International reactions to the 2011 Bahraini uprising
Encyclopedia
The international reactions to the 2011 Bahraini uprising include responses by supranational organisations, non-governmental organisations, media organisations, and both the governments and civil populaces of fellow sovereign state
s to the 2011 protests and uprising
in Bahrain
.
foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, Robert Cooper, stated that : "The situation had in fact, from the point of view of the management of Bahrain, which is a small island, become almost intolerable. One should understand the authorities were right to restore calm and order and that's what they've done. But that is only right if it is followed by dialogue."
Gulf Cooperation Council member states agreed to provide Bahrain with an aid plan similar to the Marshall Plan
, consisting of US$10 billion aimed at upgrading housing and infrastructure over a period of ten years. They also agreed that they would give more preference to GCC-member state nationals while hiring individuals. A statement issued on 10 March from the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates and the GCC said it supported recent calls for dialogue from Bahrain's crown prince. Soldiers of the Peninsula Shield Force arrived in Bahrain as part of GCC efforts to quell the uprising on 14 March.
United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that a takeover by security forces of any medical facilities was a "blatant violation of international law. There are '[also]' reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces. This is shocking and illegal conduct." Local news sources reportedly published that Pillay admitted in June 2011 that "certain information which the UN
received about developments in Bahrain
is untrue", acknowledging that the situation in Bahrain was different and therefore "incomparable" to the on-going unrest in other countries in the region.. Pillay then published a statement stating that she "would like to make clear that a meeting she had [on] Friday with Bahrain’s Minister of Social Development and acting health minister, Dr Fatima bint Mohammed Al Balooshi and three other Bahrain government officials, has been grossly misrepresented in a report by the Bahrain News Agency." She continued to state that the earlier report had been "picked up by a number of newspapers in the region, including the Khaleej Times and the Gulf Daily News, and even by some Sri Lankan government officials and media for their own purposes." Pillay expressed her ambition that the UNHCHR
will "cooperate with the Kingdom of Bahrain to ensure the veracity of the information which reaches their Geneva-based office". Pillay also expressed optimism at King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's reform projects.
as a threat to national security, saying on 5 April that "the stability and Arabhood of the Arab Gulf countries is a red line against which Egypt rejects any trespass". He voiced support for the GCC intervention as "giving a practical application to the concept of collective security in the Gulf region".
– The Islamic Consultative Assembly's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee issued a statement supporting the uprising, blaming the United States
for ordering its "regional mercenaries" to intervene, calling for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to immediately withdraw their forces from Bahrain, and urging serious action by the Organization of the Islamic Conference
. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said of the intervention by Saudi Arabian and Emirati forces that "this expedition is a very foul and doomed experience, and regional nations will hold the American government responsible for this" and that "Today, we witness the degree of pressure imposed on the majority of people in Bahrain. What has happened is bad, unjustifiable and irreparable." Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi
discussed the crisis with the UN and Arab League chiefs. He also expressed worry over the use of violence against a "peaceful movement," while Iran also objected to the presence of foreign troops in the country. Bahrain recalled its Ambassador to Iran for "consultations." Iran responded by recalling its own ambassador to Bahrain, citing the crackdown on the mostly Shiite protesters. As well as denouncing the deployment of the Saudi-led force of Gulf Arab states, seen as propping up the Sunni monarchy, Iran complained to the United Nations
about the crackdown while also asking regional states to urge Saudi Arabia to withdraw its troops. On 19 March, a group of Iranian protestors stoned the Saudi consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad
to protest against the killing of Shiites in Bahrain On 20 March, Iran summoned Bahrain's charge d'affaires
and ordered the explusion of one Bahraini diplomat.
– Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
stated that he was "worried that the intervention of foreign forces will complicate the issues instead of solving them". Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is based in Najaf
, Iraq, "appealed to Bahraini authorities to stop violence against unarmed citizens," his spokesman, Hamad al-Khaffaf, said.
– Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
said that he was not surprised by the Saudi military intervention in Bahrain: "I think they are concerned with a possible Iranian takeover of Bahrain, which would put Iran effectively within spitting distance of the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is working to protect its own interests. But there is a very large global interest in making sure the world's oil wells, that the largest reserves of the world's oil supply do not fall into Iranian or pro-Iranian hands."
– Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
offered to mediate in the dispute between the Bahraini government and the opposition, an offer the Shi'a political party Al Wefaq
accepted, but the Bahraini government flatly rejected the Kuwaiti offer on 28 March.
– The Shia political party Hezbollah criticised the invasion by Saudi and United Arab Emirates troops. Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah
later called the crackdown a "special injustice" and that "I ask some in the Arab and Islamic worlds: Why have you remained mum over the tyranny against our people in Bahrain, is it only because they are Shiites?" (sic
) Hezbollah blamed US Defense Secretary
Robert Gates
, saying his visit coincided with the Bahraini crackdown. After the Bahraini government formally complained to Beirut
over Hezbollah's criticism, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman called King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and asked him to ensure the safety of Lebanese expatriates in Bahrain, who had reportedly expressed concern about facing potential retaliation over Nasrallah's remarks.
– In mid-May, Prime Minister Najib Razak volunteered Malaysian troops as part of a peacekeeping mission in Bahrain. However, Najib also voiced support for Saudi Arabia
's role in the then-extant GCC intervention in Bahrain, and it was unclear whether Najib was suggesting a new peacekeeping force should be established or proposing Malaysian involvement in the Peninsula Shield Force proper to maintain security in Bahrain.
– Briefly touching on the events in Bahrain in a speech on 2 August, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully
said, "On balance the glass looks half full in respect of Egypt, Bahrain and Tunisia," appearing to suggest those countries provided an example of positive changes in the "political landscape" of the Middle East
.
– The Gulf
sultanate took a lower-profile approach to the crisis in Bahrain than other GCC member states. However, the Omani government did support the dispatch of the Peninsula Shield Force to Bahrain, and King Hamad expressed gratitude to Interior Minister Humood bin Faisal Al Busaidi for Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said's "support of Bahrain's security and stability". While on his state visit to Bahrain, Al Busaidi prayed to "Allah Almighty to protect Bahrain and its people and bless it with security and stability", Bahraini media reported.
– In late March, three and a half months prior to her appointment as Pakistan's foreign minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Hina Rabbani Khar
met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah
and "expressed the confidence that Bahrain will be able to overcome the present difficulties in the spirit of security, peace and reconciliation", feting the monarchy's efforts to hold a national dialogue and stating Pakistan's support for "the Bahraini process of reconciliation". President Asif Ali Zardari
, who enjoys a close relationship with the rulers of Bahrain, has expressed support for the Arab kingdom's government during the crisis. Speaking on behalf of the Pakistani government, Zardari said on 29 March that he was concerned about regional instability resulting from upheaval in Bahrain, a reference to protests, and that he believed in close relations between Islamabad
and Manama
. Pakistan also allowed several thousand retired military personnel to join the GCC intervention in Bahrain at the behest of Saudi Arabia
.
– Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani
defended the Bahraini government's attempts to arrange a national dialogue as "a sincere one that should be well taken by all parties" on 14 March. Qatar announced its contribution of troops to the Peninsula Shield Force expedition in Bahrain days later.
– A Saudi official declared that "this irresponsible going out of order will not be good for anyone; it will have much more disadvantages than advantages for the people of Bahrain". Saudi Arabia was a major contributor to the Peninsula Shield Force, the military arm of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in its intervention in Bahrain. King Abdullah, stated on 19 April 2011, "Saudi Arabia, with the help of Gulf Cooperation Council states, will always make sure of supremacy of its countries against any outer intervention". The Saudi government has sided with the leaders of Bahrain, criticising the tactics of the opposition and blaming rival power Iran
for supposedly inciting and directing protests.
– The government responded cautiously to the uprising, expressing its concerns more mildly than in the case of the uprisings in Libya
and Syria
. The foreign ministry issued a statement saying in part, "We appeal to all parties in Bahrain to refrain from violence." Turkish officials have welcomed what they claim are signs of willingness to reform on the part of Bahrain's rulers. In response to the GCC intervention, it defended the GCC's right to act but noted, "It is extremely worrying that violence between protesters and security forces increased in the aftermath of this deployment." Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
spoke with his counterparts in Bahrain, Iran
, and Saudi Arabia
in an effort to resolve the crisis through diplomacy and encouraged the Bahraini government and opposition groups to refrain from violence and engage in dialogue. Revisiting the situation in mid-May, Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin
said Turkey was satisfied with developments in Bahrain and responded to his Bahraini counterpart's expression of gratitude for Turkey's role in mediation by saying that his government would be available to step in again if needed.
– President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan pledged the full support of the UAE to the Bahraini regime in the face of major protests. On 14 March, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash urged the Bahraini opposition to commit to unconditional dialogue with the government. The UAE also contributed at least 500 policemen to the GCC joint security force in Bahrain.
– Foreign Secretary William Hague
said he was "deeply concerned" by the "unacceptable violence" used against protesters. The UK government was accused of providing arms for Arab regimes while their government were suppressing the demonstrations. It then announced that in light of the unrest it has decided to revoke some arms export licenses to Bahrain stating that "licenses will not be issued when officials judge that there is a risk that the exports may provoke regional or internal conflicts or be used to facilitate internal repression".
– US President
Barack Obama
said he was "deeply concerned" by the violence, while US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton urged restraint. On 30 April, Obama spoke to the Bahraini king by phone and reportedly told him that the U.S. position is that Manama
must make political reforms and respect the "universal rights" of the Bahraini people. Some media outlets reported on 21 July that the Obama administration is strongly considering closing its naval
base in Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, in favor of a new base in the Persian Gulf
as a result of the crackdown and ongoing instability. The Australian
quoted anonymous U.S. politicians as believing the continuing presence of the U.S. Navy in the archipelago was seen as "tacit support" for the regime, and that the U.S. government should act to dispel this popular impression by moving the base out of Bahrain. Washington
swiftly denied these allegations, with both U.S. Navy and State Department
officials calling the reports inaccurate.
– In a phone call to King Hamad on 1 May, President Ali Abdullah Saleh
compared the situation in Bahrain to the uprising in Yemen
and claimed they were part of "plots" to destabilize the region.
and Human Rights Watch
both condemned the use of excessive violence against peaceful demonstrators in Bahrain. Amnesty International later released a report saying that Bahraini security forces had used live ammunition and "extreme force" on protesters without warning and that they had also impeded and assaulted medical staff who were trying to help the wounded. A medic, Hani Mowafi, who was a part of their team in Bahrain said that he "found a pattern of fatal and serious injuries during February's violence showing that the security forces used live ammunition at close range, and apparently targeted protesters' heads, chests and abdomens. They also fired medium-to-large calibre bullets from high-powered rifles on 18 February."
Avaaz.org
has called called for sports boycotts, comparing the situation in Bahrain with that of apartheid South Africa.
Organisations in Iran
have announced intentions to launch a Bahrain Aid Flotilla
to draw attention to the "oppression" in Bahrain.
International Committee of the Red Cross
Director-General Yves Daccord
said on 10 August that his organisation was monitoring events in Bahrain and was "extremely concerned". Daccord added, "We are doing our utmost to ensure we have access not only to hospitals but to detention centres."
rallied in condemnation of Saudi Arabia after Syed Kalbe Jawad
said: "Saudi forces are killing innocent civilians in Bahrain only for holding anti-government demonstrations. I appeal for holding such protest in other parts of the country. Bahraini demonstrators are being killed by bullets coming from helicopters and also with poisonous gases. The people's uprising is aimed at restoring democracy and it is justifiable. Those sitting at the helm of affairs should read the writing on the wall and pave the way for democracy." He also said that should the Saudi soldiers not be withdrawn protesters would continue to agitate in the capital New Delhi
. On 26 March 2011 Shiites in Mumbai
and Bahraini students studying in India held a protest rally after Friday prayers to condemn the "oppressive regimes" in Bahrain and Yemen and their use of force against peaceful citizens.
– Moqtada al-Sadr called for protests in Baghdad
and Basra
on 16 March to "support the Bahraini people and to denounce and condemn the murdering of innocent revolutionaries. We want to show solidarity with our brothers in Bahrain. The killing of innocents should stop."
- Protesters who were all affiliated with Shia organisations rallied against the Saudi invasion of Bahrain. The demonstration took place in Islamabad
, Lahore
, Karachi
, Hyderabad, Multan
, Faisalabad
, Quetta
and Gilgit Baltistan as well as other smaller towns. The protesters believed that the "Islamic awakening" that has swept across the Arab world
would soon reach Pakistan. In the city of Lahore
, Shias held a protest on 29 April against the death sentences of four men convicted of murdering two policemen during protests.
– In the Eastern Province municipality of Qatif
, several hundred Saudi Arabians protested on 18 March against Saudi involvement in the GCC military intervention in Bahrain. Protests were renewed in late April, with Iran
ian media reporting Saudi Arabian women held a candlelight vigil on the night of 28 April to denounce the actions of the Bahraini government. The Saudi regime has responded to the rallies by arresting over 30 activists, the report claimed.
– Reportedly close to 3,000 people marched from the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, D.C.
, to the White House
on 15 April to protest the Bahraini government's treatment of protesters, the GCC military operations in Bahrain, and the perceived cautiousness with which the U.S. government has approached the alleged excesses of security forces clamping down on the uprising.
-based news network Al Jazeera
stated that Bahrain is considered to be the country most vulnerable to unrest amongst Gulf Arab states.
In a column dated 14 June for The Independent
veteran British
Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk
lashed out at Bahraini and Saudi authorities over the treatment of protests and the trial of 48 medical staff on conspiracy charges. He also claimed that the Bahraini government did not invite Saudi Arabia to send troops into what he suggested should be called "Occupied Bahrain" and said the archipelago is de facto under Saudi administration, with the government supposedly complying with orders from Riyadh
only to keep up appearances and save face. The Bahraini government attempted to sue Robert Fisk
, but they had to withdraw their action as individuals cannot be sued for comments relating to a country under English Common Law. Fisk
was however successfully sued by the Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud on 4 August for writing a libellous piece soon after the Bahrain article on the Saudi response to protests.
with explicit comparisons to the sporting boycott of South Africa
.
On 17 February, it was announced that the second round of GP2 Asia Series
, which was to be held at Bahrain International Circuit
on 17–19 February, had been cancelled due to security and safety concerns surrounding the protests. On 21 February, the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, then due to take place on 13 March, was again cancelled because of the same concerns.
On 23 June, Bahrain football federation face a membership freezing on FIFA regarding the interface of politics in football matters. FIFA asked for information of detained and sentenced footballers.
-based Egypt
ian Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi
called for the removal of the "roots of oppression" against the Shia majority and for them "to be real citizens of their country." He also criticised the protesters for what he saw as their religious sectarian nature, making reference to reports that the protesters were carrying pictures of the Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei
and Hezbollah's Sayyid
Hassan Nasrallah. He said that the protests were not supported by Sunnis in Bahrain and was thus "invalid." He talked of his friendship with the ruling Al Khalifa family and "praised" King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa claiming that "the Shiites attacked Sunnis, and took over their mosques, and used weapons just like the hooligans we saw in Yemen and Egypt".
While some Shia clerics, such as Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for the protestors to show restraint, Iranian and Iran-backed clerics have encouraged opposition groups to continue their resistance against the regime. Hossein Vahid Khorasani
said all Muslims should support the Bahraini protesters. "The oppression that is now in Bahrain...not only Shi’ah [sic] and Muslims of Bahrain...in this insurgence by foreign countries over a shelter less [sic] nation...this does not lead to any rest for Muslims...this tragedy is impossible to tell."
fell on 20 February on concern of spreading instability. The stock market continued to fall as protestors blocked the route into the Bahrain Financial Harbour
, the country's main financial hub, prohibiting the growth of the economy and ensuring that those not involved in the protests, including expatriates, were unable to return to work. As a result, the national economy was described as the 'biggest loser' from the escalation of tensions . An opposition activist decried the damage done to the economy, saying that the blockade was done by “a small group and it's not popular”.
Despite the unrest Bahrain’s economy is still predicted to grow by around 3 per cent in 2011/2012.
Infosys
, Tata Consultancy Services
and Wipro
, Indian information-technology
companies, withdrew their staffs from Bahrain following the three-month, state-of-emergency declaration.
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
s to the 2011 protests and 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...
in 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...
.
Supranational bodies
The senior advisor to European UnionEuropean 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...
foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, Robert Cooper, stated that : "The situation had in fact, from the point of view of the management of Bahrain, which is a small island, become almost intolerable. One should understand the authorities were right to restore calm and order and that's what they've done. But that is only right if it is followed by dialogue."
Gulf Cooperation Council member states agreed to provide Bahrain with an aid plan similar to the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
, consisting of US$10 billion aimed at upgrading housing and infrastructure over a period of ten years. They also agreed that they would give more preference to GCC-member state nationals while hiring individuals. A statement issued on 10 March from the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates and the GCC said it supported recent calls for dialogue from Bahrain's crown prince. Soldiers of the Peninsula Shield Force arrived in Bahrain as part of GCC efforts to quell the uprising on 14 March.
United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that a takeover by security forces of any medical facilities was a "blatant violation of international law. There are '[also]' reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces. This is shocking and illegal conduct." Local news sources reportedly published that Pillay admitted in June 2011 that "certain information which the UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
received about developments in 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...
is untrue", acknowledging that the situation in Bahrain was different and therefore "incomparable" to the on-going unrest in other countries in the region.. Pillay then published a statement stating that she "would like to make clear that a meeting she had [on] Friday with Bahrain’s Minister of Social Development and acting health minister, Dr Fatima bint Mohammed Al Balooshi and three other Bahrain government officials, has been grossly misrepresented in a report by the Bahrain News Agency." She continued to state that the earlier report had been "picked up by a number of newspapers in the region, including the Khaleej Times and the Gulf Daily News, and even by some Sri Lankan government officials and media for their own purposes." Pillay expressed her ambition that the UNHCHR
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948...
will "cooperate with the Kingdom of Bahrain to ensure the veracity of the information which reaches their Geneva-based office". Pillay also expressed optimism at King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's reform projects.
States
– Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi appeared to support the Bahraini government's contention that the uprising was orchestrated by IranIran
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...
as a threat to national security, saying on 5 April that "the stability and Arabhood of the Arab Gulf countries is a red line against which Egypt rejects any trespass". He voiced support for the GCC intervention as "giving a practical application to the concept of collective security in the Gulf region".
– The Islamic Consultative Assembly's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee issued a statement supporting the uprising, blaming the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for ordering its "regional mercenaries" to intervene, calling for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to immediately withdraw their forces from Bahrain, and urging serious action by the Organization of the Islamic Conference
Organization of the Islamic Conference
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Upon the groups's renaming, some sources provided the English-language translation "Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation", but and have since indicated the preferred English translation omits the "the". is an international organisation consisting of 57...
. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said of the intervention by Saudi Arabian and Emirati forces that "this expedition is a very foul and doomed experience, and regional nations will hold the American government responsible for this" and that "Today, we witness the degree of pressure imposed on the majority of people in Bahrain. What has happened is bad, unjustifiable and irreparable." Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi is an Iranian politician, diplomat and academic and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs since 13 December 2010. Previous to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran from 16 July 2009 to 13 December 2010...
discussed the crisis with the UN and Arab League chiefs. He also expressed worry over the use of violence against a "peaceful movement," while Iran also objected to the presence of foreign troops in the country. Bahrain recalled its Ambassador to Iran for "consultations." Iran responded by recalling its own ambassador to Bahrain, citing the crackdown on the mostly Shiite protesters. As well as denouncing the deployment of the Saudi-led force of Gulf Arab states, seen as propping up the Sunni monarchy, Iran complained to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
about the crackdown while also asking regional states to urge Saudi Arabia to withdraw its troops. On 19 March, a group of Iranian protestors stoned the Saudi consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad
Mashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
to protest against the killing of Shiites in Bahrain On 20 March, Iran summoned Bahrain's charge d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
and ordered the explusion of one Bahraini diplomat.
– Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki , also known as Jawad al-Maliki or Abu Esraa, is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Al-Maliki and his government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government. He is currently in his second term as Prime Minister...
stated that he was "worried that the intervention of foreign forces will complicate the issues instead of solving them". Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is based in Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
, Iraq, "appealed to Bahraini authorities to stop violence against unarmed citizens," his spokesman, Hamad al-Khaffaf, said.
– Israeli Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
said that he was not surprised by the Saudi military intervention in Bahrain: "I think they are concerned with a possible Iranian takeover of Bahrain, which would put Iran effectively within spitting distance of the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is working to protect its own interests. But there is a very large global interest in making sure the world's oil wells, that the largest reserves of the world's oil supply do not fall into Iranian or pro-Iranian hands."
– Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the Emir of Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah was sworn in on January 29, 2006 after confirmation by the National Assembly of Kuwait. He is the fourth son of Emir Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Sheikh Sabah is the head of the ruling Al-Sabah family...
offered to mediate in the dispute between the Bahraini government and the opposition, an offer the Shi'a political party 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...
accepted, but the Bahraini government flatly rejected the Kuwaiti offer on 28 March.
– The Shia political party Hezbollah criticised the invasion by Saudi and United Arab Emirates troops. Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah
Hasan Nasrallah, became the third Secretary General of the Lebanese political and paramilitary organization Hezbollah after Israel assassinated the previous leader, Abbas al-Musawi, in 1992. Hezbollah in its entirety is considered a terrorist organization by The United States, the Netherlands,...
later called the crackdown a "special injustice" and that "I ask some in the Arab and Islamic worlds: Why have you remained mum over the tyranny against our people in Bahrain, is it only because they are Shiites?" (sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) Hezbollah blamed US Defense Secretary
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
, saying his visit coincided with the Bahraini crackdown. After the Bahraini government formally complained to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
over Hezbollah's criticism, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman called King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and asked him to ensure the safety of Lebanese expatriates in Bahrain, who had reportedly expressed concern about facing potential retaliation over Nasrallah's remarks.
– In mid-May, Prime Minister Najib Razak volunteered Malaysian troops as part of a peacekeeping mission in Bahrain. However, Najib also voiced support for 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...
's role in the then-extant GCC intervention in Bahrain, and it was unclear whether Najib was suggesting a new peacekeeping force should be established or proposing Malaysian involvement in the Peninsula Shield Force proper to maintain security in Bahrain.
– Briefly touching on the events in Bahrain in a speech on 2 August, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully
Murray McCully
Murray Stuart McCully is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister for the Rugby World Cup.-Early life:...
said, "On balance the glass looks half full in respect of Egypt, Bahrain and Tunisia," appearing to suggest those countries provided an example of positive changes in the "political landscape" of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
– The 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...
sultanate took a lower-profile approach to the crisis in Bahrain than other GCC member states. However, the Omani government did support the dispatch of the Peninsula Shield Force to Bahrain, and King Hamad expressed gratitude to Interior Minister Humood bin Faisal Al Busaidi for Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said's "support of Bahrain's security and stability". While on his state visit to Bahrain, Al Busaidi prayed to "Allah Almighty to protect Bahrain and its people and bless it with security and stability", Bahraini media reported.
– In late March, three and a half months prior to her appointment as Pakistan's foreign minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Hina Rabbani Khar
Hina Rabbani Khar
Hina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician and the current Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Appointed in July of 2011, she is the first female and the youngest person to ever head Pakistani's Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah
Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah
Sheikh Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa is the Foreign Minister of Bahrain. Sheikh Khaled was appointed in a cabinet reshuffle in September 2005, having previously been the ambassador to the United Kingdom, serving there from 2001....
and "expressed the confidence that Bahrain will be able to overcome the present difficulties in the spirit of security, peace and reconciliation", feting the monarchy's efforts to hold a national dialogue and stating Pakistan's support for "the Bahraini process of reconciliation". President Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
, who enjoys a close relationship with the rulers of Bahrain, has expressed support for the Arab kingdom's government during the crisis. Speaking on behalf of the Pakistani government, Zardari said on 29 March that he was concerned about regional instability resulting from upheaval in Bahrain, a reference to protests, and that he believed in close relations between Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
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...
. Pakistan also allowed several thousand retired military personnel to join the GCC intervention in Bahrain at the behest of 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...
.
– Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani
style="float:right;"| Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Muhammad Al Thani is a Qatari politician and the current Prime Minister of Qatar, a position he has held since 3 April 2007, and Foreign Minister, which he has been since 11 January 1992.-Life and education:Sheikh Hamad was born in Doha,...
defended the Bahraini government's attempts to arrange a national dialogue as "a sincere one that should be well taken by all parties" on 14 March. Qatar announced its contribution of troops to the Peninsula Shield Force expedition in Bahrain days later.
– A Saudi official declared that "this irresponsible going out of order will not be good for anyone; it will have much more disadvantages than advantages for the people of Bahrain". Saudi Arabia was a major contributor to the Peninsula Shield Force, the military arm of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in its intervention in Bahrain. King Abdullah, stated on 19 April 2011, "Saudi Arabia, with the help of Gulf Cooperation Council states, will always make sure of supremacy of its countries against any outer intervention". The Saudi government has sided with the leaders of Bahrain, criticising the tactics of the opposition and blaming rival power 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...
for supposedly inciting and directing protests.
– The government responded cautiously to the uprising, expressing its concerns more mildly than in the case of the uprisings in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
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....
. The foreign ministry issued a statement saying in part, "We appeal to all parties in Bahrain to refrain from violence." Turkish officials have welcomed what they claim are signs of willingness to reform on the part of Bahrain's rulers. In response to the GCC intervention, it defended the GCC's right to act but noted, "It is extremely worrying that violence between protesters and security forces increased in the aftermath of this deployment." Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
Ahmet Davutoglu
Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu is a Turkish political scientist, an academic and an ambassador. On May 1, 2009, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey after being the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of Republic of Turkey.-Life and career:...
spoke with his counterparts in Bahrain, 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...
, and 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...
in an effort to resolve the crisis through diplomacy and encouraged the Bahraini government and opposition groups to refrain from violence and engage in dialogue. Revisiting the situation in mid-May, Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin
Mehmet Ali Sahin
Mehmet Ali Şahin is a Turkish politician. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey between 2009 and 2011....
said Turkey was satisfied with developments in Bahrain and responded to his Bahraini counterpart's expression of gratitude for Turkey's role in mediation by saying that his government would be available to step in again if needed.
– President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan pledged the full support of the UAE to the Bahraini regime in the face of major protests. On 14 March, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash urged the Bahraini opposition to commit to unconditional dialogue with the government. The UAE also contributed at least 500 policemen to the GCC joint security force in Bahrain.
– Foreign Secretary William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
said he was "deeply concerned" by the "unacceptable violence" used against protesters. The UK government was accused of providing arms for Arab regimes while their government were suppressing the demonstrations. It then announced that in light of the unrest it has decided to revoke some arms export licenses to Bahrain stating that "licenses will not be issued when officials judge that there is a risk that the exports may provoke regional or internal conflicts or be used to facilitate internal repression".
– US President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
said he was "deeply concerned" by the violence, while US Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Clinton urged restraint. On 30 April, Obama spoke to the Bahraini king by phone and reportedly told him that the U.S. position is that 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...
must make political reforms and respect the "universal rights" of the Bahraini people. Some media outlets reported on 21 July that the Obama administration is strongly considering closing its naval
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
base in Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, in favor of a new base 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...
as a result of the crackdown and ongoing instability. The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
quoted anonymous U.S. politicians as believing the continuing presence of the U.S. Navy in the archipelago was seen as "tacit support" for the regime, and that the U.S. government should act to dispel this popular impression by moving the base out of Bahrain. Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
swiftly denied these allegations, with both U.S. Navy and State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
officials calling the reports inaccurate.
-
- George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Professor Hossein AskariHossein Askari (professor)Hossein Askari was born in Iran and received his elementary and secondary education in the United Kingdom. He then came to the United States where he earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering, attended the MIT Sloan School of Management, and received his Ph.D. in Economics, all at the Massachusetts...
blamed the "power of the Saudi lobbySaudi Arabia lobbyThe Saudi Arabia lobby in the United States is a collection of lawyers, public relation firms and professional lobbyists paid directly by the government of Saudi Arabia to lobby the public and government of the United States on behalf of the interests of the government of Saudi Arabia.-Power of...
in Washington" for the failure of the American government to defend the democracy protesters in Bahrain in 2011.
- George Washington University
– In a phone call to King Hamad on 1 May, President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
compared the situation in Bahrain to the uprising in Yemen
2011 Yemeni uprising
The 2011 Yemen Uprising followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution and other mass protests in the Middle East in early 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and...
and claimed they were part of "plots" to destabilize the region.
Non-governmental organisations
Amnesty InternationalAmnesty 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...
and Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
both condemned the use of excessive violence against peaceful demonstrators in Bahrain. Amnesty International later released a report saying that Bahraini security forces had used live ammunition and "extreme force" on protesters without warning and that they had also impeded and assaulted medical staff who were trying to help the wounded. A medic, Hani Mowafi, who was a part of their team in Bahrain said that he "found a pattern of fatal and serious injuries during February's violence showing that the security forces used live ammunition at close range, and apparently targeted protesters' heads, chests and abdomens. They also fired medium-to-large calibre bullets from high-powered rifles on 18 February."
Avaaz.org
Avaaz.org
Avaaz.org is a global civic organization launched in January 2007 that promotes activism on issues such as climate change, human rights, corruption, poverty, and conflict...
has called called for sports boycotts, comparing the situation in Bahrain with that of apartheid South Africa.
Organisations in 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...
have announced intentions to launch a Bahrain Aid Flotilla
Bahrain Aid Flotilla
The Bahrain Aid Flotilla is an effort to show solidarity with the people of Bahrain.The flotilla was announced on May 10, 2011. Organizers stated their intention of commemorating the martyred poet Ayat al-ghermezi...
to draw attention to the "oppression" in Bahrain.
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
Director-General Yves Daccord
Yves Daccord
Yves Daccord is the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross Directorate.Daccord earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Geneva. He was a tv journalist at the Télévision Suisse Romande in Geneva and producer.He joined the ICRC in 1992...
said on 10 August that his organisation was monitoring events in Bahrain and was "extremely concerned". Daccord added, "We are doing our utmost to ensure we have access not only to hospitals but to detention centres."
Solidarity protests
– After Friday prayers, protesters in LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
rallied in condemnation of Saudi Arabia after Syed Kalbe Jawad
Kalbe Jawad
Hujjat al-Islam Imam-e-Juma Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawad Naqvi is a Shi'a scholar from Lucknow, India.-Family background:...
said: "Saudi forces are killing innocent civilians in Bahrain only for holding anti-government demonstrations. I appeal for holding such protest in other parts of the country. Bahraini demonstrators are being killed by bullets coming from helicopters and also with poisonous gases. The people's uprising is aimed at restoring democracy and it is justifiable. Those sitting at the helm of affairs should read the writing on the wall and pave the way for democracy." He also said that should the Saudi soldiers not be withdrawn protesters would continue to agitate in the capital New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. On 26 March 2011 Shiites in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Bahraini students studying in India held a protest rally after Friday prayers to condemn the "oppressive regimes" in Bahrain and Yemen and their use of force against peaceful citizens.
– Moqtada al-Sadr called for protests in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
on 16 March to "support the Bahraini people and to denounce and condemn the murdering of innocent revolutionaries. We want to show solidarity with our brothers in Bahrain. The killing of innocents should stop."
- Protesters who were all affiliated with Shia organisations rallied against the Saudi invasion of Bahrain. The demonstration took place in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Hyderabad, Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Faisalabad
Faisalabad
Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
, Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
and Gilgit Baltistan as well as other smaller towns. The protesters believed that the "Islamic awakening" that has swept across the 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...
would soon reach Pakistan. In the city of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Shias held a protest on 29 April against the death sentences of four men convicted of murdering two policemen during protests.
– In the Eastern Province municipality of 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...
, several hundred Saudi Arabians protested on 18 March against Saudi involvement in the GCC military intervention in Bahrain. Protests were renewed in late April, with 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...
ian media reporting Saudi Arabian women held a candlelight vigil on the night of 28 April to denounce the actions of the Bahraini government. The Saudi regime has responded to the rallies by arresting over 30 activists, the report claimed.
– Reportedly close to 3,000 people marched from the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on 15 April to protest the Bahraini government's treatment of protesters, the GCC military operations in Bahrain, and the perceived cautiousness with which the U.S. government has approached the alleged excesses of security forces clamping down on the uprising.
Commercial news media
QatarQatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
-based news network 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...
stated that Bahrain is considered to be the country most vulnerable to unrest amongst Gulf Arab states.
In a column dated 14 June for 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...
veteran British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Middle East correspondent 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...
lashed out at Bahraini and Saudi authorities over the treatment of protests and the trial of 48 medical staff on conspiracy charges. He also claimed that the Bahraini government did not invite Saudi Arabia to send troops into what he suggested should be called "Occupied Bahrain" and said the archipelago is de facto under Saudi administration, with the government supposedly complying with orders from Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
only to keep up appearances and save face. The Bahraini government attempted to sue 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...
, but they had to withdraw their action as individuals cannot be sued for comments relating to a country under English Common Law. 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...
was however successfully sued by the Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud on 4 August for writing a libellous piece soon after the Bahrain article on the Saudi response to protests.
Sports
Human rights protesters called for a boycott of the Bahrain Grand Prix2011 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...
with explicit comparisons to the sporting boycott of South Africa
Sporting boycott of South Africa
South Africa under apartheid was subjected to a variety of international boycotts, including on sporting contacts. There was some debate about whether the aim of the boycott was to end segregation in sport or to end apartheid altogether.-United Nations:...
.
On 17 February, it was announced that the second round of GP2 Asia Series
GP2 Asia Series
The GP2 Asia Series is a form of open wheel motor racing based on the GP2 series.The series was officially announced during the weekend of the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix. GP2 series organiser Bruno Michel commented that "It is of great importance that the GP2 Asia Series maintains a strong and viable...
, which was to be held at Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and the annual Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the Desert 400...
on 17–19 February, had been cancelled due to security and safety concerns surrounding the protests. On 21 February, the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, then due to take place on 13 March, was again cancelled because of the same concerns.
On 23 June, Bahrain football federation face a membership freezing on FIFA regarding the interface of politics in football matters. FIFA asked for information of detained and sentenced footballers.
Religious
QatarQatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
-based Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi
Yusuf al-Qaradawi
Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a controversial Egyptian Islamic theologian. He is best known for his programme, ash-Shariah wal-Hayat , broadcast on Al Jazeera, which has an estimated audience of 60 million worldwide...
called for the removal of the "roots of oppression" against the Shia majority and for them "to be real citizens of their country." He also criticised the protesters for what he saw as their religious sectarian nature, making reference to reports that the protesters were carrying pictures of the Iranian Supreme Leader
Supreme Leader of Iran
The Supreme Leader of Iran is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The post was established by the constitution in accordance with the concept of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists...
Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
and Hezbollah's Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
Hassan Nasrallah. He said that the protests were not supported by Sunnis in Bahrain and was thus "invalid." He talked of his friendship with the ruling Al Khalifa family and "praised" King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa claiming that "the Shiites attacked Sunnis, and took over their mosques, and used weapons just like the hooligans we saw in Yemen and Egypt".
While some Shia clerics, such as Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for the protestors to show restraint, Iranian and Iran-backed clerics have encouraged opposition groups to continue their resistance against the regime. Hossein Vahid Khorasani
Hossein Vahid Khorasani
Grand Ayatollah Hossein Vahid Khorasani is an Iranian Twelver Shia Marja. He was born in Nishapur, Iran and moved to Najaf, Iraq in 1960 and studied in seminaries of Grand Ayatollah Khoei until he moved back to Iran in 1972 and currently resides and teaches in the Seminary of Qom, Iran. He is...
said all Muslims should support the Bahraini protesters. "The oppression that is now in Bahrain...not only Shi’ah [sic] and Muslims of Bahrain...in this insurgence by foreign countries over a shelter less [sic] nation...this does not lead to any rest for Muslims...this tragedy is impossible to tell."
Economic
Regional financial stock-market indicesStock market index
A stock market index is a method of measuring a section of the stock market. Many indices are cited by news or financial services firms and are used as benchmarks, to measure the performance of portfolios such as mutual funds....
fell on 20 February on concern of spreading instability. The stock market continued to fall as protestors blocked the route into the Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour is a large-scale commercial development project in Manama, the capital of Bahrain....
, the country's main financial hub, prohibiting the growth of the economy and ensuring that those not involved in the protests, including expatriates, were unable to return to work. As a result, the national economy was described as the 'biggest loser' from the escalation of tensions . An opposition activist decried the damage done to the economy, saying that the blockade was done by “a small group and it's not popular”.
Despite the unrest Bahrain’s economy is still predicted to grow by around 3 per cent in 2011/2012.
Evacuations and travel advisories
On 3 February, the British embassy stated that it was aware of plans for protests on 14 February but did not advise British citizens to "take any special steps" beyond its standard advice that included a request to "maintain a high level of security awareness" and to "avoid large gatherings, crowds and demonstrations, as a number of them have turned violent." Following expanded protests and violence, the embassy was then closed "until further notice" and a warning against travel to Bahrain was issued. On 17 March, UK citizens were advised to leave Bahrain as the government sent charter planes to evacuate its citizens. The UK Foreign Office also urged its citizens to buy tickets on commercial flights to leave the country if possible.Infosys
Infosys
Infosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
, Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
and Wipro
Wipro
Wipro Limited formally Western India Products Limited is a global IT services and consulting company headquartered in Bangalore, India. As of 2011, Wipro is the second largest IT services company by turnover in India and employs more than 120,000 people worldwide as of March 2011...
, Indian information-technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
companies, withdrew their staffs from Bahrain following the three-month, state-of-emergency declaration.
See also
- International reactions to the Arab SpringInternational reactions to the Arab SpringThe international reactions to the Arab Spring have been disparate and many, with most Western and democratic countries generally supporting protesters demonstrating for expanded liberties and civil rights in many authoritarian countries of the Middle East and North Africa in late 2010 and...
- Shi'a–Sunni relations