Bahrain: More frustration as the majority Shia are marginalised andtheir youth detained
The appointed half of the Shura council has been announced only toindicate the reality of the Al Khalifa destructive political programmein Bahrain. Out of forty appointed members, 20 are Sunnis, 18 Shia,one Christian and one Jew.
It is widely known that the appointment ofa Christian and a Jew is part of the deception programme beingimplemented by the Al Khalifa dictatorship to impress their westernbackers. But the appointment of less Shia members than Sunnis hasdangerous implications. It is an attempt by the ruling family who hadoccupied Bahrain in eighteenth century, to impose a new reality in thecountry, that the Shia have become a minority. This follows anextensive programme of political naturalisation over the past fiveyears that created tens of thousands “new Bahrainis”, mainly formSyria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Pakistan; the countries whereextremism flourishes. Until few years ago, the Shia comprised over 70percent of the population. Their percentage now is not known as SheikhHamad, with the support of Washington and London, enforced hisprogramme of demographic engineering to change the population balancethat existed for decades. It is a crime equivalent to ethnic cleansingbut without the bloody part.
It is implemented in two ways: thegranting of Bahraini nationality to tens of thousands of Sunnis fromother countries, and the repatriating of native Shia youth to otherGulf states under the pretext of better job opportunities and housing.In the past, Shia and Sunnis were given similar portions in thecabinet and membership of the Shura council. Sheikh Hamad is nowadopting a completely different approach. Half of the cabinet postsare now allocated to the Al Khalifa and the rest to Shia and Sunniministers with inclination to grant Sunnis more posts. It is a crimeto divide the country on ethnic and sectarian lines. It is a greatersin to treat the Shia as the underdog of the society, limit theirinfluence and transform them into a minority. In the recent elections,only 17 seats out of the 40 seats of the elected half of the Shuracouncil went to the Shia. Now they are under-represented in the twohalves of the Shura council and in the cabinet.
Meanwhile the two political prisoners who had been detained forpossessing leaflets calling for the boycott of the elections, hadtheir detention extended by 15 more days without trial. Their plighthas become a cause of concern to their families and human rightsactivists who view them as prisoners of conscience. They are beingmaltreated in the torture chambers of the Al Khalifa and are deniedproper access to information regarding their case. Their lawyers havecomplained of a total blackout by the regime on the nature of theiroffences and the articles of the penal code under which they are beingheld or are likely to be charged in accordance with. Despite theirrepeated demands for clarity, the lawyers are in the dark and believethat the two citizens are being persecuted for their opinion.In Denmark petition calling for the release of political prisonershas been signed by 33 Danish personalities representing variousgroups.
The petition is as follows:We, the undersigned, have noted with concern the unlawful detention ofpolitical and human rights activists for peacefully expressing theirviews on the current situation in the country. Of particular concernis the arrest last month of Dr Mohammad Saeed Matar and Hussain AbdulAziz Al Habshi. We call on the Government of Bahrain to release theseprisoners of conscience without further delay, as their continueddetention is contrary to the basic human rights.
In Bahrain, the people are preparing to commemorate the Day of theMartyrs on 17th December, the day in 1994 in which two demonstratorswere gunned down on orders from the prime minister. It is expectedthat demonstrations and other civil actions will be undertaken by thepeople who are frustrated by the Al Khalifa policies and programmes ofmass deception, corruption and despotism.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
7th December 2006
