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WASHINGTON: Bahrain is holding key by-elections on Saturday to fill 18 parliamentary seats left vacant when deputies from the main opposition Wefaq party MPs walked out of the 40-member Parliament in February protesting a government crackdown on protesters.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa addressed the issue at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, saying that more than a decade ago, Bahrain had “recognized the need to proceed toward greater reform and improvement, keeping in mind the supreme interests of the people.”
He spoke about the need for reforms “aimed to provide decent living conditions, security and tranquility in a society of peaceful coexistence.”
In Washington, a high-ranking Bahraini official, speaking on background Friday in Washington, said he hoped that as a result of the Arab Spring, “we will all come out of this more democratic.”
But he said, “America should be patient with us. We cannot build a Jeffersonian society in one or five years.”
Recalling recent events in the region, he said: “What happened in Tunisia and Egypt is very important. If Egypt can establish a real democracy in the Arab world it will be pivotal for the region,” but he admitted, “Democracy is a beautiful term, but difficult to practice and implement.”
Speaking about the protests in February and March, the Bahraini official spoke about the protest organizers, saying: “At first we thought they were from the new generation with demands for a new vision for the future.
“But we gradually realized there were vicious hands behind it, especially as there was a dialogue going on with the crown prince, who at that time offered them a development package which they did not accept.”
He quoted an article written in the London Daily Standard in August, entitled: “Files Link [Bahraini] Activist to Iran Regime.”
He said the article was proof of what they already knew. “That the Iranians were trying to influence political societies in Bahrain, pushing them not to accept dialogue with the crown prince.
“After the March crisis in Bahrain, it was clear that there was a bigger strategic rivalry in the Gulf and Bahrain was the victim.”
Saudi Arabia and the Arab Peninsula came to Bahrain not only to protect Bahrainis, he said, but also to protect our facilities. “It was a strategic move during this crisis.”
The official praised Saudi Arabia for their help during the protests. “We are very close to Saudi Arabia; strategically, socially and religiously.
“Which is why Saudi Arabia would not allow Iran to play games in Bahrain. They stood by us. As did the Gulf Cooperation Council.”
“Regionally, there has been a rising tension between the Shiites and the Sunnis since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. We are scared that the Americans have created a sectarian system in Iraq, this is very dangerous,” he said.
Asked about news that Bahrain is importing Sunnis from Arab countries, to offset the Shiite majority in Bahrain, the official said: “We strongly refute any of those rumors,” adding that the “Shiites from Bahrain did not participate in the protests, they were Shiites from outside Bahrain that did.
“The activists that protested in Bahrain were Islamists, and it is very hard to have a democracy with a theocracy, according to the Iranian model,” he added.
He also criticized the media’s coverage of the protests earlier this year, saying many “did not give balanced reports, which was not of interest to the Bahraini people.”
The official said the problem with some of these journalists “is that they only wanted to speak to the Shiites, and they ignored the Sunnis in our country, so we had to restrict their coverage.”
But foreign media representatives have been invited back to Bahrain to cover the by-elections and other activities in the country, another top official said, adding this time they will be free to visit any location in Bahrain to report on events, but are being urged to be balanced in their coverage, said the Information Affairs Authority senior international counselor Sheikh Abdulaziz Mubarak Al Khalifa.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa addressed the issue at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, saying that more than a decade ago, Bahrain had “recognized the need to proceed toward greater reform and improvement, keeping in mind the supreme interests of the people.”
He spoke about the need for reforms “aimed to provide decent living conditions, security and tranquility in a society of peaceful coexistence.”
In Washington, a high-ranking Bahraini official, speaking on background Friday in Washington, said he hoped that as a result of the Arab Spring, “we will all come out of this more democratic.”
But he said, “America should be patient with us. We cannot build a Jeffersonian society in one or five years.”
Recalling recent events in the region, he said: “What happened in Tunisia and Egypt is very important. If Egypt can establish a real democracy in the Arab world it will be pivotal for the region,” but he admitted, “Democracy is a beautiful term, but difficult to practice and implement.”
Speaking about the protests in February and March, the Bahraini official spoke about the protest organizers, saying: “At first we thought they were from the new generation with demands for a new vision for the future.
“But we gradually realized there were vicious hands behind it, especially as there was a dialogue going on with the crown prince, who at that time offered them a development package which they did not accept.”
He quoted an article written in the London Daily Standard in August, entitled: “Files Link [Bahraini] Activist to Iran Regime.”
He said the article was proof of what they already knew. “That the Iranians were trying to influence political societies in Bahrain, pushing them not to accept dialogue with the crown prince.
“After the March crisis in Bahrain, it was clear that there was a bigger strategic rivalry in the Gulf and Bahrain was the victim.”
Saudi Arabia and the Arab Peninsula came to Bahrain not only to protect Bahrainis, he said, but also to protect our facilities. “It was a strategic move during this crisis.”
The official praised Saudi Arabia for their help during the protests. “We are very close to Saudi Arabia; strategically, socially and religiously.
“Which is why Saudi Arabia would not allow Iran to play games in Bahrain. They stood by us. As did the Gulf Cooperation Council.”
“Regionally, there has been a rising tension between the Shiites and the Sunnis since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. We are scared that the Americans have created a sectarian system in Iraq, this is very dangerous,” he said.
Asked about news that Bahrain is importing Sunnis from Arab countries, to offset the Shiite majority in Bahrain, the official said: “We strongly refute any of those rumors,” adding that the “Shiites from Bahrain did not participate in the protests, they were Shiites from outside Bahrain that did.
“The activists that protested in Bahrain were Islamists, and it is very hard to have a democracy with a theocracy, according to the Iranian model,” he added.
He also criticized the media’s coverage of the protests earlier this year, saying many “did not give balanced reports, which was not of interest to the Bahraini people.”
The official said the problem with some of these journalists “is that they only wanted to speak to the Shiites, and they ignored the Sunnis in our country, so we had to restrict their coverage.”
But foreign media representatives have been invited back to Bahrain to cover the by-elections and other activities in the country, another top official said, adding this time they will be free to visit any location in Bahrain to report on events, but are being urged to be balanced in their coverage, said the Information Affairs Authority senior international counselor Sheikh Abdulaziz Mubarak Al Khalifa.
