The wave of non-violent mass protest (Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, etc.) has now spread to Bahrain, an island nation of 400,000 that saw over 50,000 people (nearly 15% of the population) turn out for a rally demanding constitutional reform, particularly in relation to parliamentary elections.
Bahrain is majority Shi'ite, but is dominated by a Suni minority (the Al-Khalifa family clan in particular, see photo at right of the emir on a white horse). At the same time, many Bahrainis are well-educated, wired to the Internet, and fluent in English. The combination of mass discontent, access, and ability to engage Western audiences makes Bahrain a potential hotspot for civil rights reform.
Today's protest was organized by a Shi'ite group known as Al-Wefaq. Have no illusions, Al-Wefaq is a Shi'ite Islamist group. Adult women, mostly covered entirely in abayas, had their own marching section in the demonstration. If Al-Wefaq continues to raise its visibilty through civic demonstrations, the question remains whether it will lead to greater civil rights in general - or a coarsening of sectarian tension? And will this rally in turn inspire other non-"faith-based" groups to hit the streets with greater vigor?
In any case, the regime of Emir Al-Khalifa has decided to respond with heavy-handed tactics. According to one report: "Interior Minister Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah al-Khalifa called for legal action against organisers for holding the march despite being refused a permit." [Note: the Interior Minister is a member of the Al-Khalifa royal family.]
Excellent coverage of the rally comes (as usual) from Chan'ad Bahraini, who notes that the local press continues to downplay civic demonstrations with limited coverage. Over the past few months, Chan'ad's posts on the various public protests have illustrated the importance of bloggers in breaking the media monopoly in the Middle East. His photos are vivid, as is his commentary -- this time about the new phenomenon of sophisticated branding techniques now being adopted by protestors post-Cedar Revolution in Lebanon:
...The protest organizers made sure to use only nationalist icons and symbols instead of
sectarian or party ones. So they insisted that the only flag to be waved is the Bahraini one; a "red and white revolution", similar to the "cedar revolution". And one of the slogans that was chanted during the rally was "Bil rooh, bil damm, nafdeech ya Bahrain" ("With our souls and our blood, we shall sacrifice ourselves for you Bahrain"). The protest also had an official corporate style branding. In Lebanon the official slogan was "Independence '05", and in Bahrain it was "Constitutional Reform ... First"... not as snazzy, but nice try. The organizers distributed thousands of small flyers with the official slogan printed on them in both English and Arabic.
Go branding! Go Chan'ad! Go Bahrainis ready to peacefully demonstrate for guaranteed civil rights for all! Now how can we help?
NOTA BENE I: Chan'ad asks how he can invest in Middle Eastern flag-making companies, given the upsurge in demonstrations and flag-waving across the region. The authors of this blog used to wonder the same thing about the larger-than-life posters used by dictators like Saddam and Assad (which were not too long ago a growth item in the region). Amazing how the investment climate has changed.
NOTA BENE II: The issue of a Shi'ite-Suni divide in Bahrain has spilled over into the blogsphere, with Juan Cole wrongly accusing Mahmood Al-Yousif, the godfather of the Bahraini blogging scene, of being an anti-Shi'ite Suni. Cole didn't realize Mahmood is himself Shi'ite, and has apparently now apologized.
Nice article! Keep up the great posts about the ongoings as a result of Bahrain's 'semi/democratic laws':-) Good read overall.
Posted by: Strav | March 27, 2005 at 10:43 AM