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Arabia
Bahrain's Opposition to Shun Part of Dialogue
2011-07-08
[An Nahar] Bahrain's main Shiite opposition formation will shun parts of the national dialogue which the authorities say aims to bring forward reforms in the restive kingdom, a member said on Thursday.

"We will boycott the meetings of the economic and social committees but will continue to attend the meetings of the political and rights committees," Khalil al-Marzooq a leading member of the Islamic National Accord Association (al-Wefaq), told Agence La Belle France Presse.

"We believe the dialogue should discuss major political and security issues," Marzooq said.

"This dialogue will not lead to a solution ... and it does not fulfill the needs to pull Bahrain out of its political crisis," Marzooq said.

Al-Wefaq's former MP said that the dialogue participants do not fairly represent society and that those participating are not being given chance to speak during the sessions.

Bahrain on Tuesday held the first session of its national dialogue, which is attended by about 60 participants each in simultaneous sessions on politics, the economy, human rights
...which often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
 and social issues -- the four axes on which the dialogue is to focus.

The sessions are scheduled for three times a week -- on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The dialogue comes after Bahraini security forces carried out a mid-March crackdown on Shiite-led protesters who had been demonstrating for reforms in the Sunni-ruled, Shiite-majority kingdom since February 14.

Authorities said 24 people, most of them demonstrators, were killed in the unrest.

The national dialogue was officially launched on Saturday, with over 300 people invited to attend, including representatives of al-Wefaq.

Al-Wefaq, which made an 11th-hour decision to participate, only has five representatives at the dialogue, despite winning 18 out of 40 seats in the lower house of parliament in the last elections.

Marzooq told AFP on Tuesday that all options were open, including pulling out of the dialogue if it fails to address "the will of the people."

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hizbullah Slams World 'Silence' on Bahrain Activists Life Terms
2011-06-24
[An Nahar] Hizbullah on Thursday condemned life jail terms imposed in Bahrain against Shiite opposition activists who have taken part in anti-government protests in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

"These repressive measures expose the mentality of the Bahraini authorities, which rejects any attempt to reform the political system, and highlight the falsehood of their claims on seeking dialogue with the Bahraini people's representatives, who are being dragged to jails and subjected to oppression and torture," Hizbullah said in a statement.

The Shiite party accused the Bahraini authorities of dragging the kingdom into a dilemma "with the support of outside forces seeking to perpetuate their dominance over Bahrain's decision."

"While the international community should firmly and robustly stand in the face of these repressive measures, deafening silence is reigning over the international institutions and the influential nations in the world order, which claim keenness on human rights
...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions...
 and freedoms, in a manner that exposes their hypocrite behavior and double-standards policy," Hizbullah added.

A Bahraini court sentenced eight Shiite opposition activists to life in prison Wednesday for "plotting to overthrow" the kingdom's Sunni rulers, nearly a week ahead of a national dialogue proposed by the king.

The National Safety Court of first instance also placed in durance vile 13 others for two to 15 years on similar charges, state news agency BNA added.

A member of Bahrain's largest Shiite formation, the Islamic National Accord Association (Al-Wefaq), slammed the sentence as contradicting King Hamad's
...King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its emir (from 6 March 1999). He is a Sunni, while the rest of Bahrain is predominantly Shiite...
 calls for dialogue, set to begin on July 1.

The verdicts drew an expression of concern from Washington, which stations its Fifth Fleet in the small but strategic Gulf archipelago.

The kingdom said in an English-language statement by the Information Affairs Authority late on Wednesday that the "sentencing sends a message that law and order will be preserved."

This will reassure "the majority of the population of Bahrain that their security will not be allowed to be compromised by violence or attempts to overthrow the regime or by the calling for the establishment of an Islamic republic," it added.

The Gulf kingdom's government reiterated its calls for national dialogue.

"Those who attend the dialogue will show leadership and distance themselves from the radical elements and therefore prove to the international community that the majority believes in this inclusive forum to pave a better future," it said.

The defendants "do not represent any significant number of the population who actually believe that the way forward is through dialogue and peaceful means," it added.

Khalil Marzouq, a member of Al-Wefaq has slammed the sentences as contradictory to the king's calls for dialogue.

"There are political forces, some of whom have received harsh sentences today, which have not been invited for dialogue," said Marzooq in excerpts of a speech he gave at a presser in Manama posted on Al-Wefaq's Facebook page. "How will there be a dialogue without those figures?"

U.S. State Department deputy front man Mark Toner said: "We are concerned about the severity of the sentences handed down ... in Bahrain. We're also concerned about the use of military courts to try these civilians."

"Such steps are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain's citizens," he told news hounds.

And U.N. leader the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
 on Thursday hit out at what he called the "harsh" life jail terms imposed in Bahrain.

Ban urged the Bahraini authorities to "allow all defendants to exercise their right to appeal and to act in strict accordance with their international human rights obligations, including the right to due process and a fair trial."

He also called on the authorities to "do everything possible to create an environment conducive for the start of a concrete national dialogue.

But Bahrain's government said "the nature of recent incidents and the threat to national security makes the Law of National Safety a legitimate means to prosecute the perpetrators in a court, where they had access to legal counsel and representation, for bringing the country to the brink of total anarchy."

Scores more activists are facing trial on charges linked to Shiite-led protests that rocked the kingdom for a month from mid-February, in the semi-martial court set up under a "state of national safety" decreed by King Hamad.

Bahrain's interior ministry said 24 people, including four coppers, were killed in the unrest. The opposition said scores were tossed in the calaboose, amid widespread allegations of torture, while hundreds were dismissed from their jobs.

Four people have been sentenced to death and three others to life in prison over the killing of two coppers during the protests. Nine others were placed in durance vile for 20 years after being convicted of abducting a policeman.

Link


Arabia
Life sentences for Bahrain dissidents
2011-06-23
[Al Jazeera] Police and protesters have clashed in Bahrain after eight Shia Mohammedan activists accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the Gulf Arab state's Sunni monarchy were sentenced to life in prison.

The court also sentenced on Wednesday other defendants - from among the 21 suspects on trial - to between two and 15 years in jail.

Saeed al-Shehabi, the only defendant to be sentenced in absentia, told Al Jizz that the charges were false and called the government's response "draconian".

"The world has seen how peaceful the demonstrations were, for a month-long period ... yet, they were condemned as being terrorists," he said.

A member of Bahrain's largest Shia group said the sentencing of the activists as contradicting the government's calls for dialogue.

"Is this the atmosphere for dialogue?" asked Khalil Marzooq, a former MP and member of the Islamic National Accord Association (Wefaq), in excerpts of a speech he gave in Manama posted on his Facebook page.

Many unhappy
The Bahrain News Agency said the life sentences were issued against a prominent Shia political leader, Hassan Mushaima; activists Abdulhady al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace; and five others.

Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, the country's most prominent Iranian catspaw, told Al Jizz that many people were unhappy about the sentences.

"Abdulhady al-Khawaja is one of the most respected human-rights activist in the whole Arab region, so people are very angry," Rajab said.

"Hundreds of people have been brought up for charges in the past few days, and hundreds more are waiting to be tried."
Link


Arabia
A talk with Bahrains Parliamentary Speaker, Khalifa Ahmed al-Zahrani
2011-03-25
[Asharq al-Aswat] Bahraini Speaker of the Council of Representatives Khalifa Ahmed al-Zahrani spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat about the situation in the country, stressing that the situation is moving in a reassuring direction, and that he is confident that Bahrain will emerge safely from the crisis. Al-Zahrani confirmed that the Bahraini parliament's operations have not been hindered or disrupted by the withdrawal of the Shiite Wefaq bloc [Islamic National Accord Association], which saw 18 MPs of Bahrain's 40-member council withdrawing from Bahrain's lower parliament. He also stressed that the Bahraini parliament is continuing to search for ways to resolve the situation in the country, calling for national dialogue. The Bahrain parliamentary speaker also categorically rejected any foreign intervention in Bahraini internal affairs, stressing that the deployment of the GCC Peninsula Shield Force was both legitimate and legal, according to the GCC Joint Defense Agreement.

The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your assessment of the current situation in Bahrain?

[Al-Zahrani] The situation in Bahrain is moving in a reassuring direction after national safety was assured in a legal manner. We are confident that the Bahraini people and its wise leadership are capable of addressing the situation and reaching a state of safety. We also trust in the rational proposals made by the Bahraini leadership, and support these, particularly with regards to the importance of establishing security [in the country]. The Bahraini Council of Representatives has announces its commitment to national unity, as well as its commitment to national principles, the ruling regime in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the National Action Charter of Bahrain and the Bahraini constitution, and the process of ongoing reform which is based upon the reform project of the King, as well as the achievement of the legitimate demands made by the people in a consensual and legal manner.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What role will the Bahraini parliament play in reaching a comprehensive resolution to the ongoing crisis in the country?

[Al-Zahrani] The parliament is part of the State; it is the legislative and constitutional institution that first issued calls for dialogue to help Bahrain emerge from the current situation. The Bahraini leadership has continued to underline that development and the achievement of popular demands will only occur via parliament, and this is in order to bring together the disparate viewpoints. The Bahraini parliament has worked to communicate with the leadership in order to achieve this, using all of the parliamentary and constitutional tools in its command. The Bahraini parliament is continuing to work, using national dialogue, rationality, as well as all of its constitutional tools, and cultural and legal methods, to address all the challenges that the country is facing.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] In your opinion, has the Bahraini parliament been weakened by the Shiite Wefaq [Islamic National Accord Association] bloc's walkout?

[Al-Zahrani] The Wefaq bloc is an integral part of the Bahraini parliament, and we want to see the Wefaq bloc continue its parliamentary work, and that is why we have postponed the decision regarding the bloc's resignation for two months. The Bahraini parliamentary members have invited them to continue to participate in the legislative branch and contribute to the parliamentary work by advancing the democratic process and supporting the rule of law to build a state based upon institutes, as part of the national project put in place by Bahraini King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa.

As for martial law, martial law has not been declared in Bahrain; rather what has been announced is a state of "national safety" according to the Bahraini constitution. We are a state that is based upon laws and institutes, and this state of "national safety" has been announced according to Article 36 of the constitution, which states in part that "in all cases the period of marital law or national safety shall not exceed three months. This period may be renewed in whole or part once or more, provided that approval by a majority vote of the members constituting the National Assembly has been obtained."

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Has the Wefaq bloc's walkout disrupted the operation of Bahrain's parliament or is it continuing to exercise its full powers?

[Al-Zahrani] The Bahraini Council of Representatives continues to exercise all of its powers under the provisions of the constitution and the law; all parliamentary committees continue to hold their weekly meetings, and the parliament continues to hold its [weekly] parliamentary sessions without any disruption, during which it reviews and discusses all the proposals and laws on its agenda. The weekly parliamentary session takes place ever Tuesday, and on the agenda next week is the general state budget for 2011 and 2012. This is one of the most important projects being discussed by the Council of Representatives in this current period.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] As the Bahraini parliament represents the voice of the people, can you tell us what action the parliament is planning to take in the near future with regards to the ongoing situation in the country?

[Al-Zahrani] The Council of Representatives has continually discussed the situation that the country has been experiencing since the beginning [of the crisis], and we held a meeting with the Bahraini Interior Minister to discuss the latest developments, whilst Bahrain's Minister of Education also appeared before parliament to discuss the latest developments with the MPs during a parliament session. MPs are also scheduled to discuss the latest developments with the Bahraini Interior Minister during next Tuesday's parliamentary session. There is ongoing communication with the Bahraini leadership and the responsible national authorities, and here we must point out that real power lies in self-restraint and building on the reform project launched by King Hamad, may God protect him.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are there solutions on the table to resolve the crisis?

[Al-Zahrani] Of course, [there is] Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad al Khalifa's response, calling all parties to participate in a 7-point dialogue, and we have complete confidence in his ability to resolve the crisis and achieve national cooperation for the sake of Bahrain and its future. The 7 points that the Crown Prince called be discussed are; parliamentary powers, constituencies' fairness, citizenship, combating financial and administrative corruption, state property, and addressing sectarian tensions, as well as other principles and themes of national dialogue. The Crown Prince stressed the importance of an immediate response from all those who want peace, security, and reform to his call for dialogue, in order to achieve a prosperous and bright future for all the people of Bahrain. He also said that there was no objection to any agreements achieved in this dialogue being put to the public opinion by a special referendum.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Have there been any attempts to convince the Wefaq bloc to return?

[Al-Zahrani] There is an open honest and sincere national call for participation in our legislative operations, and contribution with the Council of Representatives in advancing the democratic process and supporting the rule of law to build a state based upon institutions as part of the comprehensive national project. Bahrain is for everybody, and it will be built with the help of its entire people, and the Wefaq bloc is an important part of the Bahraini parliament.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your opinion regarding the adverse response given by Iran and other states regarding what is happening in Bahrain? How will Bahrain deal with this?

[Al-Zahrani] We categorically reject any foreign intervention in Bahrain's internal affairs from any [foreign] party or state, and we confirm that the presence of the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] Peninsula Shield Force is present in Bahrain legitimately and legally. We, in the Bahraini parliament, have welcomed the GCC Peninsula Shield Force to protect the safety, security, and stability of the Kingdom of Bahrain, according to the GCC Joint Defense Agreement.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does the Bahraini parliament support all the measures taken by the government to preserve security in the country?

[Al-Zahrani] Yes, we support all the measures taken by the government to preserve the security, safety, and stability of Bahrain, and ensure that the situation is not left open to those who want to harm the interests of others and the future of the country. We would also like to express our thanks to the GCC member-states, and the position of our neighboring and friendly countries, for their honest stance towards Bahrain. We would also like to confirm the leading role played by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz particularly, as well as the positions of all heads of states and people who stood up and showed their solidarity with Bahrain.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are there any fears of the consequences of this crisis on Bahrain's future, and on the unity of the country?

[Al-Zahrani] Every crisis has its consequences, and these could include economic, social, and political consequences. Some consequences are felt immediately, whilst others are revealed over time. These [fears] will not be in anybody's interests, but we are confident that the wisdom of the Bahraini leadership and the steadfastness and faithfulness of the people of Bahrain will allow us to overcome any crisis. We stress the importance of listening to the voice of reason and acknowledging the legitimacy of the Al Khalifa ruling regime, led by King Hamad Bin Isa al Khalifa. We also stress the importance of listening to the nature of the Bahraini people of both [the Sunni and Shiite] communities, and the importance of strengthening this country that is based upon coexistence and tolerance, which is something that Bahrain has always been known for. We ask God Almighty to protect the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people from all evils, and to bless the country with security and stability under its wise leadership and its inherent and unwavering affiliation to the Arab Gulf, in order to complete the journey for the future generations.
Link


Arabia
Bahrain move to create 20,000 jobs lauded; PM's office circled
2011-03-07
[Arab News] The Bahraini king's order to create 20,000 new government jobs has been welcomed by the opposition.
That's a lotta mailmen...
The move follows King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa's instruction to Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa to lead talks with the opposition.

Bahrain's Minister of Interior Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa told local newspaper editors that King Hamad had ordered a round of new hires in a number of government institutions, including 20,000 jobs in his ministry.

"We hope this step will have a positive effect on the safety and security of citizens," Al-Wasat daily quoted the minister as saying. "The minister said national dialogue was the way to achieve political stability and raise demands."

Senior opposition leader Muneera Fakhro described it as a welcome development. "The government's decision to recruit 20,000 youngsters into the Ministry of Interior will help integrate members of the deprived sections of society into the country's mainstream," she said.

According to Fakhro, this will build confidence among people and help the government tide over the current crisis. "This is also a good decision because these youngsters are Bahrainis and they will help defend the country in a better way. This will also remove suspicions among a large section of society, which felt that it was not being trusted by the government."

Fakhro said this is one more confidence building measure and will put more pressure on the opposition parties to come to the negotiating table now. "The government has gone the extra mile and now the opposition parties have to respond positively. There is a lot of optimism in the air now," she added.

Mansoor Al-Jamri, editor in chief of the opposition-leaning Al-Wasat newspaper, was not too impressed with the decision. "This move is coming at a time when the government is facing a crisis. It will therefore not go down very well with the population," he said.

According to Al-Jamri, such measures are isolationist and will not have a great impact. "What is required at this stage is a comprehensive political package to take into consideration all demands of the opposition," he said.

Measures such as the recruitment of 20,000 youngsters will not carry much weight if they are not supported by a holistic political reform, he added.

"I think it's mainly meant for the opposition, in particular for the coming graduates. Unequal opportunities is one reason why we're having people in the street," Jasim Husain of Wefaq, said. "The Ministry of Interior has been slow in creating jobs."

Meanwhile,
...back at the ranch...
 thousands of opposition supporters blocked on Sunday the entrance to Gudaibiya Palace -- where Bahrain's Cabinet meets -- but failed to disrupt a government meeting as the campaign for reform enters its third week.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, the prime minister and the king's uncle, who has been in power for 40 years, was presiding over the meeting.

White-helmeted police with riot shields stood behind one gate, looking on as the flag-waving demonstrators chanted "Down Hamad! Down Hamad!," in reference to Bahrain's king. "The people want to topple the regime!" the protesters roared, shaking their fists toward the light pink palace with its pearl-colored dome.

The state news agency BNA said that the gathering went ahead as usual, despite the protests outside.

"The government supports freedom of expression, in a peaceful way, which is guaranteed by the constitution," Kamal Ahmed, the minister for Cabinet affairs, said according to BNA.

But the Cabinet warned against "harming the public, commercial and economic interests," he said, adding that "jeopardizing the interests of the people ... goes against the calls for calm and dialogue."

In a statement released Sunday, Bahrain's Chamber of Commerce said that "general economic conditions in the kingdom are very difficult." The island's tourism industry was hit the hardest, the statement said, adding that the revenue fell "by about 80 percent" and the losses stemming from damage to the sector were estimated in "hundreds of millions of dollars."

"Hey Khalifa, get out! Get out!" demonstrators chanted. "We want the prime minister to go," said Alaa Al-Nasr, a 24-year-old demonstrator.

Another protester, 42-year-old Osama Al-Nuwain, agreed. "It's mainly against Sheikh Khalifa -- they want this government to go," said Nuwain.

Protesters also chanted for the 2002 constitution, which established an appointed upper house that has veto powers over the decisions of the elected chamber, to be scrapped.

"The 2002 constitution falls for the sake of Bahrain," demonstrators chorused in a refrain that rhymes in Arabic.

"Our problem is a political one," Sheikh Ali Salman, the head of the opposition Islamic National Accord Association, or Al-Wefaq, told the crowd of protesters.

"We need political reforms -- lead the people to elect their government, and not a government that remains on our chests for 40 years, with all its failure," he said.

The government warned Sunday against sliding into sectarianism saying "acts that perpetuate sectarianism and sedition are rejected by the people and the religion," BNA reported.
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Arabia
Bahrain protesters blockade Parliament
2011-03-02
[Arab News] Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman said Monday efforts were under way to launch talks with the opposition, which is demanding major political reforms amid a wave of anti-government protests. On Monday, anti-government protesters blockaded the country's Parliament and massed outside the state broadcaster

"The steps we have taken in the last few days have calmed the situation and helped restore life in Bahrain to normal in preparation for dialogue," Prince Salman said in a statement. However,
The infamous However...
 "some continue to seek to block reform," he said, adding, "such disruption only harms the interests of the people of Bahrain."

Hundreds of protesters marched out of Pearl Square toward Bahrain's appointed chamber of Parliament, chanting: "The people want to topple the regime," and "Unity, national unity!" They also carried banners that read "Bring down the Shoura Council," in reference to the 40-member consultative council, appointed by the king, which has the power to block legislation from the lower house

The demonstrations appear to be part of a strategy to hold rallies at sensitive locations in the capital while maintaining a round-the-clock protest base in a Pearl Square.

The Parliament became a target to coincide with a meeting called by the 40-member upper chamber, which is appointed by Bahrain's ruler. The session was delayed by several hours when protesters formed a human chain around the entrance.

From Parliament, the marchers moved to the state TV headquarters, chanting slogans that claim the reports on the unrest seek to widen rifts between the protesters and the monarchy.

Another demonstration outside Parliament is scheduled for Tuesday. MP Jassem Hussein of the Islamic National Accord Association bloc said the official resignation of the party's 18 members was still pending parliamentary approval. All of INAA's 18 MPs resigned Sunday in protest over the killing of seven anti-regime demonstrators. "We are still waiting... but expect this will be left as unfinished business," Hussein said.
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Arabia
Bahrain protesters swarm square, police flee
2011-02-20
[Al Arabiya] Anti-government protesters in Bahrain swarmed back into a symbolic square on Saturday, putting riot police to flight in a striking victory for their cause and confidently setting up camp for a protracted stay.

Crowds had approached Pearl Square in Manama from different directions, creating a standoff with riot police who had moved in earlier to replace troops withdrawn on royal orders. Suddenly police raced to their buses, which drove away mounting kerbs in their haste to escape.

The emboldened protesters, cheering and waving national flags, ran to the centre of the traffic circle, reoccupying it even before all the police had left. The crowd waved fleeing coppers through.

"We don't fear death anymore, let the army come and kill us to show the world what kind of savages they are," said Umm Mohammed, a teacher wearing a black abaya cloak.

Troops in tanks and armoured vehicles took over the traffic circle on Thursday after riot police attacked protesters who had camped out there, killing four people and wounding 231.

Army withdrawn
Bahrain's crown prince announced that all troops had been ordered off the streets and that police would maintain order.

"That's a very positive step," Jasim Hussain, a member of the main Shiite Wefaq bloc that quit parliament on Thursday, told Rooters. "They're trying to ease the tensions. I don't know whether it will be sufficient."

"We hope to hear a clear message from the government that it will stop killing people who are protesting peacefully."

Mattar said the king must accept the "concept" of constitutional monarchy, as well as withdrawing the military. "Then we can go for a temporary government of new faces that would not include the current interior or defence ministers."

He reiterated an opposition demand for the king to fire his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, crown prince, and prime minister since Bahrain gained its independence in 1971.

"We are not going to enter a dialogue as Shi'ites," Mattar said. "They try to put the issue in this frame. The dialogue should be with all people who were protesting. Some are liberal, non-Islamic. Some are Sunni and some Shi'ite."

Bahrain's general labor union called an indefinite strike on Saturday in protest against "violent acts" by police and demanding the right to demonstrate peacefully.

Bahrain's main Shiite opposition group said on Saturday that the government must resign and the army pull off the streets of the capital before it will take up an offer of dialogue from the crown prince.

"To consider dialogue, the government must resign and the army should withdraw from the streets" of Manama, said Abdul Jalil Khalil Ibrahim, parliamentary leader of the Islamic National Accord Association>Islamic National Accord Association (Al-Wefaq), the largest Shiite opposition bloc.

"What we're seeing now is not the language of dialogue but the language of force," he said.

On Friday King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa said he had granted the crown prince all powers to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of all gracious citizens from all sections" in the national dialogue.

Bahrain's crown prince appealed on television for calm. "Today is the time to sit down and hold a dialogue, not to fight," he said on Friday.

The monarch's offer of dialogue "is not serious," said the INAA's top MP, urging the authorities to take "serious and sincere measures that meet the requirements of the current situation".

"The situation is complicated and I fear it has run out of control," warned Ibrahim, whose group -- which holds 18 of the 40 seats in parliament -- has pulled out in protest.
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Arabia
Bahrain pulled back from "sectarian abyss": FM
2011-02-18
[Al Arabiya] Police action was necessary to pull Bahrain back from the "brink of a sectarian abyss," the Gulf Arab state's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said on Thursday.

Three people were killed and 231 maimed when police attacked anti-government protesters. The festivities came after thousands of overwhelmingly Shi'ite protesters took to Bahrain's streets demanding more say in the running of the kingdom.

After riot police had cleared protesters from Pearl square before dawn, soldiers in at least 40 trucks and armored vehicles took control of the road junction demonstrators had tried to turn into a protest base like Cairo's Tahrir Square.

The crackdown by the Bahraini authorities appeared designed to snuff out the protests before they could gather momentum, unlike the sustained unrest that unseated Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.

The main Shiite bloc Wefaq, which holds 17 of parliament's 40 seats, announced withdrawing from the parliament in protest. "We feel there was a decision to hurt people," MP Ibrahim Mattar said.

Abdul Jalil Khalil, who heads Wefaq's bloc in parliament, said his group and six others had demanded that the government resign and make way for a new national unity government.

"This is an atrocity," he said of the bloodshed. "Whoever took the decision to attack the protest was aiming to kill."

Al-Wefaq, or the Islamic National Accord Association, has said it would not end its boycott until demands are met to transform Bahrain "into a constitutional monarchy where the people would be the main source of power."

"The government should be elected by the people who would have the right to hold it accountable," its secretary-general Sheikh Ali Salman said on Wednesday.

A 2001 referendum transformed Bahrain from an emirate into a constitutional monarchy and led to elections in 2002 for the first time since parliament was scrapped in 1975.

The prime minister is named by the king, while the opposition wants the premier to be elected.
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Arabia
Shiites keep parliament seats in Bahrain's elections
2010-10-25
[Al Arabiya] Bahrain's embattled Shiite-led opposition held on to all of its parliament seats in weekend elections, according to official results announced Sunday, but fell short of the majority it hoped to win as a show of strength against the island kingdom's Sunni rulers.

The Islamic National Accord Association won 18 seats in the 40-member Bahraini parliament in Saturday's poll, the electoral commission announced.

The 18 candidates of INAA, which clinched 17 seats at the last poll in 2006, were all elected from a first round, with more than the required 50 percent of votes, commission chairman Abdullah al-Buainain told AFP.
Top Shiite holy man and MP Sheikh Ali Salman hailed the results and called for a "more positive" stance from the government.

"The most important message for the government is that al-Wefaq (INAA) is the largest political association in Bahrain," said Salman, who is also the head of INAA.

"The people's will must be respected and dealt with positively," he said.
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Arabia
'Bahrain's royal family must step down'
2010-10-22
[Iran Press TV] The Bahraini opposition has called for an end to the Sunni royal family's grip on power as the country's general elections near amid a tight clampdown on critics.

"It is unacceptable that power be monopolized by a single family, even one to which we owe respect and consideration," head of the Islamic National Accord Association Sheikh Ali Salman said late on Wednesday, AFP reported.
Sounds like the opening statements of the Third Estate ...
"We look forward to the day where any child of the people, be they Sunni or Shia can become prime minister," Sheikh Salman told a rally near the capital, Manama, in reference to religious discrimination the Shia majority have been complaining about.
Really farsighted, that man. Can't read anything closer than twenty miles away.
The pro-Western kingdom is to hold parliamentary elections on Saturday in an air soured by a severe crackdown on Shia muscle who have campaigned for reform.

Twenty-three Shia muscle are planned to go on trial -- two in absentia -- next week on charges of terrorism offenses and plotting to overthrow the Bahraini government.

Unlike a number of groups which have boycotted Bahrain's electoral process, Sheikh Salman's grouping says it is determined to work within the system.

The Islamic National Accord Association Sheikh holds 17 of the 40 seats in the outgoing parliament and will run for 18 this weekend.

"We are not defying anyone's authority. It's a political goal that we are working to achieve through legal and political means," Sheikh Salman said, warning this could take years.

Earlier in October, Amnesty International said that the Sunni-dominated government had detained a total of 250 Shia muscle in the run-up to the elections.

Despite reforms that came into force in 2002, Bahrain's ruling Khalifa family holds on to its grip on the premiership and other key posts ever since the Arab state won independence from Britain in 1971.
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Arabia
Bahrain to reassert state control over mosques
2010-09-07
[Al Arabiya] Bahrain has decided to reassert state control over the kingdom's mosques after charging Shiite opposition activists with plotting to overthrow the Sunni government, official media reported on Monday.

"Regaining control of the pulpits so they are not hostage to incompetent politicians or clerics who have lost their way... is the starting point for developing a sound religious orientation," Crown Prince Salman said in comments carried by the official BNA news agency.

Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa said the government would ensure that places of worship are run by those who promote "the values of tolerance and moderation," BNA said.

The two officials' comments came in messages addressed to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Sunday, a day after prosecutors pressed terrorism charges against the Shiite activists, raising tension in the run-up to an Oct. 23 general election.

According to a charge sheet released on Saturday, the 23 activists -- 10 of them prominent opposition figures -- stand accused of "undermining national security." Two of them, who live in London, are being tried in absentia.

Most of the suspects are members of Haq -- the Movement of Liberties and Democracy -- a Shiite group which rejected as inadequate reforms intended to put an end to Shiite-led unrest that rocked the 35-island archipelago through the 1990s.

Those reforms, enshrined in a 2002 charter, converted the emirate into a constitutional monarchy but Haq boycotted parliamentary elections in 2006 and intends to do the same next month.

The arrests have raised tensions between the government and the mainstream Shiite opposition which took part in the 2006 election, winning 17 of the 40 seats in parliament.

Sheikh Ali Salman, leader of the Islamic National Accord Association, warned last month that they would "lead to more protests."

He mocked the authorities' accusations against those arrested saying they could not have all belonged to a single secret organization as they had different opinions.
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Arabia
Arrested activists back violent groups: Bahrain
2010-08-23
[Al Arabiya Latest] Several muscle jugged in Bahrain over the past week have admitted to receiving funds to support groups which "incite violence," state news agency BNA quoted a security official as saying.

The suspects have "admitted to receiving funds and donations from religious scholars and businessmen under various covers, which they allegedly used to help... groups commit heinous acts," the official said late on Saturday.

"Investigations... proved that the suspects and others inside and outside (Bahrain) are leading sabotage groups and providing them with financial support to carry out acts of violence and terror throughout the kingdom," he charged.

Sheikh Ali Salman who heads the main Shiite political organization, the Islamic National Accord Association (INAA), warned the government that the arrests will "lead to more protests."

Those jugged "have different opinions" and could not therefore belong to a "secret organization," the cleric said in a statement posted on the INAA's official website, rejecting the government's allegations.

Bahrain's National Security Agency said last week that four Shiite men suspected of forming "an organized network aiming to shake the security and stability of the country" had been jugged.

Salman also said the authorities have set up checkpoints in several areas in a move he described as "unnecessary."

"Nobody knows where they are being held, they did not meet their lawyers and did not contact their families," he said of the suspects.

Abduljalil al-Singace, a leader of the opposition association Haq, was jugged on August 14. Three others--Sheikh Mohammed al-Moqdad, Sheikh Saeed al-Nuri and Abdulghani Ali Issa Khanjar--were detained the next day.

Moqdad and Singace had been released from prison in April 2009 in a royal pardon for 178 people detained on security charges.

On Wednesday, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned the arrests and said four others were also detained last week, naming them as Jaffar al-Hessabi, Mirza al-Mahroos, Abdulhadi al-Mukhuder and Mohammed Saeed.

Saeed is a board member of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, they said.

Haq, or the Movement of Liberties and Democracy, is a splinter group of the INAA. It boycotted elections in 2006, when the INAA won 17 out of 40 parliament seats.

Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni dynasty but has a Shiite majority population.

The archipelago state was plagued in the 1990s by a wave of Shiite-led unrest which has abated since the authorities launched steps to convert the Gulf emirate into a constitutional monarchy.
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