Political groups in Bahrain
There are 11 political opposition currents active in Bahrain, of which the Shiite population of the Bahrain Islamic Alliance is one of the largest opposition groups in Bahrain, which had 18 seats in the parliament of this country, which officially resigned from the parliament in protest against the repressive actions of the ruling regime against the Bahraini protesters.
According to Fars report, so far there are fewer articles or reports comprehensively about the development of political movements or opposition currents in Bahrain, which are generally Islamist, and the political and social atmosphere that governs this.
The country has tried to find the roots of the recent protests in Bahrain, the following article tries to give the reader insights from the political and social atmosphere ruling the country of Bahrain and the effective factors in the formation of the political and social currents of this country to the most important political movements and currents. opposition in Bahrain.
* Motives and objectives of the Islamic Movement of Bahrain
He referred the most important motives and goals of the Islamic movement in Bahrain to the rule of the Al-Khalifa family, that the people of Bahrain have never been in favor of the rule of the Al-Khalifa family, and the reasons for this dissatisfaction should be considered in two things:
۱) Al-Khalifa family are not Bahraini, but they are Sunni minority immigrants who entered Bahrain from Kuwait following religious differences with the “Bani Kaab” tribe during the presidency of “Sheikh Nasrullah Khan”, the appointed governor of Bahrain, “Karim Khan Zand”.
۲) Al-Khalifa family did not come to power based on the will and satisfaction of the people, but Al-Khalifa took power in Bahrain and maintained it by accepting British protection in 1820.
* The dependence of the Bahraini regime on the West
In 1820, Al-Khalifa entrusted the administration of customs, trade and internal and external security to the officials of this country by concluding an agreement with England. The protectorate of Bahrain was reaffirmed in 1880 with the signing of the following treaty: “I, Isa bin Al Khalifa, Sheikh of Bahrain, hereby commit myself and my successors to the British government to refrain from negotiating or concluding any type of agreement with any country or government other than Britain without the consent of the said government, and to no government other than Britain I will not allow the establishment of a political or consular representation.
In this way, in 1919, Britain officially announced that Bahrain was a protectorate, and after that, Bahrain was administered under the supervision of a British adviser. “Belgrave” became the British ruler of Bahrain.
After the independence of Bahrain, the dependence of Al-Khalifa regime on the new colonizer, namely America, continued, and this dependence became more intense after the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran and the first and second Persian Gulf wars. The White House spokesperson’s admission that “we would not have been able to resist and stay in the Persian Gulf if it wasn’t for the help of the government of Bahrain”, confirms this double dependence.
* Absence of political freedoms
The return of exiles, the release of political prisoners, the lifting of the ban on the formation of political parties and religious activities, freedom of speech and the press, the cessation of arrests of freedom fighters and the abolition of censorship are the most important political demands of the people of Bahrain, and to fulfill this demand, they have repeatedly rebelled. . For example, in 1938, Bahraini workers demanded the formation of a parliament and labor unions, and in a similar demonstration in 1965, the right to hold political gatherings and the release of political prisoners were added to the previous demands. Even during the years 1992 and 1995, the people of Bahrain held demonstrations and marches, demanding the re-establishment of the parliament, which was dissolved in 1992.
* The spread of Western culture
The ruling family of Bahrain tried to change the Islamic values of Bahrain with the help of Westerners to ensure the continuity of their rule. In addition, the construction of the “Fahd Bridge”, which is the only sea bridge between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, has increased the spread of corruption in Bahrain. Because about 8,000 foreign employees of Saudi institutions, who cannot afford corruption in that country, flock to Bahrain during the holidays to have fun, which has increased the level of dissatisfaction in this country.
*Features of Bahrain’s political and social movements
The following characteristics can be seen in the social groups and political leaders who have been in charge of leading the Bahraini movement or in some way played a role in the continuation of the political struggle in Bahrain.
By forming and leading anti-British uprisings in 1911 and 1954, pearl merchants were considered one of the most effective social strata in Bahrain’s Islamic struggles. But after the Second World War, with the spread of Japanese pearls in the world market, the influence of pearl merchants in the domestic and foreign scenes of Bahrain decreased. However, with the discovery of oil, a new class of workers appeared, and due to the global importance of oil, their socio-political role in the domestic scene of Bahrain was also increased. Based on this, the prominent role in the anti-government uprisings of 1956, 1970, 1972, 1974 was with the workers, the majority of whom were Shiites.
۲) Nationalist and leftist political groups have never been able to play a prominent role in leading the uprising of the people of Bahrain. This is due to the fact that the majority of the people of Bahrain are Muslim and the compromise of the aforementioned groups, for example, although the “Nationalist Committee” with nationalist tendencies played a special role in the anti-British protests of 1956, but after that, with the compromise of some of its leaders with The regime lost its political efficiency. But the weak presence of national and communist groups in the movement of the people of Bahrain shows that the movement of that land is caused by internal disturbances and not affected by the interference of other Islamic countries.
۳) Following the failure of the national and leftist groups in the continuous leadership of the Maram Bahrain uprising, the Islamic groups have assumed a superior role. In this regard, we can mention the “Islamic Movement for the Liberation of Bahrain” (Ahrar).
The consequences of the Islamic struggle of the people of Bahrain
Although the Islamic movement of Bahrain has not achieved the goal of overthrowing the Al-Khalifa regime, but this movement has brought the following consequences.
a: Undoubtedly, the anti-British campaigns in Bahrain, two prominent examples of which occurred in 1911 and 1954, along with other anti-British uprisings in the Middle East, were effective in accelerating the decision to withdraw British forces from the east of the Suez Canal in 1971. Also, these campaigns were effective in reducing British influence in the political and administrative structure of Bahrain.
B: The most important consequence of the Islamic struggles of the people of Bahrain, which came to fruition immediately after the withdrawal of the British from Bahrain, was the holding of parliamentary elections in 1972, followed by the formation of the parliament and the drafting and approval of the constitution. However, the emir of Bahrain dissolved the parliament and suspended the implementation of the constitution following the parliament’s opposition to the approval of the security bill of the Ministry of Interior of Bahrain, according to which the minister of the interior could order the arrest of any suspect under the pretext of engaging in actions against the country’s security. took off
J: Following the continuation of the people’s protests, the Bahraini regime in 1972 formed a consultative-appointment assembly consisting of thirty people to replace the dissolved assembly. This council, which operates under the supervision of the emir and the government of Bahrain, has only a consultative aspect and not a legislative one.
But the later protests of the people showed that these government-directed reforms are insufficient to satisfy their deep desires. The Emir of Bahrain’s response to a new round of popular protests that began in Bahrain in 1995 was resorting to force and adding ten more members to the consultative assembly, these two issues led to the intensification of popular opposition. Especially the fact that the increase in the members of the Consultative Assembly has been evaluated against the constitution.
The most important currents and opposition parties in Bahrain
۱) “Ahrar” movement
This movement was formed in 1956 and in the 1960s, it created the labor uprising against the Bahraini regime and the “famous movement” and resorted to anti-government military measures since 1981. The members of this movement are Shia and Sunni Muslims and they want to establish an Islamic government in Bahrain based on Islamic ideology and the slogan “Neither West nor East” and relying on the strategy of mobilizing public opinion and avoiding any compromise. “Hossein al-Shahabi” is currently considered one of the prominent leaders of this movement, and the Ahrar movement has been an active presence in the recent protests in Bahrain, and along with other opposing currents such as al-Wafaq and Haq, they demand the dissolution of the government and parliament and the overthrow of the Al-Khalifa regime.
۲) The population of “Islamic Union”
Bahrain Islamic Union is a Bahraini Shia Islamic political community that was founded in 2001 and is one of the largest opposition groups in Bahrain, and from a historical perspective, it should be considered a legacy of the Bahraini Ahrar movement, which was the main driver of the protests in 1994 and 1998.
Sheikh “Ali Salman” is the leader of the community and the opinion of the leader of the community is that in order to build a progressive country, it should turn to the rule of the people in all government institutions, and in this sense, the slogan “freedom, justice and equality based on the principles and “Islamic principles”
As it was said, this population is considered the largest opposition movement in Bahrain and has 18 representatives in the parliament of this country who officially resigned from the parliament in protest of the repressive actions of the ruling regime against the Bahraini protesters.
۳) Haq movement
As it introduces itself, it is the “Bahrain Freedom and Democracy Movement with reformist tendencies” and forms one of the most important and largest opposition movements in Bahrain, along with al-Wafaq al-Islami. At first, “Hassan al-Mushaima” was considered as the general secretary of the movement and “Isa al-Jawdar” was considered as his deputy, who was later elected as the leader of the movement. The Haq movement was founded on November 11, 2005 AD and it should be considered as a split from Al-Wafaq al-Islami. But about Hassan Mushaima, the leader of the Haq movement, it should be said that at the same time as the recent protests of the Bahraini people against the Al-Khalifa regime and his movement, he also announced his joining the popular protests and uprising against the Bahraini regime and, like the Al-Wafaq al-Islami crowd, his demands for the dissolution of the government and parliament and Al-Khalifa regime appears. In 2010, 63-year-old Mushaimeh, together with 25 other Bahraini opposition figures, was accused of attempting to overthrow the ruling regime and was arrested 4 times before that. He should be considered among the regional figures who support the Islamic Republic of Iran.
۴) The Promised Population
The first political community of Bahrain that announced its existence in 2001 and is considered the historical continuation of the Popular Front of Bahrain (leftists) and is still considered a coalition of leftists, nationalists and independent forces of Bahrain. This group boycotted the 2002 elections, but participated in the 2006 elections and participated in the last Bahraini elections in 2010 with three men.
۵) Islamic Action Society (Islamic Action Society)
This movement was established in the late seventies and at that time it became known as the “Shirazi” movement, which was attributed to Ayatollah “Mohammed Shirazi” and was considered a continuation of the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain, which was accused of attempting a revolution against the government in 1981. It’s time for Bahrain.
This movement boycotted the 2002 elections, but participated in the 2006 elections, but again boycotted the 2010 elections.
۶) National and Democratic Assembly (National Democratic Assembly)
He is considered the representative of the Baathist movement in Bahrain. This movement banned the 2002 elections, but participated in the 2006 elections and participated in the 2010 elections with a candidate.
۷) People of Tribune Democracy Pishro
It is the representative of the leftist movement in Bahrain and the continuation of the National Liberation Front of Bahrain, which is considered the first communist party formed in the Persian Gulf region in 1955. This group participated in the 2002 elections and won three seats in the parliament, but could not succeed in the 2006 elections.
۸) Al-Wasat Arab Islamic Community
It includes the Nasser movement (attributed to Jamal Abdul Nasser) and the Bahraini Islamists. He participated in the 2002 elections, but none of his candidates entered the parliament.
۹) National Islamic Tribune Society (National Islamic Forum Society)
It is the representative and political arm of the “Al-Islah” community, which was formed in Bahrain in the forties. He participated in the 2002 elections and managed to win eight seats in the parliament. In the 2006 elections, he formed an alliance with Jamiat al-Asala (Salafi movement) and won seven seats, and in the 2010 elections, he ran with eight companies.
۱۰) Community of Authenticity
It is the representative and political arm of Jamita Tarbiat Islami, which participated in the 2002 elections and managed to win 6 seats in the parliament. In the 2006 elections, he won 6 seats in the parliament with the alliance with Manbar al-Watan al-Islami.
۱۱) National Justice Movement
Following the split in the population, the National Democratic Rally of this population was formed, and it is a small population that includes leftist and independent activists, and it is active in a special way in the city of “Al Muharraq” and participated in the 2006 elections.
