Is Reconciliation in Bahrain Possible?

editor: At the risk of perpetuating the sectarian perspectives out there, Dr. Seznec offers another perspective on the prospects for reconciliation in Bahrain below. The one trend I would draw attention to is the continued reference to the BICI report as the basis of “all truth” regarding Human Rights in Bahrain. There are voluminous reports spanning regarding the regimes abuse and repression. The BICI was a politically expedite tool to deflect the regimes critics and to serve as a firewall between it and the growing pressure on Western governments to solve a problem of dissonance in their foreign policy in the Middle East. Bahrain perhaps more than any other regime in the Middle East personifies the gross hypocrisy of US foreign policy for democracy seeking peoples of the Middle East. Phlipn

Is Reconciliation in Bahrain Possible?
By Jean-François Seznec – Visiting Associate Professor George Town – 20 March, 2012

The total number of Bahraini citizens is reported to be about 570,000 nationals, less than half of a total population of over 1.2 million.[1] Nevertheless, this very small number makes up an amazingly complex society comprised of groups and subgroups with different interests and agendas. A short unpacking of Bahraini society may shed some light on the problems facing the Kingdom in 2012, and perhaps guide us through possible steps toward reconciliation.

Bahrain has often been described as a country with a majority Shi’a population dominated by a Sunni royal family. The Shi’a in Bahrain tend to be mostly Arabs originating from the Arabian Peninsula. The Bahraini Arab Shi’a, the largest group within that community, have extensive family and religious links with the Shi’a of the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia and the Shi’a of Iraq. The Arab Shi’a have traditionally been the farmers, pearl divers, and tradesmen of Bahrain. They tend to be linked to the Northern villages of Bahrain and are, by and large, less well-off than all other Bahrainis. However, there is now a large middle class within this group as well as some wealthy and successful families.

There is also an important group of Shi’a of Persian descent, who tend to be professionals and intellectuals. There are also a few Isma’ili families, mainly merchants originating from the Indian subcontinent.

The Sunnis come from very diverse backgrounds. The largest number are Arabs also originating mainly, but not solely, from the Arabian Peninsula. They are often referred to as the Muharaqqis, a reference to the island of the same name that is now linked to the mainland and is a major economic center in Bahrain today, where they have lived for centuries. There is also a small but very powerful group of Sunni Arabs that originate from Persia. Some of the main merchant families belong to this group. These families have branches throughout the Gulf and strong links in each of the GCC countries. There are a few Sunni families that originated from the Indian subcontinent . There are also a number of Sunnis of Persian origin and ethnicity, often referred to as Ajam. They tend to be successful, highly educated professionals, many of which are involved in the financial sector. …more