BCHR Statement on the National Dialogue
July 8th, 2011

Middle-East Institute Director Dr Michael Hudson said recently that “The Bahraini authorities have a really serious long-term economic problem on their hands. They don’t have a lot of oil so they are more dependent on the financial center and the tourism sector and the transportation that they have built up over the years, but they have got a lot of repair work to do because the protests and the crackdown has caused a loss of confidence and a distinct loss of legitimacy of the regime.”[1]

The regime wants to be seen to be taking the political crisis seriously, and has made a number of concessions, such as the appointment of a Royal Commission, the release of some of the doctors who were on trial and the moving of the military tribunals to civil courts. The start of a period of National Dialogue (ND) is symptomatic of this policy of superficial concern for the demands of the opposition.

Unfortunately, the constitution of the ND shows the superficial nature of the regime’s concern. Only 35 of the 300 seats at the ND have been allocated to opposition parties[2], and any decision made there can be overturned by the Shura council.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) agrees with Kristin Diwan, Assistant Professor of Comparative and Regional Studies at the American University School of International Service, who wrote on CNN World that “Ultimately, stability in Bahrain will require social reconciliation and political restructuring. The National Dialogue will not deliver this, and it may in fact work to undermine the prospects for national reconciliation and reform.”[3]

This is a sad state of affairs, and one that is designed to allow the government to claim that it is the opposition’s fault that the talks have failed. These talks are on the government’s terms, which dismiss every concession asked for by opposition groups. The government have not stopped firing teachers and other employees, attacking protesters and torturing political prisoners.

Crucially, these talks do not involve those who are at the center of the political divide – the government and the opposition. These talks are between civil society organisations and businesses and academics, with very few politicians present. BCHR would welcome talks between the main disagreeing parties – the government and opposition.

Nabeel Rajab, Pesident of BCHR, has stated that “We will support a proper National Dialogue that represents the ruling family on one side and the opposition on the other side, but not what is going on now.” …more

Bahrain’s Shiite, Sunni blocs unite to discuss disputed issues
Xinhua | July 08, 2011 10:36

A twelve-member team consisting of Bahraini conservative Sunni and Shiite blocs and some independents was formed Thursday night during the ongoing national dialogue, the dialogue spokesman said.

Spokesman Isa Abdul Rahman announced at a press conference that members from the parliamentary blocs attending the talks reached consensus to form a group that would function separately to study disputed political issues and seek consensus on the solution.

The team would consist of members from Bahrain’s largest opposition group Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, Al Menbar ( Muslim Brotherhood) and Al Asala (Conservative Sunni bloc), and other lawmakers who are taking part in the dialogue, he said.

“We have our reservations with the national dialogue process that represents about five percent of the opposition groups engaged in the talks,” Khalil Al Marzooq, former MP from Al Wefaq, told Xinhua.

Marzooq did not attend the social session Wednesday, saying that it was not important considering there were other key issues that had not yet been discussed.

“We need to get into core issues and want real representation of the people, which would show seriousness and stability,” he said. …more

Shiite cleric comes down hard on “national dialogue”

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Bahrain’s top Shiite cleric on Friday criticized reconciliation talks between the Shiite-led opposition and the kingdom’s Sunni rulers, accusing the monarchy of using the U.S.-supported dialogue to delay democratic reforms.

The remarks by Sheik Isa Qassim underline the deep tensions in the tiny, but strategically important nation, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, after five months of pro-democracy protests and harsh crackdowns on the Shiite majority pressing for more freedoms and rights.

The cleric delivered a sermon Friday in the opposition stronghold of Diraz, northwest of the capital, Manama.

He said the government-organized talks, which started last week, are meaningless since they don’t take into account the urgency of the people’s demand for change.

“The people sacrifice so much for reform, and they (the rulers) talk about the need for gradual change,” the cleric said. “They want to give reform in small doses while inflicting massive injustice.”

At least 32 people have been killed and hundreds of opposition supporters and activists have been taken into custody since Bahrain imposed martial law in March to quell dissent. Many other perceived protest backers have been purged from jobs and universities.

Bahrain’s Shiites account for about 70 percent of the kingdom’s population, but they claim systematic discrimination including being effectively blocked from top military and political posts. Their revolt in February — inspired by wider Arab uprisings — have been by far the biggest challenge to any Gulf ruler in decades. …more

Bahrainis get set for nationwide rallies
shiapost | July 8, 2011

Bahrain’s military tanks in a street in Manama (FP)

Bahrain’s main opposition group al-Wafeq has called for a new massive nationwide protest despite warnings by the regime’s Interior Ministry against such moves.

The opposition bloc is currently in talks with the ruler of Bahrain in a bid to ease wide-spread tensions in the country.

However, the bloc has announced that it will press for a UN intervention if the dialogue fails. It has also expressed doubts that the so-called ‘national dialogue’ would lead to a resolution of many outstanding issues, such as the persisting suppression, arrest and torture of anti-government protesters as well as the continuing military trials of civilians by the al-Khalifa regime.

Only the leaders from two of the opposition groups, al-Wafeq and al-Waad, are participating in the negotiations as other opposition leaders remain in custody.

According to Bahrain Center for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization, there are currently over 1,000 political detainees, including medical staff, inside the country.

Meanwhile, al-Wafeq called for new protests on Friday across the country. Earlier, however, the Interior Ministry warned that it will quash any kind of protest gathering, a Press TV correspondent reported. …more

Freedom In The World 2011: The Authoritarian Challenge To Democracy – Bahrain Report
Update – 08 July 2011 – Bahrain detailed report

Overview

Relations between the country’s Shiite Muslim majority and the ruling Sunni Muslim minority continued to deteriorate in 2010, particularly during the run-up to October parliamentary elections, in which government supporters retained control. Authorities arrested dozens of Shiite activists in August and September, including the spokesperson of the opposition political society Haq. Many of those detained alleged that they were tortured in custody. The government also blocked dozens of Shiite websites and arrested one of the community’s most prominent bloggers.

The al-Khalifa family, which belongs to Bahrain’s Sunni Muslim minority, has ruled the Shiite-majority country for more than two centuries. Bahrain gained independence in 1971 after more than a hundred years as a British protectorate. The first constitution provided for a legislative assembly with both elected and appointed members, but the monarch dissolved the body in 1975 for attempting to end al-Khalifa rule.

In 1994, prominent individuals who had petitioned for the reestablishment of democratic institutions were detained, sparking unrest that left more than 40 people dead, thousands arrested, and hundreds either imprisoned or exiled.
After Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ascended to the throne in 1999, he released political prisoners, permitted the return of exiles, and eliminated emergency laws and courts. He also introduced the National Charter, which aimed to create a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament, an independent judicial branch, and rights guaranteeing women’s political participation. …more

Revolution in Bahrain: Defying the Conspiracy of Convenience
Friday 8 July 2011
by: Umar Farooq, Truthout | News Analysis

An unlikely alliance is the latest obstacle for Bahrainis in their struggle for self-determination.

Centuries of distrust between Sunnis and Shiites were reignited by another mass movement for freedom in Iran 30 years ago. The fallout of that revolution – shaped by the painful memory of a tyrannical king backed by the West and a long, brutal war with its neighbors – continues to color much of the Middle East.

Israel may have reached a shaky peace with the Arabs, but it refuses to see Iran as anything but an existential threat. And the United States has found a great market for its high-tech killing machines. Meanwhile, the struggles for self-determination in nations like Bahrain continue to fall victim to campaigns of delegitimization.

“Bahrain Is a Rich Country, Why Are They Rising Up?”

“People think, Bahrain is a rich country, why are they rising up?” Haider*, a Shiite from the eastern Bahraini island of Sitra explains, as he begins to lay out Bahrain’s history. “It’s not about being poor, it’s about our heritage, our history of demanding our rights.”

The current Al-Khalifa dynasty traces its origins in Bahrain to the invasion and conquest by Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Khalifa, who expanded his emirate beyond modern-day Qatar, Kuwait and eastern Saudi Arabia in 1783. Most of the natives were adherents to Shiite Islam, principally brought to the region when it came under the Persian Safavid dynasty’s control in the 17th century.

The Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty spent the next two centuries allying with regional powers to keep, at various times, Egyptian, Ottoman, Persian, Omani and British forces at bay. When oil was discovered in the 1930s, the British Royal Navy moved its regional command to Manama.[1] When the British left Bahrain in 1971, the United States began leasing their base in Manama for $4 million a year.[2] …more