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa agreed to transform the nation into a constitutional democracy with an elected government.
¶ By evening, crowds spilled out of the square, tied up roads for as far as the eye could see and united in a celebration of empowerment unparalleled for the country’s Shiites.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/world/middleeast/18bahrain.html
بحرین، پولیس کارروائی، دو ہلاک، ٹینک سڑکوں پر
بحرین میں حکومت مخالف مظاہروں کے چوتھے دن علی الصبح پولیس نے ان مظاہرین کے خلاف کارروائی کی جو دارالحکومت مناما کے پرل سکوائر میں جمع تھے۔ اپوزیشن کا کہنا ہے کہ اس کارروائی میں دو افراد ہلاک اور کئی زخمی ہوگئے۔
اطلاعات کے مطابق سینکڑوں کی تعداد میں پولیس اہلکاروں نے جمعرات کو مقامی وقت کے مطابق صبح تین بجے کے قریب گزشتہ تین روز سے پرل سکوائر میں بیٹھے ہوئے افراد کو ہٹانا چاہا اور اس دوران آنسو گیس استعمال کی اور ربڑ کی گولیاں چلائیں اور پرل سکوائر کو خالی کرا لیا۔
پولیس کارروائی کے بعد شہر کی سڑکوں پر فوجی ٹینک گشت کر رہے ہیں اور حکومت عوامی احتجاج کے خلاف بھرپور طاقت کا استعمال کرنے کے لیے تیار نظر آتی ہے۔
کلِک بحرین مظاہرے: امریکہ اور سعودی عرب کی بے چینی
بحرین میں حکومت مخالف مظاہرین کے خلاف طاقت کے استعمال پر تاحل بین الاقوامی سطح پر کس قسم کا کوئی رد عمل دیکھنے میں نہیں آیا ہے۔
یاد رہے کہ بحرین امریکی بحریہ کے پانچویں بیڑے کا اڈہ ہے اور جغرافیائی اعتبار سے سعودی عرب کے پڑوس میں واقع ہے۔
عینی شاہدین کا کہنا ہے کہ پولیس کی کارروائی سے دو افراد ہلاک ہوگئے جکبہ کئی افراد زخمی ہوئے ہیں۔ پرل سکوائر میں موجود کچھ افراد نے بی بی سی سے بات کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ پولیس نے بغیر کسی وارننگ کے پر امن مظاہرین کے خلاف کارروائی کی۔ پرل سکوائر میں مظاہرین میں خواتین اور بچے بھی شامل بتائے جاتے ہیں۔
سیکولر وعد پارٹی کے ابراہیم شریف نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ پرل سکوائر میں سینکڑوں خواتین اور بچے کیمپوں میں جمع تھے۔ لوگ خیمے لگا کر سو رہے تھے اور پھر اچانک آنسو گیس چلنا شروع ہوگئی۔ ان کا کہنا تھا کہ جب پولیس کی کارروائی ہوئی تو سکوائر کے ایک طرف سو کے قریب پولیس اہلکار تھے جبکہ دوسری طرف سینکڑوں لوگ ادھر ادھر بھاگ رہے تھے۔ ابراہم شریف کے مطابق اس کارروائی میں دو افراد ہلاک ہوگئے ’ان میں سے ایک کی عمر پینسٹھ برس تھی جبکہ دوسران نوجوان تھا۔ ایک تیسرا شخص زندگی اور موت کی کشمکش میں مبتلا ہے‘۔
محمد المسقاطی نے جو بحرین میں حقوقِ انسانی کے اس گروپ سے تعلق رکھتے ہیں جس کا تعلق نوجوانوں سے ہے، بی بی سی ٹیلی وژن کو بتایا کہ مظاہرین پرل سکوائر میں بیٹھے ہوئے تھے اور پُر امن تھے لیکن اچانک پولیس نے کارروائی شروع کر دی۔
بحرین کے علاوہ لیبیا کے شہر بن غازی اور یمن میں بھی حکومت مخالف مظاہروں کی اطلاعات ہیں۔
اطلاعات کے مطابق بحرین میں ہزاروں کی تعداد میں مظاہرین دارالحکومت مناما کے مرکز میں جمع ہیں اور واپس جانے سے انکار کر رہے تھے۔ مناما کے پرل سکوائر میں بہت سے مظاہرین نے کیمپ لگا کر رات گزاری اور دن کے وقت وہاں مزید مظاہرین آ گئے۔
بحرین میں ایسے ہی ایک مظاہرے میں دو افراد کی ہلاکت اور درجنوں کے زخمی ہونے کے نتیجے میں مظاہروں میں مزید شدت آئی ہے۔
بحرین میں سکیورٹی افواج مظاہرین کے ساتھ کشیدگی میں اضافہ روکنے کے لیے پیچھے ہٹ گئی تھیں۔مظاہرین کا مطالبہ ہے ملک میں بڑے پیمانے پر سیاسی اصلاحات متعارف کرائی جائیں۔
بحرین امریکہ کا اہم حلیف ہے جہاں امریکہ کا پانچواں بحری بیڑہ ہے۔ امریکہ نے بحرین میں تشدد کے واقعات پر تشویش ظاہر کی ہے۔
بدھ کو مناما میں ایک ہزار کے قریب افراد نے اس شخص کے جنازے میں شرکت کی جو منگل کو پولیس اور مظاہرین کے درمیان جھڑپوں کی دوران ہلاک ہو گیا تھا۔
غم گساروں نے اس موقع پر نعرے لگائے اور حکومت کے خاتمے کا مطالبہ کیا۔
اطلاعات ہیں کہ بحرین میں ہونے والی ان دو ہلاکتوں پر پولیس کے کچھ افسران کو تحویل میں لیا گیا ہے اور ملک کے وزیرِ داخلہ نے ان ہلاکتوں کو افسوسناک قرار دیا ہے۔
بحرین میں آبادی کی اکثریت عقائد کے لحاظ سے شیعہ ہے جبکہ ملک کی اٹھارہویں صدی سے قیادت شاہی خاندان کے پاس ہے جو سنی المذہب ہے۔
منگل کو پیغمبرِ اسلام کے یومِ ولادت کی تعطیل کے بعد بہت سے لوگ کاروبارِ زندگی کی طرف لوٹے لیکن نامہ نگاروں کا کہنا ہے کہ ابھی تک ہوا کا رخ مظاہرین کے حق میں لگتا ہے۔
ادھر منگل کو بحرین کے شاہ شیخ حماد بن عیسیٰ الخلیفہ نے غیر معمولی طور پر ٹی وی پولیس اور مظاہرین کے درمیان جھڑپوں کے نتیجے میں دو افراد کی ہلاکت پر افسوس کا اظہار کیا۔ شاہ کا کہنا تھا کہ انھوں نے سنہ دو ہزار دو میں جن اصلاحات کا آغاز کیا تھا وہ جاری رہیں گی۔
برطانیہ سے سنہ انیس سو اکہتر میں آزادی حاصل کرنے کے بعد سے سنی مراعاتی طبقے اور کم خوشحال شیعہ اکثریت کے درمیان کشیدگی رہی ہے اور شیعہ گروپوں کا الزام ہے کہ وہ غیر اہم بن کے رہ رہے ہیں ان کے لیے غیر منصفانہ قانون ہے اور انھیں طاقت سے دبایا جاتا ہے۔
سنہ انیس سو ننانوے میں کشیدگی اس وقت قدرے کم ہوئی جب شیخ حماد بحرین کے امیر بنے۔ انھوں نے سیاسی قیدیوں کو رہا کیا، ملک بدر لوگوں کو وطن واپس آنے کی اجازت دی اور اس قانون کو ختم کر دیا جس کے تحت حکومت افراد کو تین سال تک مقدمہ چلائے بغیر حراست میں رکھ سکتی تھی۔
سنہ دو ہزار دو میں انھوں نے اپنی شاہ ہونے کا اعلان کردیا اور فرمان جاری کیا کہ ملک میں ایک قومی اسمبلی بنائی جائےگی۔ اسی سال ملک میں انتخابات ہوئے لیکن اپوزیشن نے ان کا بائیکاٹ کر دیا۔ تاہم مبصرین کہتے ہیں کہ شاہ نے عوام سے جو وعدے کیے تھے ان میں سے بہت سے پورے نہیں ہوئے۔
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/world/2011/02/110216_bahrian_protests_rza.shtml
All Arab governments who are ruling by suppressing there people and to continue there rule they rely on there American masters, people of Bahrain,Egypt,Yemen,Tunisia,Libya have raised up against these tyrants.
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