Sectarian tension overshadows Bahrain election as pressure for change grows
By William Wallis in Manama
Published: November 24 2006 02:00 | Last updated: November 24 2006 02:00
Bahrain’s main Shia opposition group, el Wefaq National Islamic Society, is portraying tomorrow’s parliamentary elections as a last chance to promote peaceful dialogue on the Gulf kingdom’s political and economic future.
To cheers and chanting from thousands of supporters, Sheikh Ali Salman, the youthful leader of el Wefaq, warned at a rally this week that if the group’s inclusion in parliament did not lead to meaningful change, frustration would boil over on to the streets.
Sectarian tension overshadows Bahrain election as pressure for change grows
By William Wallis in Manama
Published: November 24 2006 02:00 | Last updated: November 24 2006 02:00
Bahrain’s main Shia opposition group, el Wefaq National Islamic Society, is portraying tomorrow’s parliamentary elections as a last chance to promote peaceful dialogue on the Gulf kingdom’s political and economic future.
To cheers and chanting from thousands of supporters, Sheikh Ali Salman, the youthful leader of el Wefaq, warned at a rally this week that if the group’s inclusion in parliament did not lead to meaningful change, frustration would boil over on to the streets.
The elections take place against a backdrop of rising sectarian tension between Islam’s two predominant sects across the Middle East. These are exacerbated in Bahrain by sharp inequalities in income, land distribution and, many Shia contend, government jobs in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
Government officials hope that the inclusion of the main Shia opposition group for the first time in parliament will help lower the political temperature. But more radical opposition activists are calling for an election boycott amid explosive allegations made last month by a government adviser.
The Sudan-born former government employee, Salah al-Bandar, brought to light what he said was a conspiracy to rig the polls and reinforce discrimination against the majority Shia – including by awarding citizenship to Sunni from other parts of the Muslim world.
Government officials dismissed the allegations as fake and in October deported Mr Bandar to Britain. But they have struggled since to contain the spread of associated documents, despite blocking numerous websites and threatening prison sentences for anyone questioning the integrity of the polls without evidence.
Bahrain is ruled by the Sunni al-Khalifa family under King Hamad bin Issa, who released political prisoners and promised constitutional change when he inherited power in 1999 following a decade of simmering unrest. Uniquely among the Gulf’s dynastic autocracies, the kingdom has a Shia majority, which makes up about 60 per cent of the population and is increasingly well organised politically.
Steps by the king to introduce more democratic rule by establishing one appointed upper house as a check to an elected assembly, with only limited powers over legislation and the budget, have failed to meet expectations among Shia and also some Sunni opposition groups. Sheikh Ali has emerged as a calming influence amid frustration over the pace of political change. His campaign to bring voters out tomorrow and give the electoral process a chance, has been boosted by support from Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to whom many Bahraini Shia look to for spiritual advice.
“The process of elections has given hope,” Sheikh Ali said in an interview. “But if it appears to people that it is not delivering what they are looking for, we will no longer be able to control the crowds. When the pressure becomes too strong I won’t be able to work as a fireman any more.”
El Wefaq and other opposition groups boycotted the last parliamentary elections in 2002. Their decision to take part this time has been welcomed by government officials, eager for political reforms to gain credibility. But it has split the group, with more radical members organising the boycott.
“We are looking for real political and economic reform. We believe that by participating in the elections el Wefaq has delivered a concession that has set us back,” said Hassan Mushaima, Sheikh Ali’s former deputy who now leads the Haq (Truth) movement.
Bahrain’s tense sectarian relations have been brought out into the open during campaigning. Some Islamist Sunni leaders believe the Shia opposition is under Iranian influence and its demands for political rights ultimately mask a desire to take power.
“Since the American involvement in Iraq, and the very obvious presence of Iranian fingerprints in Iraq as well, the Shia population here has created problems,” said Mohamed Khaled, a Sunni Islamist from the Muslim Brotherhood.
“This has made us as Sunni feel that something is coming to Bahrain, especially with the so-called victory of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in the Lebanon war. The Sunni are seeking protection from their leadership because they feel threatened,” he said.
The parliament is likely to be dominated by opposing blocks, representing Islam’s two predominant sects. But some secular liberal and leftwing Sunni have joined in an opposition alliance with el Wefaq. Their seats, however, are among the most hotly contested.
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