Currently, Bahrain is going through a severe political crisis. The elections to the 40-member Shura Council are to be held in October 2010. The pro-democracy movement had bagged 17 out of 40 seats in the 2006 elections. Although the Shura Council has the status of a mere advisory council and cannot make laws for the country, the pro democracy elements have attached great symbolical importance to the October elections. Bahrain has been housing a big American base in the region for a long time. It is ruled by a dynasty and the current king is Hamad bin Eisa Al Khalifa. The head of the kingdom is Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa and there are two deputy Prime Ministers, Ali bin Salman al Khalifa and Mohammad bin Mubarak al Khalifa. Therefore, the government is completely in the hands of the Al Khalifa dynasty much akin to the royal kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has the US patronage and the support of the member countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council including Saudi Arabia. -- Md Ahmad Kazmi
By Md Ahmad Kazmi
On the 15th August last when India was celebrating its 63rd Independence Day, another country of the world was subjecting its political opponents to incarceration and torture on the occasion of the completion of its 49 years of independence from the British imperialism. Bahrain, one of the countries in the Persian Gulf, got independence from the British Imperialism on 15the August 1971 but is still ruled by the autocratic royal kingdom, and Uncle Sam is among those conspiring to crush the democratic movement as the US and the Western countries do not like democracy in countries of the region. As a result of the democratic process in Iran, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, the US interests have only taken a beating whereas the undemocratic governments have proved conducive to their interests.
Currently, Bahrain is going through a severe political crisis. The elections to the 40-member Shura Council are to be held in October 2010. The pro-democracy movement had bagged 17 out of 40 seats in the 2006 elections. Although the Shura Council has the status of a mere advisory council and cannot make laws for the country, the pro democracy elements have attached great symbolical importance to the October elections. Bahrain has been housing a big American base in the region for a long time. It is ruled by a dynasty and the current king is Hamad bin Eisa Al Khalifa. The head of the kingdom is Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa and there are two deputy Prime Ministers, Ali bin Salman al Khalifa and Mohammad bin Mubarak al Khalifa. Therefore, the government is completely in the hands of the Al Khalifa dynasty much akin to the royal kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has the US patronage and the support of the member countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council including Saudi Arabia.
The root cause of the political crisis there is the persecution of the local majority by the royal government. It is also a fact that the Shia sect enjoys majority in the population of Bahrain. However, in the movement for the establishment of democracy, Sunnis are also taking active part, important among them are the active leader of Haq Tehrik, Ali Rabia, Eisa al Joudar who was elected to the Parliament in the elections in 1973 and a popular lawyer Mohammad Ahmad.
Prior to the independence day of Bahrain, some leaders of Haq Tehrik had gone to London to attend a meeting held in the House of Lords, Britain. According to reports, the present crisis started on 13th August 2010 when the head of Human Rights wing of pro-democracy Haq Tehrik, Dr Abdul Jalil Al Sangas was arrested along with his family members at the Bahrain international airport on his return from London. He had given a detailed account of the oppressive treatment of the political opponents in Bahrain in the London Conference. During his tour of Britain, Dr Sangas had also met the authorities of the human rights organisation, Human Rights Watch and the Islamic Human Rights Organisation.
Dr Sangas' family members were released hours after the detention but he was taken to an unknown destination. According to reports received later, he was tortured by the armed royal guards so brutally that his bones have been fractured and now he cannot get up from the wheel chair. As soon as the news about the incident spread, the people's rage broke out. A huge protest meeting was held against the arrest of Dr Al Sangas at Baladul Qadeem in the evening of 13th August. The armed guards of the government cracked down on the protesters arresting more people. Afterwards, three important persons, Hussain Ali Daudi, Hakeem Ali Hussain and Ahmad Ali Hussain were arrested from their houses in the town of Dayer on the night of 16th August. According to London-based Bahrain Freedom Movement leader Sayeed Shahabi, after arrest of Dr Al Sangas, the armed guards of the autocratic government had arrested scores of pro democracy Haq Tehrik and are brutally torturing them. The tortures include uprooting body hair and teeth with plotters. Some youth were thrown on the streets when they fell unconscious after the torture. The government wants to break the morale of the youth participating in the pro democracy movement.
Jafarul Hasmi was arrested on his return from his pilgrimage of the sacred city of Iran on the Bahrain airport on 17th August. According to reports, Jafarul Hasmi is not a popular political activist though he has been living in Britain as a political refugee for the last 15 years. Bahrain Freedom Movement is issuing press releases every 24 hours about the nationwide protests against the government and arrests of dozens of people. Ongoing tussle in the country started with a statement given by the British ambassador J. Adam Ereli in an interview with the Al Awsat. The Amrican diplomat had said in the interview that if the opponents of the government had any grievances and were worried for the welfare of the country, they should try to resolve the problems living within the country. Bahrain was a country where the law abiding citizens were not sent to jails. There was ample freedom in the country to criticise the political system. He wondered why the opponents took shelter in Britain and the US. Prior to that, on 12the August Prime Minsiter Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa had also appealed to the political opponents to come back to the country.
I have met important leaders of Bahrain during my visits to London. Bahrain Freedom Movement leader Sayeed Shahabi once told me that sometimes he felt very depressed at the state of affairs in Bahrain. The reason for this was that the autocratic government of Bahrain had the support of America and other western countries. These very countries demand democracy in the rest of the world whereas these so-called flag bearers of human rights and democracy back the oppressive rulers of the Arab countries. The best examples of this are the American support to Saddam government during Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988 and presently to the royal governments of this region including Saudi Arabia.
The official news agency of Bahrain, BNA has cited the participation of the arrested persons in pro democracy protests as the reason for their arrests. In some events it has also been said that some people were arrested because they wanted to appeal for a boycott of the Shura Council elections. On August 18, three persons were arrested against whom the government has levelled serious allegations. They are Dr Md Sayeed Al Sahlawi, Sheik Mirza al Mahroos and Sheik al Hadi al Makhudar. According to BNA, Al Sahlawi was going to distribute pamphlets appealing to boycott Shura Council elections.
The Bahrain government wants to show to the international community that it is bringing about gradual political reforms in the country but the violent steps against the opponents prove that it is not in favour of establishing democracy in the country. The way the American amabassador asked the political opponents to return to the country has made it clear that the American government is an accomplice in the conspiracy to crush the political opponents. There has been no word from the American government on the current actions of the Bahrain government as yet. Experts are of the view that America wants to crush the pro democracy movements in all the countries in the region after the Islamic revolution in Iran. Had it not been the case, the Hamas government would have been recognised after the 2006 elections in Palestine; the decisions of the democratic government of Iraq would have been respected; the emerging political power Hezbollah in Lebanon would not have been branded a terrorist organisation and the increasing clout of the Ikhwanul Muslimeen in Egypt would have been duly recognised.
ExpertS also understand how the political uncertainty in Iraq is being maintained after the March 2010 Parliamentary elections. The current events have evoked intense reactions at the international level. The London-based Human Rights Watch, Islamic Human Rights Organisation, Cairo based Centre for Human Rights, Haq Tehrik, Palestine, Arab Panel Reforms Organisation, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and dozens of democratic and human rights organisations based in Arab countries have demanded that the Bahrain government immediately release the political leaders and activists and apply real political reforms in the country.
Experts are of the opinion that in view of the current situation in Bahrain, the international community should take immediate steps for the restoration of human rights there in order to stop the persecution of the political opponents. The UN and other international organisations should persuade the American government to play a fair role in Bahrain otherwise the anger against the US in the region will only increase. Any political problem should be resolved on the basis of human values because giving religious and sectarian colours to political issues only aggravate the problems. There can be disagreement on the accurate proportion of Shia population in Bahrain but it is undisputed that they are in majority in the country. If despite this fact they have no share in the politics and governance and their advice is not sought in important matters of the state, it is a gross injustice to them. If Bahrain and other kingdoms of the region are true representatives of the people, they should not fight shy of the establishment of a democratic system.
Source: Hamara Samaj, New Delhi
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=3356
5:37 AM
Moderate Islamist here
0 comments:
Post a Comment