Bahrain: Unrest Grows

In today’s New York Times, Thanassis Cambanis looks at the continuing repression of dissent in Bahrain. Unrest among the Shiite majority has grown as protesters who have been arrested have been denied access to legal council and their families. Young Shiites often burn tires as a form of protest. One young man says,  “We aren’t provoking violence – All we do is burn tires. We don’t hurt anybody. The government won’t give us permits to protest peacefully.” Complaints of police brutality have also been prevalent, with protesters using Blackberries to spread photographs of the attacks.

Bahrain’s anti-terrorism law allows the government to arrest and hold people for 15 days, in secret, if they speak out against the government. “The reform project leaves no excuse or justification, whatsoever, to illegally express opinions that harm the nation,” says Deputy Prime Minister Ali bin Khalifa al-Khalifa. Many of the majority Shiite’s complaints revolve around the favoritism towards Sunnis in the government. Khalil Ibrahim Al-Marzook, a member of Parliament from a Shiite opposition party, sees it differently: “The government wanted only decorative democracy. Now it is hijacking everything.”

Also, Simon Henderson has an PolicyWatch for the Washington Institute detailing the background of the tensions in Bahrain and how considerations towards the US, Iran, and Saudi Arabia influence the small island nation. Bahrain finds itself on very strategic (albeit dangerous) ground; caught between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and host to the US military: “Maintaining a close relationship with Washington and hosting the Fifth Fleet are clear (though unstated) strategies for deterring any hostile intent from Iran.”