All aspects of the conflict in Bahrain can easily—and erroneously—be framed in sectarian terms: An overwhelming Shia Muslim majority is ruled by a Sunni Muslim royal family who bestow privileged, expedited citizenship on (Sunni) foreign nationals. These non-Bahrainis are then employed in the security sector to enforce authoritarian rule and ...
Read More »Bahraini prince accused of torture may lose immunity in UK
A Bahraini royal family member might be stripped of his diplomatic immunity in the UK after an opposition protester, who accuses him of involvement in torture, has been given permission to challenge his immunity from prosecution. The judicial review proceedings were brought by a Bahraini citizen in Britain after Bahrain’s ...
Read More »Prince Andrew praises Bahrain, island of torture
The Duke of York will be the keynote speaker at a conference in London this Friday celebrating Bahrain as a place of religious freedom and tolerance of divergent opinions. Speaking during a visit to Bahrain last month, he said: “I believe that what’s happening in Bahrain is a source of hope ...
Read More »The Bahrain revolution and its imprisoned leaders
Since the uprisings of Egypt and Tunisia in 2011, Bahrain has witnessed its wave of revolutionary mass protests demanding constitutional changes, greater freedom and equality of the marginalized majority Shia population, and political freedom and equality for the population as a whole. The revolution, labeled the “14 February uprising” provoked ...
Read More »Ayatollah Qasim: Dissolving the Council of Scholars is an attack on Islam
Addressing a crowd of scholars protesting against an order by the Bahraini regime to dissolve the Council of Scholars yesterday, prominent Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Eisa Qasim issued a statement against the order for the dissolution of the Council in which he stated that the termination of the council would ...
Read More »Thousands stage pro-democracy demo in Bahrain
Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held a demonstration in northeastern Bahrain, calling for the democratization of the Persian Gulf country. The pro-democracy demonstration, dubbed People’s Cause, was held in the village of Sitra on Friday. The protest had been organized by the Bahraini opposition bloc al-Wefaq National Islamic Society. The ...
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