Bahrain's Religious Diversity: A Cultural Mosaic

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island country in West Asia, situated in the Persian Gulf. The official religion of Bahrain is Islam, with the country's constitution declaring that Sharia law is a principal source for legislation.

The population of Bahrain is predominantly Muslim, with the citizen population being 99% Muslim according to a 2010 census. The remaining 1% is made up of Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Bahai'is. The Muslim population is split between the Shi'a and Sunni branches of Islam, with Shi'a constituting an estimated 70% of the Muslim population.

Bahrain has a history of religious tension between the Shi'a majority and the ruling Sunni minority, with the government being criticised for violating the human rights of Shi'a dissidents and political opposition figures. Despite this, the country generally allows the free practice of religion, with members of other religious groups being permitted to maintain their own places of worship and display religious symbols.

Sunni and Shia Muslims

The primary ideological difference between Sunnis and Shias relates to questions of religious authority and leadership. Sunnis, meaning 'followers of the sunna, or "way" of Mohammed', are opposed to political succession based on Mohammed's bloodline. Shias, a term stemming from 'shi’atu Ali', or 'partisans of Ali', believe that Ali, Mohammed's cousin and son-in-law, and his descendants are part of a divine order.

Shias make up about 10% of the global Muslim population and form a majority in five countries: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq. In Bahrain, Shia Muslims represent a majority of the citizen population, with estimates ranging from 55% to 70%.

Historically, there has been evidence of discrimination against Shia Muslims in Bahrain, particularly in recruitment for the military and domestic security services. During the 2011-2012 Arab Spring uprising, the government cracked down on Shia protests, resulting in civilian deaths and the destruction of Shia mosques. Shia religious figures continue to face harassment, intimidation, arrests, and detention. Shia prisoners also report inadequate medical treatment and restrictions on practising their faith while incarcerated.

Tensions between Sunni and Shia communities in Bahrain have been influenced by broader geopolitical conflicts, such as those between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian Revolution in 1979, which led to the rise of a Shia theocracy, further contributed to growing tensions between the two groups.

Despite these differences and tensions, there have been efforts to promote dialogue and reduce sectarian conflict. The King Hamad Centre for Global Peaceful Coexistence in Bahrain has hosted roundtables and conferences bringing together religious leaders from both Sunni and Shia communities to foster understanding and tolerance.

Christians

The majority of Christian Bahraini citizens tend to be Orthodox Christians, with the largest church by membership being the Eastern Orthodox Church. They enjoy equal religious and social freedoms, and there are Christian members in the Bahraini government. Bahrain is one of two Gulf Cooperation Council countries to have a native Christian population; the other is Kuwait, which has a smaller Christian population of less than 400 citizens.

Eastern Orthodox Christians in Bahrain belong to the jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. An Eastern Orthodox parish in Bahrain was organised in 2000 by the late metropolitan Constantine Papastephanou of Baghdad and Kuwait, who also had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Eastern Orthodox in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Expatriate Christians in Bahrain include people from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. They belong to various Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches.

Notable Bahraini Christians include Alees Samaan, the former Bahraini ambassador to the United Kingdom; Hani Aziz, pastor of the Arabic Congregation of the National Evangelical Church in Bahrain; and Hala Qurisa, second deputy chairman of the Shura Council.

There are several Christian churches in Bahrain, including the Sacred Heart Church, St. Mary's Orthodox Church, St. George's Antiochian Church, St. Peter's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Mar Thoma Church, St. Paul's Marthoma Church, the Indian Pentecostal Church of God Bahrain, the House of Praise Community Church, and St Christopher’s Cathedral and Awali Anglican Church.

In November 2022, Pope Francis became the first Catholic pope to travel to Bahrain, where he held mass for a crowd of almost 30,000 people.

Jews

The Jewish community in Bahrain declined during the 20th century, with only about 100 Jews remaining in the capital city of Manama by 1968. By the 21st century, about 30 Jews were left in the country, maintaining ownership of a synagogue and a cemetery, although services were held in private homes.

Bahrain had no official relations with Israel until the Oslo Agreements were signed in 1993, after which semi-official relations were established. Bahraini Jews were not allowed to visit Israel, although the country agreed to cease adherence to the economic boycott of Israel in 2004 in exchange for a free-trade agreement with the United States. In 2020, Bahrain and Israel agreed to establish diplomatic relations, and travel links were established between the two countries.

As of 2007, the Jewish population of Bahrain numbered 36, with the tolerance extended to the community attributed to the policies of King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa. The Jewish community in Bahrain has no rabbi, and religious ceremonies are conducted abroad. The community rarely makes a minyan, but it is the only country in the Persian Gulf with a Jewish community and a synagogue.

Bahrain's Jewish community traces its origins to the migration of Iraqi traders from the Jewish Yadgar family in the 1880s. After World War II, anti-British sentiment spread throughout the Arab world, leading to riots in Bahrain that targeted the Jewish community. In 1948, there were 1,500 Jews living in Bahrain, although some sources place the number at 600. Riots broke out against the Jewish community in Manama, with a mob looting Jewish homes and shops, destroying the city's synagogue, and murdering a Jewish woman. Most members of the community abandoned their properties and evacuated to Bombay, later settling in Israel or the United Kingdom.

Despite these events, Jews in Bahrain today claim they feel no discrimination, and members of the community hold positions in politics and business. In 2008, Houda Nonoo, a Jewish female lawmaker, was appointed as Bahrain's ambassador to the United States, becoming the first Jewish ambassador of any Arab country. In 2010, Nonoo's term as ambassador ended, and she returned to Bahrain, where she was tapped to work in the Foreign Ministry.

In 2015, King al-Khalifa officially marked the celebration of Hanukkah, with Jewish and Muslim Bahrainis celebrating together. Beginning in 2015, King al-Khalifa officially marked the celebration of Hanukkah, with Jewish and Muslim Bahrainis celebrating together. In 2020, Bahrain and Israel agreed to "normalize relations," and the following year, the Bahraini Jewish community publicly celebrated Hanukkah for the first time in decades.

Hindus

Bahrain is home to several Hindu temples, including the Shrinathji (Krishna) Temple, which is over 200 years old and is the oldest Hindu temple in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab world. During the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Bahrain, he announced a $4.2 million redevelopment project for the Shrinathji Temple.

Bahrain's Hindu community is largely made up of expatriates from South Asia, particularly India. It is believed that one in four persons in Bahrain is Indian, and the country has a large Keralite population. Hindus in Bahrain can also find temples dedicated to the Hindu deity, Ayyappa.

Baháʼís

In terms of demographics, Baháʼís make up a small percentage of the population in Bahrain. Among citizens, they are included in the "others" category, which constitutes 16.9% of the total population according to 2018 U.S. estimates. This category includes Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists. According to local sources, Baháʼís, along with Christians, Hindus, and Jews, make up the remaining 1% of citizens, with Muslims comprising 99% of the citizen population.

Foreign residents, who make up about half of the total population, include a significant number of Baháʼís. Of the foreign residents, approximately 40% are Muslim, while 31% follow other religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Baháʼís, and Sikhism.

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