Racism In Bahrain: A Country's Dark Secret?

Racism is a challenging variable to measure, and many countries lack centralized systems for tracking incidents of racism. However, Bahrain has been described as a racist country in some studies, possibly influenced by low levels of ethnic diversity and integration.

Bahrain is a country in the Persian Gulf, with nearly 50% of its population of Bahraini descent, and Indians making up the highest percentile of immigrants. While Article 18 of the Constitution of the State of Bahrain states that People are equal in human dignity without discrimination as to sex, origin, language, religion, or belief, and citizens shall be equal in public rights and duties before the law, the country has been criticized for its treatment of Shia Muslims, who make up the majority of the population but face severe persecution and discrimination. This situation has been compared to apartheid, with Shia Muslims allegedly being banned from residing in certain cities and excluded from holding key government posts or serving in the police or military.

In addition, Bahrain has been criticized for its treatment of stateless people, known as Bedoon, who are denied the right to hold legal residency, travel abroad, buy houses, own land, start a business, borrow loans, and send their children to public schools. The Bahraini government has also been accused of systematically working to diminish the Shia majority by promoting the immigration of Sunni Muslims and granting them citizenship.

Furthermore, Bahrain has been criticized for its treatment of migrant workers, who have faced a range of abuses, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the government attempted to ease overcrowding by offering migrants accommodation in schools, it has also been reported that the authorities cut off electricity and water during the peak of summer, forcing workers to leave without providing alternative accommodation.

Overall, while Bahrain's laws and constitution promote equality and non-discrimination, the country has been criticized for failing to uphold these values in practice, with persistent allegations of racism and discrimination against various groups, including Shia Muslims, stateless people, and migrant workers.

Racism against Shia Muslims

Shia Muslims, who make up the majority of Bahrain's population, face severe persecution and discrimination in the Gulf country. This situation has been likened to apartheid, with Shia Muslims treated as second-class citizens and subject to various forms of prejudice and racism.

The Bahraini government has been accused of marginalising the native Shia Muslim population, with torture and forced disappearances commonly reported. During the 2011 Arab Spring, a crackdown on protesters resulted in further human rights complaints, including the destruction of dozens of long-standing Shia mosques. Shia Muslims are also banned from residing in certain cities, such as West Riffa, which is exclusively for Sunni Muslims.

In Bahrain, Shia Muslims face discrimination in various sectors, including education, employment, political representation, and the judiciary. They are underrepresented in government jobs and top positions, with jobs in the police and armed forces reserved for Sunnis. Shia Muslims are also targeted by law enforcement and disproportionately suspected of criminal activity, facing unfair treatment and abuse while in detention.

The Bahraini media has been criticised for perpetuating negative stereotypes and contributing to the spread of prejudice against Shia Muslims. Additionally, educational curriculums have been accused of promoting sectarianism and failing to teach religious tolerance.

On a broader level, the discrimination faced by Shia Muslims in Bahrain is influenced by the country's close relations with Saudi Arabia and the adoption of certain Islamist legal principles. The ruling Sunni Al Khalifa family, who are supported by the US, have been accused of establishing a system of "political apartheid" based on racial, sectarian, and tribal discrimination.

To address these issues, it is recommended that Bahrain takes steps to improve police accountability, promote diversity in law enforcement, and foster an environment of religious tolerance and equality.

Persecution of stateless people

Bahrain has a growing problem of stateless people, known as Bedoon, who are descendants of Iranians (especially ethnic Persians) and have lived in the country for many decades. Most of Bahrain's stateless people are Muslims, and some are Christians.

Stateless people in Bahrain are denied the right to hold legal residency, travel abroad, buy houses, own land, start a business, borrow loans, or hold government jobs. They are also prevented from sending their children to public schools and receiving free medical care. They can be deported at any time, and since the 1980s, the Bahraini government has deported hundreds of Bedoon to Iran.

The Bahraini government has revoked the citizenship of hundreds of people, including human rights defenders, political activists, journalists, doctors, and religious scholars. The government has also threatened stateless people with "legal action" for protesting.

The statelessness crisis in Bahrain has been described as a violation of international law, as it arbitrarily deprives citizens of their nationality and renders them stateless.

Sectarian discrimination

Bahrain has been accused of practising a form of sectarian apartheid by not allowing Shiites to hold key government posts or serve in the police or military. Despite making up the majority of the population, Shia Muslims in Bahrain face severe persecution. This has been likened to apartheid.

According to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, while the Shiites exceed 70% of the population, "they occupy less than 18% of total top jobs in government establishments. In several government ministries and corporations, no Shiite is appointed in leading jobs." Jobs in the police and armed forces are reserved for Sunnis. Sunni Saudis are admitted to Bahrain as citizens to fill these jobs. Shiites and "some Sunnis of Persian origins" are banned from residing in the city of West Riffa, where only Sunni Muslims are permitted to live.

There are also concerns about the Bahraini government's systematic efforts to diminish the Shia majority by promoting the immigration of Sunni Muslims and granting them citizenship. According to Dr Saeeid Shahabi, a London-based journalist, "For Shi'ites, Sunni rule has been like living under apartheid".

In 2011, the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry was established by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to assess the incidents that occurred during the period of unrest in February and March 2011 and the consequences of these events. The report confirmed that there were some incidents of physical and psychological abuse of detainees.

In 1996, UK newspaper The Guardian stated that "if Bahrain is to preserve its reputation as a financial and service centre in the Gulf, then the government must begin to forge a new national consensus and end the apartheid against the Shi'ites".

In 1997, Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch said the apartheid practised by the government against the Shia appeared to be "worsening".

Bahrain's response to the 2011 Arab Spring

The protests, which began on 14 February 2011, were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and respect for human rights. They were not intended to directly threaten the monarchy. However, a pre-dawn raid by police on 17 February to clear protestors from Pearl Roundabout in Manama resulted in the death of four protestors. Following the raid, some protestors began to expand their aims to a call for the end of the monarchy.

On 18 February, army forces opened fire on protestors when they tried to re-enter the roundabout, fatally wounding one. The following day, protestors reoccupied Pearl Roundabout after the government ordered troops and police to withdraw. On 21 February, a pro-government gathering drew tens of thousands, while on 22 February, the number of protestors at the Pearl Roundabout peaked at over 150,000.

On 14 March, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forces, composed mainly of Saudi and UAE troops, were requested by the Bahraini government and occupied the country. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa declared a three-month state of emergency on 15 March and asked the military to reassert its control as clashes spread across the country. On 16 March, armed soldiers and riot police cleared the protestors' camp at the Pearl Roundabout, in which three policemen and three protestors were reportedly killed.

The Bahraini government's response to the protests was criticised by the international community, including the UNHCHR, the US, and the UK. However, the response was also influenced by the country's geopolitical and geostrategic significance, particularly its position as a proxy state between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and as a key regional power in the Persian Gulf.

Arbitrary citizenship revocations

Since 2011, the Bahraini government has arbitrarily revoked the citizenship of around 1,000 of its nationals, including human rights defenders, political activists, journalists, and religious scholars. This has been done through executive orders, court decisions, royal decrees, or Interior Ministry orders. According to the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), between 2012 and 2019, a total of 985 individuals were stripped of their nationality, with the King reinstating citizenship for 551 individuals in 2019.

The majority of those who lost their nationality were left stateless, facing obstacles in enjoying their basic human rights. Nationality revocation has been used to stifle dissent and further entrench the state's authoritarian agenda. The revocation of nationality has had serious effects on those concerned, denying them the ability to exercise their civil, political, social, cultural, and economic rights.

The process of citizenship revocation in Bahrain has been criticised for lacking adequate legal safeguards. While criminal court decisions are subject to appeal, and royal decrees and ministerial orders are subject to two levels of court appeals, courts have rarely, if ever, overturned a citizenship revocation.

The Bahraini government's actions are in violation of international human rights law, including international standards relating to the avoidance of statelessness, the prohibition of discrimination, and the prohibition of arbitrary deprivation of nationality. Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to a nationality and that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality.

The revocation of citizenship in Bahrain has been described as a tool of oppression, with serious consequences for those affected and their families.

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