2011 Bahraini uprising
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Bahraini uprising, sometimes called the February 14 Revolution is a series of demonstrations, amounting to a sustained campaign of civil resistance
, in the Persian Gulf
country of Bahrain
. As part of the revolutionary wave
of protests in the Middle East and North Africa
following the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia, the Bahraini protests were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and equality for the majority Shia population, and expanded to a call to end the monarchy
of King Hamad following a deadly night raid on 17 February against protesters at the Pearl Roundabout
in Manama
.
Protesters in Manama camped out for days at the Pearl Roundabout, which functioned as the centre point of protests there. After a month, the government requested troops and police from the Gulf Cooperation Council, which arrived on 14 March, and a day later, the king of Bahrain declared martial law
and a three-month state of emergency
.
The police response has been described as a "brutal" crackdown on peaceful and unarmed protestors, including doctors and bloggers. The police carried out midnight house raids in Shia neighbourhoods, beatings at checkpoints, and denial of medical care in a campaign of intimidation. More than 2,929 people have been arrested, and at least four people have been returned dead after being detained in custody.
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
was established on 29 June 2011 by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to assess the incidents that occurred in the Kingdom during the period of unrest in February and March 2011 and the consequences of these events. The Commission reported its findings on 23 November 2011, followed by the government admitting wrongdoing.
and Syria
in an attempt to increase the Sunni percentage.
Shiite Muslims are blocked from serving in important political and military posts. Bahrain does have the National Assembly of Bahrain
, a popularly elected parliament, but it is not powerful. Occasional protests have flared up since the reign of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and, as of 18 February 2011, twenty-five Shiite activists were on trial for subverting state power.
Bahrain hosts the United States Naval Support Activity Bahrain
, the home of the US Fifth Fleet, and is thus crucial to US Department of Defense
attempts to counter Iranian military
power in the region.
The Saudi Arabian government and other Gulf region governments strongly support the King of Bahrain
. The influence of Iran
, a majority-Shiite nation, is disputed. Some, including those in regional intelligence circles, believe it to exert significant influence on the protestors. Iran has historically claimed Bahrain as a province and has provided ideological and material support for some important Shia movements, including the Haq Movement
and al-Wefaq. Bahrain has been described as a geopolitical battlefield where the interests of Saudi Arabia and Iran converge.
Bahrain was ranked 13th in the Economist Intelligence Unit
Shoe-Thrower's index, which is an attempt to gauge "unrest" in Arab world
countries. Bahrain is ranked 10 in the Heritage Foundation
’s 2011 Index of Economic Freedom
and is ranked 28 in the World Bank
’s 2011 Ease of Doing Business Index.
An election
to the parliament in 2010 was followed by controversy as well. However, the Shia-majority Al Wefaq National Islamic Society
won a plurality.
The date 14 February 2011 was chosen because it was the tenth anniversary of a referendum in favour of the National Action Charter of Bahrain
. Bahraini youths described their plans as an appeal for Bahrainis "to take to the streets on Monday 14 February in a peaceful and orderly manner" in order to rewrite the constitution
and to establish a body with a "full popular mandate to investigate and hold to account economic, political and social violations
, including stolen public wealth, political naturalisation, arrests, torture
and other oppressive security measures, [and] institutional and economic corruption." They referred to the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt as motivations for their appeal.Al Wefaq National Islamic Society
, which won a plurality in the recent parliamentary election, participated in the planning for demonstrations on 14 February. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
described authorities' preparations for the 14 February planned demonstrations as "a state of confusion, apprehension and anticipation". On 11 February, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa ordered that (approximately ) be given to "each family" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the National Action Charter
referendum. Agence France-Presse
linked the payments to the 14 February demonstration plans.
On 12 February, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
sent an open letter to the king, seeking to avoid a worst-case scenario by "releasing more than 450 detainees including [Bahraini] human rights
defenders, religious figures and more than 110 children, dissolv[ing] the security apparatus and [prosecuting] its official[s] responsible [for] violations and to start serious dialogue with civil society and opposition groups on disputed issues." BCHR
President Nabeel Rajab
stated: "The dissolving of the security apparatus and the prosecution of its officials will not only distance the King from the crimes committed by this apparatus especially since 2005, such as systemic torture and the use of excessive force against peaceful protests, but will avoid the fatal mistake committed by similar apparatuses in Tunisia and Egypt [revolutions]
which led to the loss of lives and hundreds of casualties and eventually resulted in the fall of the regimes who created these 'double edged swords'".
Following the raid against the Pearl Roundabout
on 17 February, some protesters started calling for an end to the monarchy.
Following the clearance of the Pearl Roundabout
, the government made an unconditional offer of political dialogue and security forces were withdrawn from the streets. Talks lead by the Crown Prince
were ruined by opposition radicals, who erected road blocks manned by armed vigilantes.
According to the BBC News
on 14 March, most of the opposition protesters had said they did not want to overthrow the monarchy but want the ruling family to give up most of its powers to the elected parliament. Some, however, had said they wanted a republic. Though the King has offered dialogue with the protesters, some of them had refused saying they wanted the government to step down.
The Shia citizens also demand an end to the mass naturalisation of Sunni foreigners, primarily from Pakistan, which is seen as an attempt to shift the demographics in the population. The protestors claim that around half the security forces in the army and police force consist of immigrants from Pakistan, Jordan and Yemen.
Journalists who attempted to report human rights abuses were arrested or claimed to have received anonymous death threats.
and Shia villages. Fourteen protesters were reportedly injured and one was killed
as Bahraini government forces used tear gas and rubber bullet
s to break up demonstrations, but protests continued into the evening, drawing several hundred participants. Most of the protesters were Shia Muslims, who make up the majority of Bahrain's population
. The next day, one person
attending the funeral of the protester killed on 14 February was shot dead and 25 more were hurt when security officers opened fire on mourners. The Al Wefaq National Islamic Society quickly declared its solidarity with protesters and announced it would not participate in the National Assembly
any longer. The same day, thousands of protesters stormed the Pearl Roundabout
in downtown Manama and occupied the area, setting up protest tents and camping out overnight. In the early morning of 17 February, security forces retook control of the roundabout, leaving five dead, 231 injured, and 70 missing. Manama was subsequently placed under lockdown, with tanks and armed soldiers taking up positions around the capital city. Troops withdrew from the Pearl Roundabout on 19 February, and protesters reestablished their camps there, and as protests intensified toward the end of the month, King Hamad was forced to offer concessions in the form of the release of political prisoners, the declaration of a national day of mourning for protesters killed in the preceding days, and the dismissal of several government ministers.
Protests continued into March, with the opposition expressing dissatisfaction with the government's response. A counter-demonstration on 2 March was staged, reportedly the largest political gathering in Bahrain's history, in support of the government. Sectarian violence broke out the next day between Sunni and Shia youths in Hamad Town, and police deployed tear gas to break up the clashes. Protesters escalated their calls for Prime Minister Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa, in power since 1971, to step down, gathering outside his office on 6 March. Several major Shia groups also called for the abdication of the monarchy and the establishment of a democratic republic in Bahrain, calls which are tantamount to treason. On 13 March, the government reacted strongly, with riot police firing tear gas canisters and tearing down protest tents in the Pearl Roundabout and using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators in the financial district.
(GCC) agreed to deploy Peninsula Shield Force troops to Bahrain. Saudi Arabia
deployed about 1,000 troops with armored support, and the United Arab Emirates
deployed about 500 police officers. The forces crossed into Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway
. The purported reason of the intervention was to secure key installations. The opposition reacted strongly, calling it an "occupation". The next day, King Hamad declared a state of emergency, and two people died in clashes between security officers and demonstrators. The Pearl Roundabout was violently cleared of protesters within days, leaving five dead and hundreds wounded. Several opposition figures, including Hassan Mushaima, were arrested. In an interview with Al Jazeera
, Mushaima had claimed protesters were gunned down despite offering only nonviolent civil resistance
. On 18 March, the Pearl Monument in the middle of the Pearl Roundabout was demolished on government orders. A planned "day of rage" across Bahrain late in March was quickly squelched by government troops, a sign of the apparent ascendancy of security forces in the faltering uprising.
In April, international doctors' organizations Médecins Sans Frontières
and Physicians for Human Rights
reported medical staff and patients were systematically detained from Bahraini hospitals by assailants allegedly acting on government orders. UK medics have stated that Bahrain is violating the Geneva Convention. The Bahraini government dismissed these reports as lies. Two Shia prisoners reportedly died in custody, but the government denied allegations that the jailed activists were tortured. Late in the month, four Shia demonstrators detained during March's deadly raid on the Pearl Roundabout were sentenced to death for allegedly attacking officers. The sentences for two of the condemned were later commuted to life imprisonment without parole. Bahrain's government suspended the country’s only opposition newspaper on 3 April, accusing it of printing false information about the ongoing democratic protest movement and of plagiarizing. Al Wasat is the only newspaper in Bahrain without connections to the ruling family, and was one of few domestic news sources for information on the protest movement. A human rights advocate, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, was reported missing in Bahrain on 9 April after masked security guards beat him unconscious in the middle of the night and carried away him and two sons-in-law. The Bahraini government didn't have an immediate comment. However, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior reported the deaths of two protesters while being held in custody. Ali Isa Saqer, 31, died at a detention center on 9 April, and Zechariah Rashid Hassan, 40, who was being held since 2 April, was found dead in a detention facility, and an autopsy confirmed the cause of death was sickle cell disease, authorities said. Hassan was charged with inciting hatred against the government, spreading false news and calling for an overthrow of the government. On 12 April, Bahrain has put two Iranians and a Bahraini on trial on charges of spying for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the state news agency said. On 15 April, Bahrain backed off its move to dissolve the kingdom’s strongest political opposition bloc after the US criticized the decision. The Ministry of Justice and Islamic affairs announced it was seeking court approval to ban Al Wefaq
, a Shiite political bloc that is the government’s strongest opposition, and the smaller Islamic Action Society
. It accused both groups of violating laws and harming “social peace and national unity.” But after the US State Department spokesman criticized the move, Bahrain’s official news agency removed the original statement and said that the ministry would wait for the outcome of current investigations before deciding to take action against the political societies. The abrupt U-turn suggests that the US, which has been largely silent over the past month, still wields influence over the tiny kingdom despite its acquiescence to Saudi interests there. On 22 April, Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group said the Sunni-led government has demolished 30 mosques since quelling political unrest in the Persian Gulf nation started. The Ministry of Justice said the buildings were “illegal” and “unlicensed” and demolished “to protect houses of worship and maintain their sanctity,” Bahrain News Agency said. On 25 April, Bahrain sought the death penalty in a case against seven defendants accused of killing two policemen during pro-democracy demonstrations last month, the official Bahrain News Agency said.
Much of May was comparatively quiet in Bahrain, with security being enforced by soldiers and riot police empowered by the state of emergency to use lethal force, as well as by foreign troops under the GCC. However, some clashes between protesters and police were reported, with several injuries on both sides. Nabeel Rajab
, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights
, and a critic of al-Khalifa Regime, said four grenades were fired at the house at 3:30 am Saturday in the village of Bani Jamra
, Bahrain, and two broke through the windows in quarters occupied by his brother, Nader, and his family. A third went off in the compound. He called the attack an attempt "to murder a member of my family to pressure me to stop my human rights activities," and described a harrowing scene of living quarters filled with acrid smoke that made breathing almost impossible. On 31 May, on the same day King Hamad called for a national dialogue to resolve ongoing tensions, a military court accused several opposition leaders and human rights activists of crimes against the state and ordered them to appear for interrogation. All of them were released in the same day.
On 31 May, the king of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, called for a national dialogue to resolve ongoing tensions. However the seriousness and effectiveness of the dialogue has been disputed by many opposition figures – it has even been referred to disparagingly as a "chitchat room".
On 1 June, protests erupted across Shia-dominated areas of Bahrain to demand the end of martial law as the state of emergency was officially lifted. Protests continued through early June, with demonstrators marching around the destroyed Pearl Roundabout, but security forces battled back and regularly dispersed demonstrators. The Bahrain Grand Prix
, a major Formula 1 racing event, was officially cancelled as the uprising wore on. On 11 June, protest was announced in advance but did not receive government permission, opposition supporters said. It was held in the Shi'ite district of Saar, west of the capital. Police did not stop up to 10,000 people who came to the rally, many in cars, said a Reuters witness. Helicopters buzzed overhead. On 13 June, Bahrain's rulers commence the trials of 48 medical professionals, including some of the country's top surgeons, a move seen as the hounding of those who treated injured protesters during the popular uprising which was crushed by the military intervention of Saudi Arabia. On 18 June, The Bahraini government decided to lift a ban on the largest opposition party. On 22 June, the Bahraini government sent 21 opposition figures to be tried by a special security court which sentences 8 pro-democracy activists to life in prison for their role in the uprising; Others defendants were sentenced to between two and 15 years in jail.
On 9 August the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
announced that 137 detainees had been released, including Matar Matar and Jawad Fayrouz, Shia MPs from the Al-Wefaq opposition party.
said that Bahraini authorities were blocking a Facebook group being used for planned protests on 14 February, and that its own website had been blocked for many years. Nabeel Rajab
, head of the centre, said that the group was "only asking for political reforms, right of political participation, respect for human rights, stopping of systematic discrimination against Shias". Several bloggers were arrested prior to 6 February.
Following the deployment of Gulf Cooperation Council forces, the government stepped up the arrests of Shia Muslims, including many cyber activists, with more than 300 detained and dozens missing, the opposition stated on 31 March. Rajab said that a growing number of reform campaigners were going into hiding, after the country's most-prominent blogger, Mahmood al-Yousif, was arrested a day earlier, on 30 March. Although al-Yousif was released on 1 April, several other people, including Abdul Khaleq al-Oraibi, a pro-opposition doctor working at Salmaniya Hospital, were detained.
Google Earth
had previously been blocked after it showed the locations of the ruling family's estates which was reported to have stirred up discontent.
On 3 April, Bahraini authorities prevented the publishing of Alwasat, the country's main opposition newspaper, and blocked its website. The Information Affairs Authority was said to be investigating allegations that editors intentionally published misleading information. However, on 4 April, the newspaper resumed printing, although a government spokesperson said the newspaper had broken press laws.
On 6 April, officials at a number of Bahraini companies said they had laid off more than 200 workers due to absence during a strike in March. According to Al Wefaq
estimate, more than 1,000 workers had been laid off and most were Shia. More lay-offs are expected at the Bahrain Petroleum Company which had fired the head of its workers' union. In Geneva
, Switzerland, the International Labour Organisation denounced the mass sackings and "other repressive measures" in Bahrain, and said it would organise a high-level mission to the Gulf state as soon as possible to talk to the government and to worker and employer organisations.
On 14 April, the Justice Ministry stated it was seeking to ban the Wefaq party, as well as the Islamic Action party, a Wefaq ally, for "undertaking activities that harmed social peace, national unity, and inciting disrespect for constitutional institutions." The US State Department quickly raised concerns about these plans, prompting the Bahraini authorities to state, a day later, that they were holding off any action until investigations into the Wefaq party were finalized.
In early May, Al Wefaq claimed that in response to the protests, Bahraini police had "raided up to 15 mainly girls schools, detaining, beating and threatening to rape girls as young as 12." Based on its own investigation, Al Jazeera English described the police actions as "periodic raids on girls' schools" and interviewed a 16-year-old girl, "Heba", who had been taken from her school together with three other pupils and beaten severely during three days of police detention.
By mid-May, 28 mosques and Shia religious buildings had been destroyed by the Bahraini authorities in response to the anti-government protests, according to Al Jazeera English and journalist Robert Fisk
. The Justice Ministry stated that the mosques were destroyed because they were unlicensed. Adel Mouwda
, first deputy speaker of the Council of Representatives of Bahrain
, stated that the buildings destroyed were mostly "not mosques" since they were "expansions of mosques in some private territories", and that some of the mosques destroyed were Sunni mosques.
However the Bahraini government claimed in a confidential report to the UN in April 2011 that Lebanese political organisation Hezbollah, considered a terrorist group by the US, is present in Bahrain and is actively involved in the organisation of the unrest.
Ayat Al-Qurmozi was also found guilty of organising protests and assembling at the Pearl Roundabout and reading a poem critical of government policy. Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak, her spokesman, said that the poem "caused incitement and hatred to his majesty the king and to the prime minister" with lines such as "we are people who kill humiliation" and "assassinate misery."
As of 22 May 515 detainees had been released and more than 140 were released on 9 August.
Speaking before the parliament, Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said that some 391 security officers and 56 citizens and expatriates were also injured while four other security officers were "abducted and tortured".
There are 26 confirmed deaths, 25 civilians and one Saudi soldier:
Nabeel Rajab
said that the King's response was not enough to satisfy protesters' demands. After the government crackdown with the support of Saudi Arabia, the king said that "An external plot has been fomented for 20 to 30 years until the ground was ripe for subversive designs...I here announce the failure of the fomented plot." He also thanked the GCC states for their intervention.
He called for "dialogue" and a direction that the King's son, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, work on a resolution to the conflict. On 13 March, in a televised statement, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa renewed his call for national dialogue, promising talks would address key demands such as bolstering the power of parliament and that any deal could be put to a referendum. He said talks would also cover electoral and governmental reforms, as well as looking into claims of corruption and sectarianism.
King Hamad took a series of steps aimed at initiating a period of reconciliation following the unrest in February and March 2011. He established the Bahrain national dialogue
on 1 July 2011 as a forum for the discussion and promotion of reform. The National Dialogue aims to establish “common principles for the relaunch of the political reform process," according to Chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani
. The King also established the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
(BICI), chaired by noted human rights lawyer M. Cherif Bassiouni], on 29 June 2011 to investigate the events of February and March 2011 and their consequences. The BICI
will publicise its report by the end of October 2011.
Four members of the Shura council
, the upper house of parliament, Mohamed Hadi al-Halawji, Mohamed Baqir Hasan Radi, Nasser al-Mubarak and Nada Hafad resigned in protests against the crackdown. Hafad quit first accusing the government and state media
of attempting to foment divisions within Bahraini society.
A parliamentary by-election was held on 24 September 2011 to replace the 18 members of the largest political party in parliament, al Wefaq
, who had resigned in protest at governmental actions. Security forces made several arrests on 23 September and on 24 September closed Pearl Roundabout
and attacked protestors in the village of Sanabis, who intended to march to Pearl Roundabout.
, which canceled the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix
due to instability and outcry over the actions of the Bahraini government. Western governments and organisations have generally expressed more magnanimity toward the Bahraini government, seen as a key ally of the European Union
and the United States and a bulwark against nearby Iran
, than they have toward other governments accused of violating the human rights of protesters during the Arab Spring
. The United States and the United Kingdom have condemned the use of violence by Bahraini authorities. They did not call for regime change or threaten sanctions
.
Iran has expressed strong support for demonstrators, the majority of whom follow Shia Islam, the Iranian state religion. Relations between Tehran
and Manama
have cooled considerably during the uprising, with both countries expelling one another's ambassadors. Iran was joined by Iraq
in opposing the Gulf Cooperation Council's military intervention in Bahrain. Allies of the Bahraini government, such as Saudi Arabia
and other GCC member states, have conversely blamed Iran for inciting upheaval in the small archipelago country and questioned the legitimacy of the protesters' demands, echoing Manama's claims.
Thousands of Shia protesters
arose in Iraq
and Qatif
, Saudi Arabia, in opposition to the Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain. The Gulf Co-operation Council and the Saudi government have defended the action as necessary to restore stability and security in the country.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International
have documented alleged atrocities in Bahrain and strongly condemned authorities' response to the uprising. The treatment of medical professionals accused of administering to opposition activists has been a particular source of distress to critics of the government, including both human rights advocates and journalists working in the region.
The Bahraini government’s decision to establish an independent inquiry to investigate the unrest won praise from many western governments, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as human rights organisations such as Amnesty International
.
Civil resistance
The term civil resistance, alongside the term nonviolent resistance, is used to describe political action that relies on the use of non-violent methods by civil groups to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. Civil resistance operates through appeals to the adversary, pressure and...
, in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
country of Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. As part of the revolutionary wave
Revolutionary wave
A revolutionary wave is a series of revolutions occurring in various locations in a similar time period. In many cases, an initial revolution inspires other "affiliate revolutions" with similar aims....
of protests in the Middle East and North Africa
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
following the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia, the Bahraini protests were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and equality for the majority Shia population, and expanded to a call to end the monarchy
King of Bahrain
The King of Bahrain is the monarch and head of state of Bahrain. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of Hakim, and, from 1971 until 2002, the title of Emir...
of King Hamad following a deadly night raid on 17 February against protesters at the Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout was a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain...
in Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
.
Protesters in Manama camped out for days at the Pearl Roundabout, which functioned as the centre point of protests there. After a month, the government requested troops and police from the Gulf Cooperation Council, which arrived on 14 March, and a day later, the king of Bahrain declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and a three-month state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
.
The police response has been described as a "brutal" crackdown on peaceful and unarmed protestors, including doctors and bloggers. The police carried out midnight house raids in Shia neighbourhoods, beatings at checkpoints, and denial of medical care in a campaign of intimidation. More than 2,929 people have been arrested, and at least four people have been returned dead after being detained in custody.
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry also known locally in Bahrain as Bassiouni Commission was established by the King of Bahrain on 29 June 2011 tasked with looking into the incidents that occurred during the period of unrest in Bahrain in February and March 2011 and the consequences of...
was established on 29 June 2011 by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to assess the incidents that occurred in the Kingdom during the period of unrest in February and March 2011 and the consequences of these events. The Commission reported its findings on 23 November 2011, followed by the government admitting wrongdoing.
Background
Bahrain's Shia majority has often complained of receiving poor treatment in employment, housing, and infrastructure, while Sunnis have preferential status. The Bahraini government has reportedly imported Sunnis from PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in an attempt to increase the Sunni percentage.
Shiite Muslims are blocked from serving in important political and military posts. Bahrain does have the National Assembly of Bahrain
National Assembly of Bahrain
The National Assembly is the name of both chambers of the Bahraini parliament when sitting in joint session, as laid out in the Constitution of 2002....
, a popularly elected parliament, but it is not powerful. Occasional protests have flared up since the reign of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and, as of 18 February 2011, twenty-five Shiite activists were on trial for subverting state power.
Bahrain hosts the United States Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Naval Support Activity Bahrain is a United States Navy base, situated in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and United States Fifth Fleet. It is the primary base in the region for the naval and marine activities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and...
, the home of the US Fifth Fleet, and is thus crucial to US Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
attempts to counter Iranian military
Military of Iran
The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran include the IRIA and the IRGC and the Police Force .These forces total about 545,000 active personnel . All branches of armed forces fall under the command of General Headquarters of Armed Forces...
power in the region.
The Saudi Arabian government and other Gulf region governments strongly support the King of Bahrain
King of Bahrain
The King of Bahrain is the monarch and head of state of Bahrain. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of Hakim, and, from 1971 until 2002, the title of Emir...
. The influence of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, a majority-Shiite nation, is disputed. Some, including those in regional intelligence circles, believe it to exert significant influence on the protestors. Iran has historically claimed Bahrain as a province and has provided ideological and material support for some important Shia movements, including the Haq Movement
Haq Movement
The Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy is an opposition political organization in Bahrain founded in 2005 with Hasan Mushaima as its Secretary general...
and al-Wefaq. Bahrain has been described as a geopolitical battlefield where the interests of Saudi Arabia and Iran converge.
Bahrain was ranked 13th in the Economist Intelligence Unit
Economist Intelligence Unit
The Economist Intelligence Unit is part of the Economist Group.It is a research and advisory company providing country, industry and management analysis worldwide and incorporates the former Business International Corporation, a U.S. company acquired by the parent organization in 1986...
Shoe-Thrower's index, which is an attempt to gauge "unrest" in Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
countries. Bahrain is ranked 10 in the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
’s 2011 Index of Economic Freedom
Index of Economic Freedom
The Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. Its stated objective is to measure the degree of economic freedom in the world's nations....
and is ranked 28 in the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
’s 2011 Ease of Doing Business Index.
An election
Bahraini parliamentary election, 2010
A parliamentary election was held in Bahrain with the first-round on 23 October, and the second round on 30 October 2010. Al-Wefaq won a plurality...
to the parliament in 2010 was followed by controversy as well. However, the Shia-majority Al Wefaq National Islamic Society
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
won a plurality.
Overview
National Action Charter of Bahrain
The National Action Charter of Bahrain is a document put forward by King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain in 2001 in order to end the popular 1990s Uprising and return the country to constitutional rule. It was approved in a national referendum in 2001, in which 98.4% of the voters voted in...
. Bahraini youths described their plans as an appeal for Bahrainis "to take to the streets on Monday 14 February in a peaceful and orderly manner" in order to rewrite the constitution
Constitution of Bahrain
Bahrain has had two constitutions in its modern history. The first one was promulgated in 1973, and the second one in 2002.-Constitution of 1973:* Full text of the 1973 constitution...
and to establish a body with a "full popular mandate to investigate and hold to account economic, political and social violations
Human rights in Bahrain
Bahrain's record on human rights has been described by Human Rights Watch as "dismal", and having "deteriorated sharply in the latter half of 2010"....
, including stolen public wealth, political naturalisation, arrests, torture
Torture in Bahrain
Torture in Bahrain refers to the violation of Bahrain’s obligations as a state party to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and other international treaties and disregard for the prohibition of torture enshrined in Bahraini...
and other oppressive security measures, [and] institutional and economic corruption." They referred to the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt as motivations for their appeal.Al Wefaq National Islamic Society
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
, which won a plurality in the recent parliamentary election, participated in the planning for demonstrations on 14 February. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
described authorities' preparations for the 14 February planned demonstrations as "a state of confusion, apprehension and anticipation". On 11 February, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa ordered that (approximately ) be given to "each family" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the National Action Charter
National Action Charter of Bahrain
The National Action Charter of Bahrain is a document put forward by King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain in 2001 in order to end the popular 1990s Uprising and return the country to constitutional rule. It was approved in a national referendum in 2001, in which 98.4% of the voters voted in...
referendum. Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
linked the payments to the 14 February demonstration plans.
On 12 February, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
sent an open letter to the king, seeking to avoid a worst-case scenario by "releasing more than 450 detainees including [Bahraini] human rights
Human rights in Bahrain
Bahrain's record on human rights has been described by Human Rights Watch as "dismal", and having "deteriorated sharply in the latter half of 2010"....
defenders, religious figures and more than 110 children, dissolv[ing] the security apparatus and [prosecuting] its official[s] responsible [for] violations and to start serious dialogue with civil society and opposition groups on disputed issues." BCHR
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
President Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
stated: "The dissolving of the security apparatus and the prosecution of its officials will not only distance the King from the crimes committed by this apparatus especially since 2005, such as systemic torture and the use of excessive force against peaceful protests, but will avoid the fatal mistake committed by similar apparatuses in Tunisia and Egypt [revolutions]
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
which led to the loss of lives and hundreds of casualties and eventually resulted in the fall of the regimes who created these 'double edged swords'".
Following the raid against the Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout was a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain...
on 17 February, some protesters started calling for an end to the monarchy.
Following the clearance of the Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout was a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain...
, the government made an unconditional offer of political dialogue and security forces were withdrawn from the streets. Talks lead by the Crown Prince
Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain is the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain defence force...
were ruined by opposition radicals, who erected road blocks manned by armed vigilantes.
According to the BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
on 14 March, most of the opposition protesters had said they did not want to overthrow the monarchy but want the ruling family to give up most of its powers to the elected parliament. Some, however, had said they wanted a republic. Though the King has offered dialogue with the protesters, some of them had refused saying they wanted the government to step down.
The Shia citizens also demand an end to the mass naturalisation of Sunni foreigners, primarily from Pakistan, which is seen as an attempt to shift the demographics in the population. The protestors claim that around half the security forces in the army and police force consist of immigrants from Pakistan, Jordan and Yemen.
Journalists who attempted to report human rights abuses were arrested or claimed to have received anonymous death threats.
Timeline
Protests began on 14 February 2011, but met immediate resistance from security forces in ManamaManama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
and Shia villages. Fourteen protesters were reportedly injured and one was killed
Death of Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima
Ali Abdulhadi Mushiama was a 21-year-old Bahraini who died in hospital on the evening of Monday, 14 February 2011 after reportedly being hit in the back by bird pellet gunshots fired from short distance by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising...
as Bahraini government forces used tear gas and rubber bullet
Rubber bullet
Rubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...
s to break up demonstrations, but protests continued into the evening, drawing several hundred participants. Most of the protesters were Shia Muslims, who make up the majority of Bahrain's population
Demographics of Bahrain
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Bahrain, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
. The next day, one person
Death of Fadhel Al-Matrook
Fadhel Salman Ali Salman Ali Al-Matrook was a 31-year-old Bahraini who died in hospital on 15 February 2011 after reportedly being hit in the back and chest by bird pellet gunshots fired from short distance by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising...
attending the funeral of the protester killed on 14 February was shot dead and 25 more were hurt when security officers opened fire on mourners. The Al Wefaq National Islamic Society quickly declared its solidarity with protesters and announced it would not participate in the National Assembly
National Assembly of Bahrain
The National Assembly is the name of both chambers of the Bahraini parliament when sitting in joint session, as laid out in the Constitution of 2002....
any longer. The same day, thousands of protesters stormed the Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout was a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain...
in downtown Manama and occupied the area, setting up protest tents and camping out overnight. In the early morning of 17 February, security forces retook control of the roundabout, leaving five dead, 231 injured, and 70 missing. Manama was subsequently placed under lockdown, with tanks and armed soldiers taking up positions around the capital city. Troops withdrew from the Pearl Roundabout on 19 February, and protesters reestablished their camps there, and as protests intensified toward the end of the month, King Hamad was forced to offer concessions in the form of the release of political prisoners, the declaration of a national day of mourning for protesters killed in the preceding days, and the dismissal of several government ministers.
Protests continued into March, with the opposition expressing dissatisfaction with the government's response. A counter-demonstration on 2 March was staged, reportedly the largest political gathering in Bahrain's history, in support of the government. Sectarian violence broke out the next day between Sunni and Shia youths in Hamad Town, and police deployed tear gas to break up the clashes. Protesters escalated their calls for Prime Minister Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa, in power since 1971, to step down, gathering outside his office on 6 March. Several major Shia groups also called for the abdication of the monarchy and the establishment of a democratic republic in Bahrain, calls which are tantamount to treason. On 13 March, the government reacted strongly, with riot police firing tear gas canisters and tearing down protest tents in the Pearl Roundabout and using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators in the financial district.
International military operations
On 14 March, the Gulf Cooperation CouncilCooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf , also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council , is a political and economic union of the Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf and constituting the Arabian Peninsula, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates...
(GCC) agreed to deploy Peninsula Shield Force troops to Bahrain. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
deployed about 1,000 troops with armored support, and the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
deployed about 500 police officers. The forces crossed into Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway
King Fahd Causeway
The King Fahd Causeway is a causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The idea of constructing the causeway was based on improving the links and bonds between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain...
. The purported reason of the intervention was to secure key installations. The opposition reacted strongly, calling it an "occupation". The next day, King Hamad declared a state of emergency, and two people died in clashes between security officers and demonstrators. The Pearl Roundabout was violently cleared of protesters within days, leaving five dead and hundreds wounded. Several opposition figures, including Hassan Mushaima, were arrested. In an interview with Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, Mushaima had claimed protesters were gunned down despite offering only nonviolent civil resistance
Civil resistance
The term civil resistance, alongside the term nonviolent resistance, is used to describe political action that relies on the use of non-violent methods by civil groups to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. Civil resistance operates through appeals to the adversary, pressure and...
. On 18 March, the Pearl Monument in the middle of the Pearl Roundabout was demolished on government orders. A planned "day of rage" across Bahrain late in March was quickly squelched by government troops, a sign of the apparent ascendancy of security forces in the faltering uprising.
In April, international doctors' organizations Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
and Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights was founded in 1986 by a small group of doctors who believed the unique scientific expertise and authority of health professionals could bring human rights violations to light and provide justice for victims...
reported medical staff and patients were systematically detained from Bahraini hospitals by assailants allegedly acting on government orders. UK medics have stated that Bahrain is violating the Geneva Convention. The Bahraini government dismissed these reports as lies. Two Shia prisoners reportedly died in custody, but the government denied allegations that the jailed activists were tortured. Late in the month, four Shia demonstrators detained during March's deadly raid on the Pearl Roundabout were sentenced to death for allegedly attacking officers. The sentences for two of the condemned were later commuted to life imprisonment without parole. Bahrain's government suspended the country’s only opposition newspaper on 3 April, accusing it of printing false information about the ongoing democratic protest movement and of plagiarizing. Al Wasat is the only newspaper in Bahrain without connections to the ruling family, and was one of few domestic news sources for information on the protest movement. A human rights advocate, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, was reported missing in Bahrain on 9 April after masked security guards beat him unconscious in the middle of the night and carried away him and two sons-in-law. The Bahraini government didn't have an immediate comment. However, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior reported the deaths of two protesters while being held in custody. Ali Isa Saqer, 31, died at a detention center on 9 April, and Zechariah Rashid Hassan, 40, who was being held since 2 April, was found dead in a detention facility, and an autopsy confirmed the cause of death was sickle cell disease, authorities said. Hassan was charged with inciting hatred against the government, spreading false news and calling for an overthrow of the government. On 12 April, Bahrain has put two Iranians and a Bahraini on trial on charges of spying for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the state news agency said. On 15 April, Bahrain backed off its move to dissolve the kingdom’s strongest political opposition bloc after the US criticized the decision. The Ministry of Justice and Islamic affairs announced it was seeking court approval to ban Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
, a Shiite political bloc that is the government’s strongest opposition, and the smaller Islamic Action Society
Islamic Action Society
The Islamic Action Society is one of the main Islamist political parties in Bahrain, and mainly appeals to Shīʻa followers of the Najaf-based Āyatu l-Lāh, Hādī al-Mudarrisī, who are known as "the Shirāzī faction"....
. It accused both groups of violating laws and harming “social peace and national unity.” But after the US State Department spokesman criticized the move, Bahrain’s official news agency removed the original statement and said that the ministry would wait for the outcome of current investigations before deciding to take action against the political societies. The abrupt U-turn suggests that the US, which has been largely silent over the past month, still wields influence over the tiny kingdom despite its acquiescence to Saudi interests there. On 22 April, Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group said the Sunni-led government has demolished 30 mosques since quelling political unrest in the Persian Gulf nation started. The Ministry of Justice said the buildings were “illegal” and “unlicensed” and demolished “to protect houses of worship and maintain their sanctity,” Bahrain News Agency said. On 25 April, Bahrain sought the death penalty in a case against seven defendants accused of killing two policemen during pro-democracy demonstrations last month, the official Bahrain News Agency said.
Much of May was comparatively quiet in Bahrain, with security being enforced by soldiers and riot police empowered by the state of emergency to use lethal force, as well as by foreign troops under the GCC. However, some clashes between protesters and police were reported, with several injuries on both sides. Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
, and a critic of al-Khalifa Regime, said four grenades were fired at the house at 3:30 am Saturday in the village of Bani Jamra
Bani Jamra
Bani Jamra is a village in the north-west of Bahrain. It lies east of Budaiya and south of Diraz. It is administered under the Northern Governorate. Before the discovery of oil in Bahrain, most of inhabitants were involved in farming, especially date palms...
, Bahrain, and two broke through the windows in quarters occupied by his brother, Nader, and his family. A third went off in the compound. He called the attack an attempt "to murder a member of my family to pressure me to stop my human rights activities," and described a harrowing scene of living quarters filled with acrid smoke that made breathing almost impossible. On 31 May, on the same day King Hamad called for a national dialogue to resolve ongoing tensions, a military court accused several opposition leaders and human rights activists of crimes against the state and ordered them to appear for interrogation. All of them were released in the same day.
On 31 May, the king of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, called for a national dialogue to resolve ongoing tensions. However the seriousness and effectiveness of the dialogue has been disputed by many opposition figures – it has even been referred to disparagingly as a "chitchat room".
On 1 June, protests erupted across Shia-dominated areas of Bahrain to demand the end of martial law as the state of emergency was officially lifted. Protests continued through early June, with demonstrators marching around the destroyed Pearl Roundabout, but security forces battled back and regularly dispersed demonstrators. The Bahrain Grand Prix
Bahrain Grand Prix
The Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula One Championship race which first took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on 4 April 2004.The Bahrain Grand Prix, sponsored by Gulf Air, made history as the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East...
, a major Formula 1 racing event, was officially cancelled as the uprising wore on. On 11 June, protest was announced in advance but did not receive government permission, opposition supporters said. It was held in the Shi'ite district of Saar, west of the capital. Police did not stop up to 10,000 people who came to the rally, many in cars, said a Reuters witness. Helicopters buzzed overhead. On 13 June, Bahrain's rulers commence the trials of 48 medical professionals, including some of the country's top surgeons, a move seen as the hounding of those who treated injured protesters during the popular uprising which was crushed by the military intervention of Saudi Arabia. On 18 June, The Bahraini government decided to lift a ban on the largest opposition party. On 22 June, the Bahraini government sent 21 opposition figures to be tried by a special security court which sentences 8 pro-democracy activists to life in prison for their role in the uprising; Others defendants were sentenced to between two and 15 years in jail.
On 9 August the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry also known locally in Bahrain as Bassiouni Commission was established by the King of Bahrain on 29 June 2011 tasked with looking into the incidents that occurred during the period of unrest in Bahrain in February and March 2011 and the consequences of...
announced that 137 detainees had been released, including Matar Matar and Jawad Fayrouz, Shia MPs from the Al-Wefaq opposition party.
Censorship and repression
The Bahrain Centre for Human RightsBahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
said that Bahraini authorities were blocking a Facebook group being used for planned protests on 14 February, and that its own website had been blocked for many years. Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
, head of the centre, said that the group was "only asking for political reforms, right of political participation, respect for human rights, stopping of systematic discrimination against Shias". Several bloggers were arrested prior to 6 February.
Following the deployment of Gulf Cooperation Council forces, the government stepped up the arrests of Shia Muslims, including many cyber activists, with more than 300 detained and dozens missing, the opposition stated on 31 March. Rajab said that a growing number of reform campaigners were going into hiding, after the country's most-prominent blogger, Mahmood al-Yousif, was arrested a day earlier, on 30 March. Although al-Yousif was released on 1 April, several other people, including Abdul Khaleq al-Oraibi, a pro-opposition doctor working at Salmaniya Hospital, were detained.
Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
had previously been blocked after it showed the locations of the ruling family's estates which was reported to have stirred up discontent.
On 3 April, Bahraini authorities prevented the publishing of Alwasat, the country's main opposition newspaper, and blocked its website. The Information Affairs Authority was said to be investigating allegations that editors intentionally published misleading information. However, on 4 April, the newspaper resumed printing, although a government spokesperson said the newspaper had broken press laws.
On 6 April, officials at a number of Bahraini companies said they had laid off more than 200 workers due to absence during a strike in March. According to Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
estimate, more than 1,000 workers had been laid off and most were Shia. More lay-offs are expected at the Bahrain Petroleum Company which had fired the head of its workers' union. In Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland, the International Labour Organisation denounced the mass sackings and "other repressive measures" in Bahrain, and said it would organise a high-level mission to the Gulf state as soon as possible to talk to the government and to worker and employer organisations.
On 14 April, the Justice Ministry stated it was seeking to ban the Wefaq party, as well as the Islamic Action party, a Wefaq ally, for "undertaking activities that harmed social peace, national unity, and inciting disrespect for constitutional institutions." The US State Department quickly raised concerns about these plans, prompting the Bahraini authorities to state, a day later, that they were holding off any action until investigations into the Wefaq party were finalized.
In early May, Al Wefaq claimed that in response to the protests, Bahraini police had "raided up to 15 mainly girls schools, detaining, beating and threatening to rape girls as young as 12." Based on its own investigation, Al Jazeera English described the police actions as "periodic raids on girls' schools" and interviewed a 16-year-old girl, "Heba", who had been taken from her school together with three other pupils and beaten severely during three days of police detention.
By mid-May, 28 mosques and Shia religious buildings had been destroyed by the Bahraini authorities in response to the anti-government protests, according to Al Jazeera English and journalist Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk is an English writer and journalist from Maidstone, Kent. As Middle East correspondent of The Independent, he has primarily been based in Beirut for more than 30 years. He has published a number of books and has reported on the United States's war in Afghanistan and the same country's...
. The Justice Ministry stated that the mosques were destroyed because they were unlicensed. Adel Mouwda
Adel Mouwda
Sheikh Adel Al Mouwda was the second deputy chairman of Bahrain's parliament of 2002, the Chamber of Deputies, and the former leader of salafist party, Asalah...
, first deputy speaker of the Council of Representatives of Bahrain
Council of Representatives of Bahrain
The Council of Representatives , sometimes translated as the "Chamber of Deputies", is the name given to the lower house of the Bahraini National Assembly, the main legislative body of Bahrain....
, stated that the buildings destroyed were mostly "not mosques" since they were "expansions of mosques in some private territories", and that some of the mosques destroyed were Sunni mosques.
Expulsions
Alwasat newspaper, reported on 12 April, Issue no. 3139, that sixteen Lebanese nationals were requested by the Bahraini security services to leave the country. No details or reasons for the request were given.However the Bahraini government claimed in a confidential report to the UN in April 2011 that Lebanese political organisation Hezbollah, considered a terrorist group by the US, is present in Bahrain and is actively involved in the organisation of the unrest.
Incarcerations
Amongst the more prominent opposition figures, the Al-Khawaja family has been intermittently in and out of prison, even before the uprising began. Since the start of the uprising, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, the former president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was placed on trial for his part in the uprising. On 22 June, he was sentenced to life in prison. His daughters and sons-in-law have also been intermittently in and out of prison since the counter-revolutionary crackdown by the government.Ayat Al-Qurmozi was also found guilty of organising protests and assembling at the Pearl Roundabout and reading a poem critical of government policy. Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak, her spokesman, said that the poem "caused incitement and hatred to his majesty the king and to the prime minister" with lines such as "we are people who kill humiliation" and "assassinate misery."
As of 22 May 515 detainees had been released and more than 140 were released on 9 August.
Torture claims
In the period following the 2011 uprising numerous allegations of government-sponsored torture were reported in the media by human rights groups. The government has also alleged that protestors abducted and tortured members of the security forces, and there is evidence that Asian migrant workers were also subjected to attacks by groups of protestors. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry is tasked with investigating all allegations of torture and is due to report its findings by the end of October 2011.| Torture claims made by: |
|---|
Nabeel Rajab Nabeel Rajab Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group .... (president of BCHR Bahrain Centre for Human Rights The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002... )
Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
ABC News ABC News ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
The Independent The Independent The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
Human Rights First Human Rights First Human Rights First is a nonprofit, nonpartisan human rights organization based in New York City and Washington, D.C....
Financial Times Financial Times The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
Front Line Front line A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
Amnesty International Amnesty International Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
Socialist Worker Online
The Guardian The Guardian The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Daily Mail Daily Mail The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
The Christian Science Monitor The Christian Science Monitor The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
CNN CNN Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
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Nicholas Kristof (columnist for The New York Times)
Kristen Chick (Reporter for The Christian Science Monitor)
|
Injuries
As of February 2011, the total number of injured since the start of the protests is 541, out of which 485 have been released and 56 are still hospitalised.Speaking before the parliament, Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said that some 391 security officers and 56 citizens and expatriates were also injured while four other security officers were "abducted and tortured".
Deaths
Bahrain's Interior Minister, Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah al-Khalifa, stated on 29 March that a total of twenty-four people had been killed in the protests. He said that four security officers, seven civilians and 13 protesters had perished in the weeks of unrest. Two of the civilians were an Indian and a Bangladeshi. With the deaths of four detained protestors in custody between 3 and 12 April the death toll reached 30 (when including the four police officers and one Saudi soldier killed). Later, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights claimed on 14 April, that 31 protestors were killed since the start of the unrest, which would make a total of 36 deaths.There are 26 confirmed deaths, 25 civilians and one Saudi soldier:
| Name | Age | From | Date of Death | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima Death of Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima Ali Abdulhadi Mushiama was a 21-year-old Bahraini who died in hospital on the evening of Monday, 14 February 2011 after reportedly being hit in the back by bird pellet gunshots fired from short distance by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising... |
21 | Daih Al Daih Al Daih is a village on the north of Bahrain. It lies to the east of Budaiya, west of Al Manama. It is a predominantly Shia village.-See also:* List of cities in Bahrain... |
14 Feb 2011 | died in hospital on the evening of Monday, 14 February, 2011 after reportedly being hit in the back by bird pellet gunshots (a type of shotgun shell) fired from short distance by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising 2011 Bahraini uprising The 2011 Bahraini uprising, sometimes called the February 14 Revolution is a series of demonstrations, amounting to a sustained campaign of civil resistance, in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain... |
| Fadhel Al-Matrook Death of Fadhel Al-Matrook Fadhel Salman Ali Salman Ali Al-Matrook was a 31-year-old Bahraini who died in hospital on 15 February 2011 after reportedly being hit in the back and chest by bird pellet gunshots fired from short distance by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising... |
31 | Mahooz | 15 Feb 2011 | Buckshot wounds (shotgun) |
| Mahmood Ahmed Makki | 23 | Sitra Sitra Sitra is an island in the Central Governorate of Bahrain, just east of Bahrain Island in Persian Gulf. It lies south of Manama and Nabih Saleh. The island's western coast forms the boundary of Tubli Bay.... |
17 Feb 2011 | Buckshot wounds (shotgun) |
| Ali Mansoor Khudhair | 52 | Sitra | 17 Feb 2011 | Buckshot wounds (shotgun) |
| Isa Abdul Hasan | 60 | Karzakan Karzakan Karzakan is a village in Bahrain. It lies along the western coast of Bahrain Island. Its inhabitants are mostly Bahrani Shiites. The seventeenth century theologian Salih Al-Karzakani hailed from this village.-References:... |
17 Feb 2011 | Close range shotgun wound to the head |
| Ali Al-Mo'men | 22 | Sitra | 17 Feb 2011 | Buckshot wounds (shotgun) |
| Abdul Redha Buhmaid | 32 | Malkiya Malkiya, Bahrain Malkiya is a village that lies on the western coast of Bahrain Island in Bahrain. Its inhabitants are mostly Bahrani Shiites. The village is home to the Malkiya Club football team.... |
21 Feb 2011 | Live bullet in the head on 18 Feb 2011 |
| Ali Ebrahim al-Demestani | 18 | Demestan | N/A | N/A |
| Ahmed Farhan | 24 | Sitra | 15 Mar 2011 | Close range shotgun wound to the head |
| Sgt. Ahmed al-Raddadi | N/A | Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World... |
15 Mar 2011 | A security official in Saudi Arabia claimed that he was shot and killed by a protester. |
| Jaafar Abd al-Ali Salman | 41 | Karranah | 16 Mar 2011 | Buckshot wounds (shotgun) |
| Ahmed Abdulla Hassan | 23 | Daih | 16 Mar 2011 | Buckshot wounds (shotgun) |
| Aklas Miah | N/A | Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... |
16 Mar 2011 | While protesters claim that he was killed by "armed Saudi snipers", Bangladesh's government claims that Aklas Miah was struck and killed by a truck in the city of Sitra. He was buried on 23 March in Golapganj Golapganj Upazila Golabganj is an Upazila of Sylhet District in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh.-History:Golapganj is the home of the legendary Khan Bahadur Nasiruddin Chowdhury, an Aristocrat, Iconic Civil Servant of British India, a Philanthropist and a charismatic personality of the archaic Golapganj society... , Sylhet Sylhet District The district of Sylhet consists 6754 mosques, 453 temples, 96 churches and four Buddhist temples.-Places of Interests:-Historical:#The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal#The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Paran#Shahi Eidgah#Gour Govinda Fort#Kean Bridge... , Bangladesh. |
| Steven Abraham | N/A | India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
16 Mar 2011 | Stray bullet. Bled to death |
| Jaafar Mayouf | N/A | Aa’li | N/A | N/A |
| Jawad Mohammed Shamlan | N/A | Alhijr | N/A | N/A |
| Radhi Isa Al Radhi | N/A | Sitra | 19 Mar 2011 | Tortured to death by government forces, fracture in the skull |
| Abdulrasool Al-Hijiari | 38 | Boori | 21 Mar 2011 | N/A |
| Bahia Al-Aradi | 51 | Manama Manama Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population... |
21 Mar 2011 | Headshot wounds (sniper) |
| Hani Abdul Aziz Abdullah Jumah | 33 | Bilad al-Qadim | 24 Mar 2011 | 4 Buckshots (shotgun) to his 4 limbs on 19 March, left to bleed to death |
| Aziz Jum’ah | N/A | Alhijr | N/A | N/A |
| Isa Abdullah | 71 | Maameer | 25 Mar 2011 | Asphyxiation (teargas) |
| Hasan Jasem Makki | 39 | N/A | 3 Apr 2011 | Died in police custody, reason unclear |
| Sayed Hameed Mahfoodh Ibrahim Al-Mahfoodh | 61 | Sar Sar, Bahrain Sar is a village in Bahrain with an affluent residential district alongside a poverty stricken area. It is known to be a town of ambassadors, expatriates and wealthy Bahrainis.... |
6 Apr 2011 | Left home for a regular errand and was found at dawn murdered near a local petrol station. His body showed signs of gross abuse and was covered in a black garbage bag. So far, there has been no known official inquiry into the murder, but the victim's family report that so-called thugs (Arabic "Baltajiya") were involved. |
| Ali Isa Al-Saqer | 31 | Sehla | 9 Apr 2011 | Died in police custody, reasons unclear. Authorities claim he died from injuries while resisting security forces. Opposition and human rights activist believed he may have suffered physical abuse or torture by police. |
| Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri , also spelled Al Asheri and Aushayri, , a forty-year-old Bahraini blogger and journalist, worked as an editor and writer for a local blog news website in Al Dair, Bahrain. He was killed on April 9, 2011 while in custody of the Bahraini Government... |
40 | Al Dair Al Dair Al Dair is a village in Bahrain on the northern coast of Muharraq Island. It lies north of the Bahrain International Airport, and north west of Samaheej village.... |
9 Apr 2011 | Died in police custody, reasons unclear. Authorities claim he died due to a complication of sickle cell anemia. Opposition and human rights activist believed he may have suffered physical abuse or torture by police. |
| Kareem Fakhrawi | 41 | N/A | 12 Apr 2011 | Died in police custody, reason unclear. Nabeel Rajab Nabeel Rajab Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group .... , president of BCHR Bahrain Centre for Human Rights The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002... claims that he died due to torture & electrocution to force him to confess he was dealing with Iran & Hizbollah. |
| Zainab Altajer | N/A | N/A | 2 June 2011 | Opposition activists said she died as a result of exposure to tear gas, but the government said her death was due to natural causes. |
| Salman Abu Idris | 63 | N/A | 3 June 2011 | died in hospital of injuries from a demonstration in March. |
| Majid Ahmed Mohammed | 30 | N/A | 3 June 2011 | died on Thursday in a military hospital from injuries sustained during the military crackdown on protests in March. |
| Jaber Ibrahim al-Alawiat | 43 | N/A | 14 June 2011 | Witnesses say he was “severely tortured” by Bahraini regime forces while in detention. |
| Hasan Sitri | 70 | N/A | 19 June 2011 | Murdered while he was walking, was hit with a sharp tool in Nuwaidrat area. People believe that he has been martyred on the hands of Bahraini regime mercenaries. |
| Zainab Al Juma (Disabled women) | 47 | Sitra | 15 July 2011 | Died inside her home as a result of inhalation of tear gas that has been thrown inside the houses in the village by the riot police. |
| Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Sheikh Death of Ali Jawad al-Sheikh Ali Jawad al-Sheikh was a 14-year-old Bahraini who died in hospital on 31 August 2011 after reportedly being hit in the head by a tear gas canister shot by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising. The Bahraini government denied security force involvement in his death and offered... |
14 | Sitra | 1 Sept 2011 | Died from blunt force trauma to the back of his neck, with multiple wounds on his body. Meanwhile, government officials say they are investigating the death and Bahrain's Interior Ministry has offered a 10,000 Bahraini dinar ($26,400) reward for information leading to the arrest of his killer, state news agency BNA reported Thursday. |
| Seyyed Jawad Hashem | ?? | Sitra | 14 Sept 2011 | Inhaled teargas on Monday 12 September, died two days later. |
| Seyyed Saleh Al-Hallai | ?? | Sitra | 16 Sept 2011 | Inhaled teargas on Seyyed Jawad Hashem's funerl. Died of injury on Friday September 16. |
| Ahmed Jaber al-Qattan Death of Ahmed Jaber al-Qattan Ahmed Jaber Ali al-Qattan was a 16 or 17-year-old Bahraini teenager who died in a hospital on 6 October 2011 after reportedly being hit in chest, abdomen and upper limb by bird pellet gunshots fired by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising... |
16 or 17 | Abu Saiba | 6 Oct 2011 | Died as a result of being hit in chest, abdomen and upper limb by bird pellet gunshots fired by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising 2011 Bahraini uprising The 2011 Bahraini uprising, sometimes called the February 14 Revolution is a series of demonstrations, amounting to a sustained campaign of civil resistance, in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain... . Ministry of Interior stated that there was a gathering of 20 people in Abu Saiba Abu Saiba Abu Saiba is a village in the north of Bahrain. It is inhabited mostly by Shia Baharna.... who blocked the roads and police men intervened to disperse them as authorized. |
| Ali al Daihi | 78 | Dehi | 10 Nov 2011 | According to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Bahrain Centre for Human Rights The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002... , Ali Hasan al-Dehi was beaten to death by riot police while returning to his home in the village of Dehi. |
| Ali Yousif Badah | 16 | Sitra | 19 Nov 2011 | Run over by the police car. |
Executive
Prior to the outbreak of the larger scale protests and the first domestic crackdown, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa's announcement of giving to each family. This was interpreted by Al Jazeera as a favour to all Bahraini citzens. The King also offered to increase social spending and to release minors jailed after the August 2010 protests. On 15 February, on television King Hamad offered condolences for the deaths of two protesters, said that a parliamentary committee to investigate the deaths would be created, and stated that peaceful protests are legal. The following day the president of the Bahrain Centre for Human RightsBahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
said that the King's response was not enough to satisfy protesters' demands. After the government crackdown with the support of Saudi Arabia, the king said that "An external plot has been fomented for 20 to 30 years until the ground was ripe for subversive designs...I here announce the failure of the fomented plot." He also thanked the GCC states for their intervention.
He called for "dialogue" and a direction that the King's son, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, work on a resolution to the conflict. On 13 March, in a televised statement, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa renewed his call for national dialogue, promising talks would address key demands such as bolstering the power of parliament and that any deal could be put to a referendum. He said talks would also cover electoral and governmental reforms, as well as looking into claims of corruption and sectarianism.
King Hamad took a series of steps aimed at initiating a period of reconciliation following the unrest in February and March 2011. He established the Bahrain national dialogue
Bahrain national dialogue
- About the National Dialogue :The Bahrain National Dialogue is an initiative instigated by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to promote reform and encourage discussion on the governance of Bahrain...
on 1 July 2011 as a forum for the discussion and promotion of reform. The National Dialogue aims to establish “common principles for the relaunch of the political reform process," according to Chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani
Khalifa Al Dhahrani
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain, assigned the Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mr. Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dahrani to chair the National Dialogue because of the popularity and confidence he enjoys among all the political forces, in addition to his broad experience...
. The King also established the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry also known locally in Bahrain as Bassiouni Commission was established by the King of Bahrain on 29 June 2011 tasked with looking into the incidents that occurred during the period of unrest in Bahrain in February and March 2011 and the consequences of...
(BICI), chaired by noted human rights lawyer M. Cherif Bassiouni], on 29 June 2011 to investigate the events of February and March 2011 and their consequences. The BICI
Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry also known locally in Bahrain as Bassiouni Commission was established by the King of Bahrain on 29 June 2011 tasked with looking into the incidents that occurred during the period of unrest in Bahrain in February and March 2011 and the consequences of...
will publicise its report by the end of October 2011.
Legislative
Abdul Jalil Khalil, an Al Wefaq National Islamic Society member of parliament, described the 17 February pre-dawn police raid on the Pearl Roundabout encampment as "real terrorism", stating that "whoever took the decision to attack the protest was aiming to kill." Its MP Jassim Hussein said that "I don't think the regime is willing to meet most of our demands. But even if it does, I am not sure it will be enough to get the youth off the street. It is personal now." Following demands from young protesters for the end of the ruling regime and in protest against the deaths during demonstrations, all eighteen party MPs submitted their official resignations from parliament.Four members of the Shura council
Consultative Council of Bahrain
The Consultative Council is the name given to the upper house of the National Assembly, the main legislative body of Bahrain....
, the upper house of parliament, Mohamed Hadi al-Halawji, Mohamed Baqir Hasan Radi, Nasser al-Mubarak and Nada Hafad resigned in protests against the crackdown. Hafad quit first accusing the government and state media
State media
State media or state-owned media is media for mass communication which is ultimately controlled and/or funded by the state. These news outlets may be the sole media outlet or may exist in competition with privately-controlled media.-Overview:...
of attempting to foment divisions within Bahraini society.
A parliamentary by-election was held on 24 September 2011 to replace the 18 members of the largest political party in parliament, al Wefaq
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
, who had resigned in protest at governmental actions. Security forces made several arrests on 23 September and on 24 September closed Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout
Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout was a roundabout located near the financial district of Manama, Bahrain...
and attacked protestors in the village of Sanabis, who intended to march to Pearl Roundabout.
International reactions
The uprising has had consequences for Bahrain from the international community as well as foreign investors, including Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, which canceled the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix
2011 Bahrain Grand Prix
The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was scheduled to be the opening round for the 2011 Formula One season. Planned to be held on 13 March 2011 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, it was postponed on 21 February 2011 due to local civil unrest...
due to instability and outcry over the actions of the Bahraini government. Western governments and organisations have generally expressed more magnanimity toward the Bahraini government, seen as a key ally of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the United States and a bulwark against nearby Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, than they have toward other governments accused of violating the human rights of protesters during the Arab Spring
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
. The United States and the United Kingdom have condemned the use of violence by Bahraini authorities. They did not call for regime change or threaten sanctions
Economic sanctions
Economic sanctions are domestic penalties applied by one country on another for a variety of reasons. Economic sanctions include, but are not limited to, tariffs, trade barriers, import duties, and import or export quotas...
.
Iran has expressed strong support for demonstrators, the majority of whom follow Shia Islam, the Iranian state religion. Relations between Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
have cooled considerably during the uprising, with both countries expelling one another's ambassadors. Iran was joined by Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in opposing the Gulf Cooperation Council's military intervention in Bahrain. Allies of the Bahraini government, such as Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and other GCC member states, have conversely blamed Iran for inciting upheaval in the small archipelago country and questioned the legitimacy of the protesters' demands, echoing Manama's claims.
Thousands of Shia protesters
2011 Iraqi protests
The 2011 Iraqi protests came in the wake of the Tunisian revolution and Egyptian uprising. It has resulted in at least thirty-five deaths, including at least twenty-nine on the 25 February "Day of Rage"....
arose in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Qatif
Qatif
Qatif or Al-Qatif is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west...
, Saudi Arabia, in opposition to the Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain. The Gulf Co-operation Council and the Saudi government have defended the action as necessary to restore stability and security in the country.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
have documented alleged atrocities in Bahrain and strongly condemned authorities' response to the uprising. The treatment of medical professionals accused of administering to opposition activists has been a particular source of distress to critics of the government, including both human rights advocates and journalists working in the region.
The Bahraini government’s decision to establish an independent inquiry to investigate the unrest won praise from many western governments, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as human rights organisations such as Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
See also
- Bahrain: Shouting in the darkBahrain: Shouting in the DarkBahrain: Shouting in the Dark is a television documentary film produced by Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera English about the 2011 Bahraini uprising...
, Al Jazeera English documentary about the uprising. - March IntifadaMarch IntifadaThe March Intifada was an uprising that broke out in Bahrain in March 1965. The uprising was led by the Leftist groups, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain and the National Liberation Front - Bahrain, calling for the end of the British presence in Bahrain...
in Bahrain - 1990s Uprising in Bahrain1990s Uprising in BahrainThe 1990s Uprising in Bahrain or 1990s Intifada was an uprising in Bahrain between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces...
- Civil resistanceCivil resistanceThe term civil resistance, alongside the term nonviolent resistance, is used to describe political action that relies on the use of non-violent methods by civil groups to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. Civil resistance operates through appeals to the adversary, pressure and...
- List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
- Shi'a–Sunni relations
- Bahrain Independent Commission of InquiryBahrain Independent Commission of InquiryThe Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry also known locally in Bahrain as Bassiouni Commission was established by the King of Bahrain on 29 June 2011 tasked with looking into the incidents that occurred during the period of unrest in Bahrain in February and March 2011 and the consequences of...
- Arab springArab SpringThe Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
Coverage by human rights organizations
- Amnesty International Bahrain
- Amnesty International report on Bahrain protests
- Human Rights Watch Bahrain
- Doctors Without Borders Bahrain
External links
General- Bahrain Protests collected coverage at Al Jazeera English
- Bahrain collected coverage at ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
- Rose Revolution In Bahrain
- Bahrain Protests 2011 collected coverage at Global Voices OnlineGlobal Voices OnlineGlobal Voices Online is an international network of bloggers and citizen journalists that follow, report, and summarizes what is going on in the blogosphere in every corner of the world...
- Bahrain Protests collected coverage at the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....