Bahrain's Future: Revolution Or Evolution?

The 2011 Bahraini uprising was a series of anti-government protests led by the Shia-dominant and some Sunni minority Bahraini opposition. Inspired by the Arab Spring and protests in Tunisia and Egypt, the demonstrations escalated to daily clashes after the Bahraini government repressed the revolt with the support of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Peninsula Shield Force. The protests were a sustained campaign of non-violent civil disobedience and some violent resistance, with protesters demanding greater political freedom and equality for the 70% Shia population.

The uprising was met with violent retaliation from the military of the Al Khalifa, Bahrain's dictatorial royal family. The Bahraini government requested troops and police aid from the Gulf Cooperation Council, and on 14 March 2011, 1,000 troops from Saudi Arabia and 500 troops from the UAE entered Bahrain and crushed the uprising. A day later, King Hamad declared martial law and a three-month state of emergency.

The Bahraini revolution has been suppressed on the ground, in the media, and by the US government. Bahrain is a key ally to the United States, and the US Navy's 5th Fleet is based in the country. The US has chosen sides and decided that it wants to see the Bahraini regime survive and endure.

The role of the US in the Bahraini revolution

The US Navy's 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, giving the US a significant presence in the region. This presence has only increased following the US withdrawal of forces from Iraq. As such, the US has a vested interest in the stability of Bahrain and has chosen to support the Bahraini regime, despite its talk of supporting those seeking freedom during the Arab Spring.

The US has decided that it wants to see the Bahraini regime survive and endure, not only for the American relationship with Bahrain but also for Saudi Arabia, which did not want protests in its backyard or a Shia-led uprising to encourage its arch-rival, Shia-dominated Iran.

The US Department of Defense considers the location critical to its attempts to counter Iranian military power in the region.

The US initially responded to the Bahraini uprising by holding up a long-planned package of arms sales and training programs worth $53 million to the Bahraini military. However, this did not stop the Bahraini government from cracking down on protests and committing human rights abuses.

In early 2012, the US criticized the Bahraini government's plans to ban opposition groups, which led to the Bahraini authorities stating that they would wait for investigation results before taking any action.

In June 2013, delegates from Bahrain were given permission to access a UK immigration removal center, despite allegations of torture in Bahraini police custody and prisons.

In 2016, a report revealed that a state-owned Belfast business had trained Bahraini forces in the use of torture to secure death sentences. The UK Foreign Office awarded the company over £900,000 as part of a £2 million aid package to promote human rights reform in Bahrain.

In January 2017, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Jeffrey D. Feltman, was sent to Bahrain to mediate between the government and the opposition.

Despite the US's criticism of the Bahraini government's human rights record and its attempts to mediate, the US's close diplomatic, military, and commercial ties with Bahrain have resulted in continued support for the Bahraini regime, even in the face of human rights abuses and crackdowns on protests.

The Bahraini government's response to the uprising

The Bahraini government responded to the 2011 uprising with a brutal crackdown. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa requested troops and police aid from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). On 14 March, 1,000 troops from Saudi Arabia, 500 troops from the United Arab Emirates, and naval ships from Kuwait entered Bahrain and crushed the uprising. The following day, King Hamad declared martial law and a three-month state of emergency.

The Bahraini government's crackdown was harsh. Thousands of people were rounded up, detained, and sometimes tortured. Two elected members of Parliament, doctors who treated protesters, journalists who wrote about them, and lawyers who defended them were among those detained. Several people died in custody. Sporadic protests continued, and human rights groups condemned the government's actions.

The Bahraini government eventually commissioned an independent inquiry into the crackdown, hoping to anchor the events firmly in the past and move on. However, no high-ranking official has been held accountable for the deaths and torture.

The Bahraini government has also attempted to erase the memory of the protests by destroying symbols of the revolution, such as the Pearl Monument in the middle of the Pearl Roundabout, which was the locus of the anti-government protests. The government also moved to destroy Shia places of worship, demolishing 35 mosques.

The impact of the revolution on the Shia community

The Shia community in Bahrain, which makes up about 70% of the population, has long been marginalised and disenfranchised by the ruling Sunni monarchy. In February 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, mass protests broke out in Bahrain, led by Shia human rights activists and members of the Shia majority. Protesters initially called for political freedoms and respect for human rights, but after a violent crackdown by security forces, some began to call for an end to the monarchy.

The Bahraini government violently suppressed the protests, with the help of a Gulf Cooperation Council security force made up of about 1,500 soldiers from Saudi Arabia and 500 police officers from the United Arab Emirates. Dozens of accused protest leaders were imprisoned, hundreds of Shia workers were fired, and dozens of Shia mosques were demolished. An independent investigation into the uprising, commissioned by the Bahraini government, found that the government had used excessive force and torture against protesters.

In the years following the protests, the Bahraini government continued to clamp down on opposition groups. Shia activists and human rights defenders have been targeted, and journalists, Shiite political groups, and social media critics have been silenced. Sporadic protests have continued, but the wall of fear has not been broken, and people have a lot to lose by speaking out.

The role of the media in the revolution

The media in Bahrain has been historically shaped by the security interests of the ruling Al-Khalifa family and its external allies, including Britain, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. The media has been leveraged as a tool for distributing state propaganda and public relations, with television, radio, and the local press complicit in this dissemination.

In the lead-up to the 2011 Uprising, the Bahraini government exercised strict control over the media. The only independent daily newspaper, Al-Wasat, was indefinitely suspended in 2017. The remaining six out of seven daily newspapers are pro-government and owned by figures closely associated with the regime. The Bahrain News Agency, the major national news broadcaster, is also state-owned. The government controls all media outlets and publications through the Ministry of Information Affairs, whose head is appointed by a royal decree.

The role of the media during the 2011 Uprising was highly partisan, with journalists, medical staff, and others in the state-controlled media defamed for their support of political reform. The government responded by establishing the High Authority for Media and Communication (HAMC) to regulate media content and propose rules and constraints. Despite this attempt to control the narrative, social media played a significant role in the Uprising. Protesters utilized platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to organize demonstrations, disseminate information, and raise awareness of ongoing events.

In response to the growing influence of social media, the Bahraini government intensified its censorship efforts. It blocked independent Bahraini online news outlets and platforms critical of the government, particularly those related to politics. The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) was tasked with blocking websites, and in 2016, it ordered all telecommunications companies to employ a centralized system for this purpose. The government also applied heavy censorship to social media platforms, with summons for interrogation, prosecutions, and threats for users who expressed dissenting opinions.

The media ecosystem in Bahrain continues to be tightly controlled by the ruling family, with limited space for independent voices. The new press laws and regulations introduced since the Uprising have further restricted freedom of expression and journalistic work. As a result, journalists and media workers who cover demonstrations and voice dissent face prosecution and imprisonment.

The legacy of the revolution and its impact on Bahrain today

The legacy of the 2011 Bahraini uprising, also known as the Pearl Uprising, is a contentious issue. On the one hand, the Bahraini government has attempted to erase the uprising from collective memory by destroying its symbols, such as the Pearl Monument, and suppressing media coverage. On the other hand, the uprising has had a lasting impact on Bahrain, with sporadic protests and clashes continuing for years after.

The Bahraini government's response to the uprising was characterized by a brutal crackdown on protesters, with thousands of people arrested, detained, and sometimes tortured. This response was condemned internationally and led to the formation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), which issued recommendations for the prosecution of security forces personnel responsible for abuses, the release of prisoners of conscience, and the reinstatement of dismissed Shia workers.

While the Bahraini government accepted the BICI's recommendations and claimed to have implemented them, critics argue that the crackdown and abuses have continued. The national dialogue process initiated by the government reached an impasse, with the opposition claiming that the ruling Khalifa family had no intention of fulfilling its promises. As a result, angry Shia youth have increasingly turned to violence, with opposition and human rights activists reporting a higher death toll in ongoing clashes than the government acknowledges.

The legacy of the uprising can also be seen in the continued targeting of activists, journalists, and medical professionals who were involved in the protests or provided support to demonstrators. In addition, the government has revoked the citizenship of hundreds of Bahraini citizens, including activists, media professionals, and writers living abroad.

The impact of the uprising on Bahrain today is complex. While the government has succeeded in suppressing the revolution and maintaining the status quo, protests and acts of dissent continue, indicating that the underlying grievances that sparked the 2011 uprising remain unaddressed. The country remains divided, with ongoing sectarian tensions and a perception of systemic discrimination against the Shia majority by the Sunni monarchy.

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