Gulf News: Bahrain grapples with sectarian divide

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/04/24/10208133.html

04/28/2008 08:10 AM | By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief

Adel Marzooq was deeply anguished, but the veteran columnist felt he had to write the painful truth: Bahrain is no longer the postcard image that he had known since his birth.

His homeland, regarded as one of the most peaceful places on earth, is turning into two antagonistic countries at the hands of its own sons and daughters stubbornly engaged in callous and immoral hostility over sectarian ideologies.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/04/24/10208133.html

04/28/2008 08:10 AM | By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief

Adel Marzooq was deeply anguished, but the veteran columnist felt he had to write the painful truth: Bahrain is no longer the postcard image that he had known since his birth.

His homeland, regarded as one of the most peaceful places on earth, is turning into two antagonistic countries at the hands of its own sons and daughters stubbornly engaged in callous and immoral hostility over sectarian ideologies.

“You [visit] websites and see mainly articles [by Bahrainis from one sect] attacking Bahrainis from the other sect, accusing them of treason and calling for their eradication from the world. Insults are hurled at each other, and suddenly all the mothers in Bahrain are targeted, showered with abuse,” the star columnist of the Bahraini newspaper Al Wasat wrote.

“This is the real face of Bahrain, with no make-up to beautify it or censorship to conceal [its] ugliness. There are no more sensible people and all the lies that we have often used to conceal our failures are exposed now … Sunnis call for the deportation of Shiites because they are traitors and do not belong here. Shiites talk about the sacred act of killing.”

Sectarian roots

Bahrainis such as Adel are becoming increasingly pessimistic about what is happening and are fervently praying for a solution before their homeland, regarded by the ancient civilisations as the gateway to heaven, descends into total disorder.

To them, the root of the problem is the growing sectarianism dividing the nation into Sunnis and Shiites, with each camp claiming that the other is eroding national unity and sabotaging efforts to overcome difficulties.

Bahrain endured tense months in the 1990s when social unrest to demand political and constitutional reforms pitted mainly Shiite activists against the state and its supporters. About 35 people died in the incidents.

But conditions improved when Shaikh Hamad became the ruler in 1999 and launched a series of reforms.

Encouraged by the pledges from the king that Bahrain would enter brighter days, those who appreciated the reforms decided to work within the system and seek further amelioration.

But those who did not like the reforms or thought they were insufficient, kept the pressure on, locally and internationally. The country suffered sporadic violence, mainly involving teenagers and young men.

However, with no leader assuming responsibility for what happened, the Interior Ministry being accused of excessive use of force to squelch protests and security officers repeatedly denying the claims, a tense situation prevailed.

The Interior Ministry, therefore, thought that an information centre would help in responding to the claims that appeared in the local and international media.

Set back by sensationalism

“We wanted to have smooth relations with the media and explain to them what was really happening. There were too many reports portraying the police negatively without a shred of evidence, and that was not fair.

“We often told the media as well as local and international civil society organisations that we were ready to provide them with the information and details they required. Some have responded positively, but, unfortunately, we also have those who are keen on negative and sensationalistic reports that lack credibility,” said Mohammad Bin Dina, spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

But the interior media machine had to put up with the formidable competition from websites that reported developments in Bahrain, often using loaded words because they were always immune to potential lawsuits since the electronic media is not covered by the 2002 press law.

On December 17, there was a flare-up after a Bahraini man, Jassim Ali, 31, died during a demonstration commemorating the death of a victim of the unrest in 1997.

For the authorities, the choice of date by the protestors to mark what they called “martyr’s day” was not a coincidence since it clashed with the celebration of National Day and the King’s accession to the throne.

The demonstration was not officially allowed, but organisers went ahead with it even though the religious leaders did not sanction it and Al Wefaq, the main Shiite formation, did not take part in it.

The protesters, however, building on a sense of perceived marginalisation and a strong refusal to use the political and constitutional institutions to call for change, maintained that they had the right to mark their anniversaries on that day and to demonstrate publicly to demand further reforms.

The police said that Jassim Ali died after inhaling tear gas during the demonstration, but his friends claimed that he was a victim of police violence.

The situation quickly became tense and confrontations between the rioters and the security forces were renewed at Jassim’s funeral, eventually leading to the arrest of several activists. The arrests sparked a wave of demonstrations in villages, at the public prosecutor’s office and the court, demanding release of those arrested.

The police said some of them were guilty of setting a police car ablaze and stealing one weapon. The opposition, however, disputed the statement, saying that the police had deliberately left the car to burn in order to use it as an excuse to intensify its crackdown.

The claim that a weapon had been stolen was also denied over several websites, as a police ploy to have a new licence to search homes and harass activists.

According to some reports in February, about 30 men attacked a farm belonging to Shaikh Ahmad Bin Atiyatallah Al Khalifa, the former head of the National Security Agency and present security adviser to the prime minister. The farm was located near Karzakan, a village southwest of Manama, the capital, in Bahrain’s “unrest belt”.

To the surprise of most people, but to the great delight of the press, Shaikh Ahmad came out publicly and told reporters about how his farm had been regularly targeted by rioters, although it was the first time that they had set rooms ablaze, endangering the lives of the Asian workers who lived there.

A massive manhunt was launched and the region remained on high alert amid calls via the internet by some groups to apprehend the culprits and punish them without mercy. At the same time, other groups claimed that the attack on the farm was a new plot by the police to blame activists.

They urged protesters to attack the police and hurl petrol bombs at their cars. It was a cat-and-mouse game, with a tragedy waiting to happen.

And it did. Recently, news broke just before midnight that a police car, part of a three-vehicle convoy, was attacked by masked men who threw in Molotov cocktails, setting it ablaze. Shortly after the aggression was reported, the Interior Ministry stated that one policeman, Majid Ali Asghar Baksh, had died and two others were injured in the attack.

Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa condemned the attack and pledged a zero-tolerance policy towards its perpetrators.

The following day, Crown Prince Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa visited the victim’s family to offer condolences and expressed dismay at what had happened.

“Targeting security people who are watching over the safety of the people is a dangerous escalation of violence that all of us should work together to tackle,” he said during the visit.

“Young people should be encouraged to use their potential in constructive activities that will help them build their own future and contribute to the development of the country instead of engaging in destructive action to jeopardise their own lives and their country.”

At 27, Majid was probably the same age as the young men who hurled the Molotov cocktails into the car, making him the first man to be killed in such an attack since the end of the unrest in the late 1990s.

His family came from Pakistan, just like the thousands of people who had migrated to the Gulf looking for better opportunities and greater stability.

Majid’s grandfather, Ahmad Murad Ahmad Rand, arrived in Bahrain in 1959 and served in the security forces under the Interior Ministry for about 40 years. His son-in-law [Majid’s father] worked as a policeman for 27 years.

Majid might have attended the same school as the assailants, might have gone to the same public gardens, and they all, most likely, shared the same dreams.
But Majid died in the attack only two months before he was to marry a cousin.

“Majid had decided to wed his cousin and bought her clothes and gold. He was waiting for a break from work to hold the marriage ceremony,” Ahmad Murad said.

All-round disapproval

Majid’s death sparked a huge outcry in the local media and strong condemnation by most political societies such as Al Wefaq, which is often regarded as more understanding of the protesters’ grievances.

Shaikh Eisa Qasim, the spiritual head of Al Wefaq, and its leader, Shaikh Ali Salman, used their much-followed Friday sermons to condemn the spilling of blood.

“I warn against the country descending into a grave security issue. Killing people and spilling blood without a valid reason is a sin. Blood is very dear, regardless of whether it belongs to the people or to the government,” Shaikh Eisa said.

Salah Al Jowder, a Sunni leader who has diligently tried to narrow differences between Sunni and Shiite leaders, said that both sects should work together against extremists from both sides.

“I urge all our people, regardless of their sects, to organise a massive rally to denounce sectarianism and fanaticism. We have to protect ourselves against the modern plagues of sectarianism and fitna,” he said.

The preacher, who had run into difficulties with his political society, Al Asala, because of his intimate ties with the Shiites, challenged the perpetrators of the attack to prove their gains from their actions.

“You believe that attacking a police car or hurling a Molotov cocktail is an act of heroism. You are absolutely wrong. Frightening people and killing a man who was tasked with preserving stability and security is a heinous crime and does not represent one iota of heroism,” he said.

For Al Jowder, the cycle of violence gripping Bahrain is part of a larger ploy targeting the region and seeking to divide it into sects while keeping its people preoccupied with side issues.

“Unfortunately, we are victims of a plot against the Islamic and Arab nation, and instead of resisting it, we are, at the risk of immense loss, moving along with it.”

The best arguments for Al Jowder’s warnings are available on the internet, where both Sunni and Shiite extremists post radical comments that range from those accusing Shiites of colluding with Iran against the Sunnis and calling for their deportation or execution, to claims by Shiites that Sunnis are utter failures and should step aside from all positions of power to allow Shiites to demonstrate their aptitude in leading the world.

The Shiites often use pictures and signatures of religious leaders on their messages to prove their allegiances. The Sunnis, on the other hand, refer to Quranic texts to highlight their points. The situation is untenable — and anyone who opposes the extremists’ mindsets and thoughts is insulted and accused of betraying the nation and the sect.

The National Charter Society, often regarded as supporting the government, was the first political organisation to condemn the attack and call for the adoption of political measures to effect real changes.

Political means the best

Other societies also condemned the petrol bomb attack and the killing of the policeman. Most notable was the strong stance by Al Wefaq and its leaders.

Shaikh Ali Salman, the Al Wefaq leader, has no doubt that political means, and not violence, should be used to seek changes and improve the overall social, economic and political situation.

“Influential leaders should put an immediate end to the ridiculous tinkering that has caused death and destruction in the past few months. We thank God there are no weapons with the people in Bahrain. Otherwise, we would have seen the death of thousands of people,” he said.

Following Shaikh Ali Salman’s appeal, the government announced a series of measures to help tackle the growing verbal and physical violence.

The Interior Ministry has been asked to reinforce its special forces and the Information Ministry instructed to closely monitor websites inciting hatred or calling for violence.

The Islamic Affairs and Justice Ministry, meanwhile, has been told to keep an eye on mosques and religious community centres for inflammatory sermons and speeches promoting sectarianism.

While the assignment of the Interior Ministry is easy, the Information and Justice Ministries face a formidable task.

“No matter how hard the [Information] ministry tries to check the websites, it will not be able to contain the flow of information via non-traditional hosts or through the easily available proxy programmes,” said Mohammad Anas, a technology expert. “Those with the know-how will have access to the sites and will help others use them as well.”

Websites have mushroomed in Bahrain over the past few months, with every village having at least one forum where people can post their comments. Larger sites remain popular but the “information-sharing” has become a platform to attack those who hold different views.

Enjoying anonymity, several users have pushed the boundaries into forbidden territory by insulting national figures and religious leaders of both sects, striking sensitive nerves.

And moderators, too, often sympathetic to the remarks, turned a blind eye to what got published. The internet, readily available throughout the country, became the battlefield for hearts and minds, and all the lies, slurs and insults disseminated over it, no matter how terrible or horrible, were readily accepted.

Majid’s death has demonstrated once more that the bloggers’ community was deeply divided by sect and that religious affiliations strongly shaped tendencies; most blogs are a far cry from the brave campaign, “No Shii, no Sunni. Just Bahraini!”, launched by Mahmoud Al Yousuf, Bahrain’s best-known blogger.

“Majid Ali Asghar from the police force is dead. And for what? Does this help Bahrain in any way? Does this violence serve any cause? It was a total shock to read the papers this morning. God help us. Where are we going? Peace people. You don’t want to turn into another Lebanon. Trust me,” wrote SoulSearch in a blog condemning the killing.

Another Bahraini blogger, Ebtihal Salman, on the other hand, questioned whether the killing had actually taken place.
“Why should things be taken blindly solely because they emanate from the authorities? Has anyone died? Is there a body? Is there a medical report from a reputable and neutral source? Has this person died in this accident? I doubt it has ever happened,” Salman wrote.

Minutes after the killing, the internet was flooded with posts either defending the ministry or claiming that the Interior Ministry had made up the whole incident to justify the arrests. This prompted more mature bloggers to press hard to try and calm the situation.

“Enough is enough. On both sides. We want to live in harmony, for goodness’ sake. These vandalism and criminal acts are not helping one little bit. Everybody, even those who are called the opposition, should come out and unambiguously condemn these criminal acts,” Al Yousuf wrote.

Will Bahrain, as a country plagued with ominous sectarianism threats, take this latest tragedy as an opportunity to reclaim its compassion, fathom what happened and engage in quiet and meaningful introspection? Only time will tell.

The word is “Enough”

With the situation in Bahrain getting out of control, intellectuals have started expressing concerns that their country is inexorably disappearing into a miasma.

“The government has to step in forcefully and stop it. It takes just one word from high officials to put an end to this sickening situation, and this word is ‘Enough’,” said Dr Abdullah Madani, a political analyst. “Should we fail to hear this word, regaining some degree of sensibility will be extremely difficult.”

Taqi Al Zeera, a businessman and political figure, said that he could not envision Bahrain in a bitter stand-off between Sunnis and Shiites.

“I grew up in an environment that was vastly different from what we have today. Tolerance and mutual acceptance were the key words for our generation, but today they do not seem to signify anything,” said the liberal thinker who had run unsuccessfully in the 2006 elections.

For Abdul Hadi Marhoon, the former deputy speaker of parliament, Bahrain is going through critical times that could spell grave problems if not addressed efficiently.

“There are serious issues and we need a lot of willpower from all sides to ensure that we do not slide into a deplorable situation. We have never sunk so low. We should all exert greater efforts to regain our sensible levels,” he said. “I have resorted to reading and writing poetry to keep a flicker of romance alive in this stifling world,” he added.

A time for reflection

Nabeel Rajab, the vice-president of the dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, has called upon the protesters as well as the government to use the occasion to reflect on their practices and policies.

“The killing of the policeman was wrong and should be dealt with according to fair and independent principles of law. As human rights activists, we cannot support such an action and call on protesters to cease any violent attacks on human beings and to consider the meaning and consequences of such actions. At the end of the day, it is a detriment to the validity of their cause,” he said.

But, while protesters must carefully consider the outcome of their actions and the methods of protest they choose, the government should also review its policies, he said.

“The violent situation has been developing for a long time in Bahrain and this incident has shown that it is necessary to examine how it reached this terrible stage.

“The government must realise that putting those responsible for this act on trial is not enough to resolve the situation at this point. They must also explore the factors which have contributed to such hatred and violence towards security forces,” the activist said.