[LINK] "Iran Has Little to Do With Bahrain Protests"

[rfmcdonald]

From IWPR comes a question-and-answer session with their editor Nima Tamaddon. No, notwithstanding past and present connections the Shi'ite majority of Bahrain is not at the core of mass protests because of Iranian manipulation. There are mass protests because the Bahraini political system is biased and authoritarian.

There have been allegations that the Shia majority in Bahrain enjoys Iranian backing, so that demonstrators in the island kingdom may not ultimately be seeking to build a democracy. How accurate are suspicions of an external element to these protests?

In my view, what we’re seeing is an allergic reaction to the word “Shia”. The only external element here is the inspiration the protesters in Manama have gained from uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, and even from the Iranian disturbances that followed the disputed 2009 election.

These protests in Bahrain are purely about democracy, rule of law and human rights.

Most of the protesters are Shia – do you see their actions as somehow religious in tone?

No, this story can’t be reduced to a Sunni-versus-Shia narrative.

There’s no doubt that Shia concerns have been the main engine of rebellion in Bahrain over the past two decades. Shia Muslims make more than 70 per cent of the population, and it’s generally accepted that they have faced discrimination in a country ruled by a Sunni dynasty.

However, many Sunni Muslims have taken part in the unrest alongside the Shia. So it’s not a religion-based protest. It’s all about rule of law and asking the administration to be accountable to its people.

From the start, the demonstration was organised by a group of young people using social media networks. It isn’t even clear whether they were Shia or Sunni.

They began by pushing for a constitutional monarchy. In other words, they were demanding a restriction in the absolute power of kings, not the dismantling of the system.

Since the bloodshed, however, the demands have changed, with some calling for an end to the entire system, others participation in the reform process, and the launch of a national dialogue.

How do Shia Bahrainis view Iran?

They are not necessarily fans of the regime in Tehran, and it’s very hard to conclude that they’re looking for an Iran-style Islamic republic.

Tehran likes to pretend to be a role model, but in the case of Bahrain there’s no evidence to suggest this is well-received. Of the six senior Shia figures in Bahrain – all of whom have supported the protests – the two leading figures, Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmad Ghassem and Sheikh Ali Salman, are regarded as moderates who oppose hardline clerics. Last year, Ghassem was criticised by the Bahraini opposition for urging people to vote in a parliamentary election.

There are also many families of Iranian origin in Bahrain, but as they came from southern parts of Iran, they include Sunnis as well as Shia.

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