Reform in Bahrain: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?
A Panel Discussion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Washington, February 13, 2007
An intervention by:
Abdul-hadi Al-Khawaja, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen.
When the British government decided to pull out from East of Suez in the late sixties, the United Nations sent a fact finding mission to Bahrain to find whether the people of Bahrain wanted their land to be a part of Iran or to be an independent state.
As a part of a campaign to encourage the Shi’a majority in Bahrain to chose independence under a democratic rule of the Al-Khalifa Family, the ruler of Bahrain, the father of the current king, visited Iraq and paid a special visit to the grand Shi’a religious leader Sayed-Mohsen Al-Hakeem, at his residence in Najaf. The outcome of the UN mission was an independent Bahrain.
Reform in Bahrain: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?
A Panel Discussion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Washington, February 13, 2007
An intervention by:
Abdul-hadi Al-Khawaja, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen.
When the British government decided to pull out from East of Suez in the late sixties, the United Nations sent a fact finding mission to Bahrain to find whether the people of Bahrain wanted their land to be a part of Iran or to be an independent state.
As a part of a campaign to encourage the Shi’a majority in Bahrain to chose independence under a democratic rule of the Al-Khalifa Family, the ruler of Bahrain, the father of the current king, visited Iraq and paid a special visit to the grand Shi’a religious leader Sayed-Mohsen Al-Hakeem, at his residence in Najaf. The outcome of the UN mission was an independent Bahrain.
Following its independence, Bahrain had its first constitution in 1972, and elected its first National Assembly in 1973. However, the ruler, Shaikh Issa Al Khalifa and his brother Shaikh Khalifa, the prime minister, dissolved the parliament in 1975 and ruled the country by decrees for 25 years. This lead to political disputes, disturbances and gross human rights violations.
When Shaikh Hamad became the new ruler after the death of his father in 1999, he created a new mood for change and reconciliation by declaring general amnesty, abolishing the State Security Measures and halting, for a while, the implementation of restrictions on civil liberties. Paving the way for promised reforms. Then he introduced a National Charter which declares him a king in a constitutional monarchy while acknowledging democracy and the rule of the people and promoting freedoms and human rights.
In order to secure popular support in the referendum on the National Charter, the new ruler maintained good relations with opposition figures and visited Shi’a main religious leaders at their residents promising to restore the 1972 constitution and respect the people rights and equality for all citizens.
In a unique historic event the Shi’a religious leaders gave their approval for the national charter. It is rare in Shi’a history that there religious leaders give approval to any political regime, especially when it is non religious and non- Shi’a. It was like an Islamic “Bay’a” (recognition of a political leader). As a result, the National Charter was agreed upon by 98% of the voters who participated widely in the national referendum.
However, the new declared king introduced a new constitution which gave him absolute power and issued various decrees which marginalize the participation of the Shi’a and opposition groups. As a result, these groups protested and boycotted the elections in 2002 but participated in the elections of 2006 with the feeling of humiliation and defeat.
Since 2002, the country has been in an awkward situation. Elections take place under the absolute rule of a monarchy. Civil liberties are restricted and human rights are violated but in new fashions. Political and sectarian tension are growing.
The new constitution states that the king is head of the executive, legislative, and judicial powers. He appoints all members of the Judiciary supreme Council, all members of the Constitutional Court, and 40 out of 80 of the National Assembly. Moreover, no legislations can be passed without the King’s approval.
The King’s Royal Court has practiced exclusive authority in granting citizenship, distributing public lands, and playing a major role in the main political issues.
In December 2006, the king has re-appointed his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, as prime minister. Sheikh Khalifa has been the powerful head of government since the independence of Bahrain 36 years ago.
The Royal Family occupy 12 out of 24 positions in the new cabinet, including; the Prime Minister, the first and second Deputies, the minister of Foreign Affairs, the minister of Interior, the minister of Defense, the minister of Finance and the minister of Justice.
The new cabinet includes six Shi’a ministers, who are carefully chosen from families known to be loyal to the ruling family. Nevertheless, these appointed Shi’a ministers make-up less than 25% of the new Government. This is the least representation the Shi’a majority have had since Independence. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights publicized a report in 2004 revealing that the Shi’a majority occupy only 18% of the 500 highest positions in the Government.
In the elections of the Council of Representatives, the Government succeeded in preventing the Shi’a and the liberal political societies from having the majority in the new Council. This was achieved by enforcing unfair sectarian constituency districts and using General Voting Centers and pressuring soldiers to vote for specific candidates. The government also used the votes of tens of thousands non-residents who were naturalized on sectarian basis and were granted the right of both candidacy and voting.
On the other hand, the Government secured the majority in the new Council for loyal groups who belong to Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist (Sunni fundamentalists).
As far as the appointed Shura Council, which shares legislative power with the Council of Representatives, they are only appointed on the basis of their loyalty to the ruling family. Nevertheless, the Shi’a ratio in the Shura Council is within 45%.
In regard to the general conditions of human rights in the country, the US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (released last year) reported the following human rights problems:
• inability (of citizens) to change the government
• political parties are prohibited
• impunity
• restrictions on civil liberties–freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association
• lengthy pretrial detention
• lack of judicial independence
• allegations of corruption in the judicial system
• discrimination based on gender, religion, sect, and ethnicity
• infringement of citizens’ privacy rights
• restrictions on freedom of religion and of movement
• violence against women
• trafficking
• restrictions on labor rights
According to a report issued in 2006 by IREX based in Washington, Bahrain scored a law average of 1.82 out of 4 at the “Media Sustainability Index”. Bahrain was labeled an “unsustainable mixed system” coming no. eleven in the Middle East after other GCC countries, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Morocco and Egypt. While, in the latest report issued by Reporters Without Borders, Bahrain was ranked 111 out of 167 countries in the level of freedom of the media.
In regard to new restrictive laws, the latest report issued by Human Rights Watch, reported that the Press Law (47/2002) contains measures that unduly restrict freedom of the press. They added that the authorities invoked the law in 2006 to ban coverage of controversial matters. The organization mentioned also that the Bahraini authorities, citing Law 32/2006 on assembly, have banned meetings on the grounds that the organizers failed to get authorization and on several occasions forcibly prevented or dispersed meetings.
In regard to economic rights; despite the raise in the price of oil and therefore the national income: poverty, low income and the lack of adequate housing continue to be a problem for more than 50% of the population. Corruption and unfair distribution of the national wealth will continue to be a main reason for violations of economic and social rights.
As a human rights organization, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) took two main roles in the past five years: addressing the sensitive issues in the country and empowering the disadvantaged people, believing that this would result in genuine change.
As for addressing sensitive issues, the BCHR during 2002-2004 highlighted issues such as; privileges enjoyed by members of the royal family, discrimination against Shi’a Bahraini’s, restrictions on liberties, political naturalization, impunity, trafficking, the rights of foreign workers, poverty and corruption.
On those issues the BCHR produced many researches and reports, organized seminars attended by thousands of people, campaigned through the press and members of the National Assembly and lead campaigns on the national, regional and international level.
That led eventually to the closure of the BCHR in September 2004 and the detention of its executive director along with a wide defaming campaign against the BCHR in the national media. However, the strong support from the people on the streets and from international actors, proved the popularity and effectiveness of the BCHR.
In regard to empowering the people, especially after its closure, the BCHR helped in creating several popular committees on issues like inadequate housing, the release of detainees, unemployment and low wages etc. These committees used peaceful protests as part of their work. The authorities reacted by implementing restrictive laws and using excessive force, arbitrary detention and unfair trials. In some cases that policy provoked violent reactions against security forces. However, the issues related to economic rights have become the main priority for the government, opposition and public opinion.
Beside arrests, physical assaults, unfair trials, threats and defaming campaigns, members of the BCHR were denied the right to organize public seminars, have access to the press and the BCHR website has been blocked in the country. Unfortunately, actors such as the UNDP office in Bahrain and foreign embassies including the US embassy have participated in the boycott.
US Responsibility:
For many reasons, Bahrain is a model –test case- for reviewing the US policy in the Middle East:
1. The United States remains a major ally of Bahrain. In 2001 President George Bush designated Bahrain a Major Non-NATO Ally. Moreover, Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet as well as “important air assets”
2. The ruling family belongs to a minority and is an unpopular government, therefore it relies on foreign support
3. The location and demographic composition
4. The change in the head of the state was an opportunity for real change
5. The extended US influence in the society and the political actors
Therefore, the US is responsible for the achievements and the failures in the current and future situation. It is feared that the US-supported-regime in Bahrain is arrogantly pushing the majority Shi’a to violence or to ally with rivals of the US and to adopt revolutionary thoughts and means.
In conclusion:
· Because of the unconditional support for the undemocratic suppressive regimes in Bahrain and the region, the US is loosing the hearts and minds of the people, eventually harming its own interests.
· Bahrain, and other countries in the region, are in great need for real reforms, real sharing of power and implementing an effective regime of checks and balances. Cosmetic reforms do not serve security and stability, neither does the PR image campaigns.
· The Bahraini government’s new policy to empower Sunni Islamists groups (such as the Muslim brotherhood and the Salfists) in order to marginalize the Shi’a, is a dangerous policy.
· Out rooting sectarianism could not be achieved without maintaining equity among citizens in relation to political, economic and social rights
· When a suppressed people, who live in the midst of disappointments, despair and humiliation, find out that their way of peaceful means for change is blocked, they will revert to violence.
· As for us, the BCHR, our struggle for freedoms and human rights will continue despite the difficulties.
Thank you all for your attendance and patience.
(Attached: “Bahrain Slips to Crises as a Result of Discrimination, Sectarian Hordes and Power Monopoly policy”, a report by: BCHR, 18th December 2006) www.bahrainrights.org
