Bahrain's Sectarian Stranglehold On The Arab Spring

The 2011 Bahraini uprising was a series of anti-government protests that were inspired by the Arab Spring and the unrest in Tunisia and Egypt. The protests were led by the Shia-dominant and some Sunni minority Bahraini opposition from 2011 until 2014. The demonstrations were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and equality for the 70% Shia population. However, after a deadly night raid on 17 February 2011 against protesters at the Pearl Roundabout in the capital Manama, known as Bloody Thursday, some protesters expanded their goals to call for an end to the monarchy. The Bahraini government responded by repressing the revolt with the support of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Peninsula Shield Force. The crackdown on the protests received international attention and condemnation, with an independent commission finding that the Bahraini security forces used excessive force and torture against protesters. The uprising resulted in about 164 deaths and highlighted the sectarian tensions in Bahrain, with the Shia-majority population facing discrimination and marginalization under the Sunni monarchy.

The role of the US and its allies in suppressing the uprising

The US and its allies played a significant role in suppressing the uprising in Bahrain during the Arab Spring. The US Navy's 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, and the country is a crucial ally in the Persian Gulf region. Therefore, the US had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and ensuring the survival of the Bahraini regime. This stance was in stark contrast to America's professed support for freedom and democracy during the Arab Spring.

Bahrain's majority Shiite population has long faced disenfranchisement and poverty under the rule of the Sunni monarchy. The protests in Bahrain began on February 14, 2011, inspired by the successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Initially, the protesters demanded political reforms, such as an elected parliament and a new constitution. However, as the demonstrations grew, their demands escalated to calls for the fall of the ruling Al Khalifa family.

The Bahraini government responded to the protests with force, and the situation escalated quickly. The government used state media to portray the protesters as traitors and agents of Iran, playing on sectarian fears. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), composed primarily of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, sent security forces to Bahrain to aid in quelling the uprising. This intervention was motivated by a desire to prevent the spread of pro-democracy protests to their own countries and to counter the perceived influence of Shiite-led Iran in the region.

The presence of foreign troops enabled the Bahraini regime to impose martial law and launch a harsh crackdown on the protesters. Thousands of people were detained, and there were reports of torture and human rights abuses. The security forces cleared the Pearl Roundabout, which had become the symbol of the protest movement, and a curfew was imposed across Manama, banning all public gatherings.

The Bahraini government's suppression of the uprising was largely successful, and the protest movement was stifled by the end of March 2011. However, sporadic protests and human rights violations continued in the following years. The US and its allies, by intervening in Bahrain, effectively sided with the ruling monarchy and against the aspirations of the Bahraini people for greater political freedom and social justice.

The use of sectarian violence to justify the crackdown on peaceful protesters

The Bahraini government used the spectre of sectarian violence to justify its crackdown on peaceful protesters. The Gulf states portrayed the protests as a sectarian Shia plot to obscure the Bahraini movement's political message of justice and equality. The Bahraini government, which was a close ally of Washington, tried to impose subordination by pursuing a combined policy of repression and discrimination against the Shia. Shia Muslims, who make up the majority of Bahrain's population, have very little power.

The protests in Bahrain began on February 14, 2011, and largely consisted of members of the Shia majority demanding expanded political freedom and participation. However, a police raid on February 17, in which several protesters died, led to the escalation of hostilities between the government and the protesters. In time, some protesters expanded their goals from reform to the ending of the Bahraini monarchy.

The Bahraini government requested troops and police aid from the Gulf Cooperation Council. On March 14, 1,000 troops from Saudi Arabia, 500 troops from the UAE, and naval ships from Kuwait entered Bahrain and crushed the uprising. A day later, King Hamad declared martial law and a three-month state of emergency. The Pearl Roundabout, which had become the centre of the protests, was cleared of protesters, and the iconic statue at its centre was demolished.

The police response was described as a "brutal" crackdown on "peaceful and unarmed" protesters, including doctors and bloggers. The police carried out midnight house raids in Shia neighbourhoods, beatings at checkpoints, and the denial of medical care in a campaign of intimidation. More than 2,929 people have been arrested, and at least five died due to torture in police custody.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded that the government had used systematic torture, psychological abuse, and committed other human rights violations in response to the 2011 uprising. The report also rejected the government's claims that the protests were instigated by Iran.

The role of the media in influencing public opinion

The Arab Spring was a wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that took place in the Middle East and North Africa between 2010 and 2012. The role of social media in these events has been widely debated, with some arguing that it played a crucial role in facilitating communication and interaction among participants, while others claim its impact was more limited.

In Bahrain, the media played a significant role in influencing public opinion during the Arab Spring. The Bahraini government used state media to portray the protests as a sectarian Shia plot, aiming to obscure the political message of justice and equality advocated by the demonstrators. This narrative was picked up by influential Gulf-owned newspapers, which often misquoted Bahraini Shia leaders to support the claim that the protests were sectarian-driven. The government also labelled protesters as traitors and agents of nearby Iran, playing on fears of Iranian and Shia influence in the predominantly Sunni Arab world.

The framing of the protests as a sectarian conflict had a significant impact on public perception, both within Bahrain and internationally. It led to a lack of solidarity with the Bahraini revolutionaries, as people feared what was presented as Shia sectarianism. This was further exacerbated by some Sunni religious leaders, who fanned sectarianism by preaching anti-Shia sentiments. As a result, the political demands of the protesters, which were similar to those of demonstrators across the Arab world, were largely overlooked.

The role of the media in Bahrain during the Arab Spring highlights the power of narrative framing and the potential for misinformation to influence public opinion. By controlling the narrative and spreading distorted information, the Bahraini government and its allies were able to shape public perception and justify their crackdown on peaceful protesters. This ultimately contributed to the suppression of the uprising and the maintenance of the status quo.

It is important to note that not all media outlets followed the dominant narrative. Al-Manar television, run by the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement, and some Iraqi (Shia) stations provided significant coverage of the protests and the government's harsh response. However, the polarised nature of the media coverage may have further confused public opinion, as people were exposed to conflicting narratives and interpretations of events.

The role of social media in organising protests

Social media played a significant role in the Arab Spring, a wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that took place in the Middle East and North Africa beginning in 2010 and 2011. It helped facilitate communication and interaction among participants of political protests, allowing them to organise demonstrations, disseminate information, and raise local and global awareness.

In Bahrain, the Arab Spring protests began on February 14, 2011, when Bahraini youth, inspired by the success of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, staged protests and sit-ins demanding constitutional and political reforms. The organisers of these early protests were young people who did not necessarily belong to the predominantly Shia opposition parties. They rose not as Shia but as youth who wanted a say in their fate through active political participation. The protests were peaceful, and initially sought the implementation of the 2001 National Action Charter and an end to security control over the country's political life.

Shortly after the beginning of the protests, the mainly Shia opposition parties took over but endorsed the same demands—set forward by the youth—for a new constitution that would shift most powers into the hands of elected officials. They were joined by secular, leftist, and liberal groups, which included Shia and Sunni members, as the protesters sought to turn the Pearl Roundabout into Bahrain's revolutionary Tahrir Square.

The idea of a Tahrir Square in Bahrain sent a dangerous signal not only to the country's royal family but also to rulers in the Gulf states more generally. The peaceful nature of the sit-in, and the fact that it looked more like a destination for family picnics than a political protest rally, meant that the Pearl Roundabout was about to become a symbol of the political challenge to all the oil-rich Gulf states.

The Gulf states' reaction, mainly the sending of Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates security forces to help quell the protests, underscored that the official Gulf order would not hesitate to do anything to maintain the status quo of the rule of the few. The demands of the Bahraini protesters for elected officials accountable to freely elected parliaments, even under the umbrella of the monarchy, were intolerable to Gulf leaders. Such ideas challenged the notion of absolute control practised in these countries and went far beyond the parliamentary system allowed in Kuwait.

The Bahraini government used the spectre of sectarian violence to justify its crackdown on peaceful protesters. The Gulf states made sure to portray the protests as a sectarian Shia plot to obscure the Bahraini movement's political message of justice and equality. The relative success of isolating the Bahraini movement by fomenting sectarian fears is a sign that the Arab Spring did not succeed in doing away with sectarian prejudices, which not only impeded effective solidarity but also threatened to tear up some Arab uprisings.

The role of social media in the Arab Spring is still debated, with some arguing that it played a crucial role and others claiming that it was merely a supporting role. However, research has shown that online revolutionary-styled motivations often preceded mass protests on the ground, and that social media played a central role in shaping political debates. Social media also contributed to social and political mobilisation in Bahrain, with the number of users of social networks, especially Facebook, rising dramatically during the Arab Spring, particularly in countries where political protests took place.

The role of the military in quelling the uprising

The Bahraini government's crackdown on the 2011 uprising was supported by military forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Bahraini regime imposed martial law, and a government crackdown followed. Helicopters circled overhead as authorities cleared the Pearl Roundabout of all protesters. The protesters were never allowed back.

The Bahraini security forces used excessive force and torture against protesters. An independent commission found that the army, police, and intelligence services were all using the same sinister tactics. The Bahraini government tore down the Pearl Roundabout monument, which had become a symbol of the political rebellion.

The military intervention in Bahrain was motivated by several factors. Firstly, the United States, a close ally of Bahrain, wanted to see the Bahraini regime survive and endure. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, giving the U.S. a significant military presence in the region.

Secondly, Saudi Arabia did not want protests in its own backyard and was concerned about a potential Shiite-led uprising that could encourage its arch-rival, Shiite-dominated Iran. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) force that intervened in Bahrain was composed mainly of Saudi and UAE troops.

The intervention of foreign military forces was decisive in quelling the uprising in Bahrain. The Bahraini government relied on external support to suppress the protests and maintain its hold on power.

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