Petroleum production and processing is bahrains most exported product, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of gdp. Amid the extensive coverage of the arab uprisings, the gulf state of bahrain has been almost forgotten. Bahrains uprising alaa shehabi, marc owen jones bok. There is no doubt the spat between qatar and other gcc gulf cooperation council members saudi arabia and the uae is a. Mar 18, 2011 symbol of uprising is destroyed in bahrain. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The following is a basic primer on whats happening in bahrain. The third reason for the uprisings failure was bahrains dependence on its saudi neighbour. A morning edition report said that the arab spring uprising in bahrain has definitely failed. The middle eastern kingdom of bahrain is quietly heading towards a total suppression of human rights secular opposition party dissolved by court order and five dead in protests as ruling. The king fahd causeway, 15 miles 24 km long, links bahrain to saudi arabia. Jun 12, 2012 bahrains ruling family seems to have weathered the storm brought on by the arab spring and is looking to show the world that business is back to normal. The following is a timeline of the bahraini uprising from february to march 2011, beginning with the start of protests on february 2011 and including the saudibacked crackdown from 15 march. Bahrains uprising didnt get quite as much attention as some of the others in the arab world last year.
In 1820, the island signed a treaty with the uk and a white stripe was added to the flag to indicate the truce. Lost in public consciousness is another recent and ongoing incursion after a massive antigovernment uprising. The royal family portrayed themselves as the protectors of the sunni community from the shias to the international press. Edited by alaa shehabi, the daughter of a prominent figure in the bahraini opposition in exile in the united kingdom, and marc owen jones, who grew up as an expatriate in bahrain, the volume is unabashedly activist both in tone and in content and is an outgrowth of the bahrain watch web initiative established in 2012. Bahrains major western alliesthe us and the european union and its member stateswere muted in their public criticism of bahrains serious human rights. Resistance and repression in the gulf and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about bahrains geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. These protests had a socioeconomic background, with the main. Edited by alaa shehabi, the daughter of a prominent figure in the bahraini opposition in exile in the united kingdom, and marc owen jones, who grew up as an expatriate in bahrain, the volume is unabashedly activist both in tone and in content and is. From mid2010, tensions have escalated after the arrest of dozens of bloggers and human rights and political activists.
While the immediate period of danger to the position of the ruling alkhalifa family has passed, positions on all sides have hardened, and there is little prospect of a political settlement to bahrains deeprooted social and economic inequalities. Of those originally detained, seven prisoners have been interviewed by. The united nations special rapporteur on torture expresses his. Fusing historical and contemporary analysis, bahrains uprising seeks to fill this gap, examining the ongoing protests and state repression that continues today. One might think this would have been an important agenda item when president obama met with bahrains crown prince, salman bin hamad alkhalifa, in. Fusing historical and contemporary analysis, bahrain s uprising seeks to fill this gap, examining the ongoing protests and state repression that continues today. Bahrains uprising transports readers back to the tumultuous, even giddy, period when, for a few weeks at least, anything seemed possible.
Regional dimensions and international consequences. The twoway the demolition of the white concrete structure was broadcast on state television. Behind the failure of bahrains uprising the islamic monthly. Its a very cynical position, considering the concerted effort the regime made to sectarianize the uprising. An inside look at bahrain s controversial policy of revoking the citizenships of activists uncovering saudi arabia s secret shia uprising h. How bahrains crushed uprising spawned the middle easts. The middle eastern kingdom of bahrain is quietly heading. Thousands take to the streets day after anniversary of uprising february 15, 2014 5.
Eu foreign policy towards bahrain in the aftermath of the. Many people, grinning as only people do when a future of unlimited possibility stretches before them, used their smartphones to document their attendance at the pearl roundabout, bahrains freedom square. Bahrains total land area is slightly greater than that of singapore. The bahraini uprising of 2011 was a series of antigovernment protests in bahrain led by the shiadominant and some sunni minority bahraini opposition from 2011 until 2014. Bahrain said it was removed to improve its infrastructure. The uprising has had consequences for bahrain from the international community as well as foreign investors, including formula one, which canceled the 2011 bahrain grand prix due to instability and the outcry over the actions of the bahraini government. The uyunids ruled until 1235, then the islands were passed along to the usfurids, followed by the jabrids in the mid15th century. Feb 15, 2012 armoured police patrolled bahrain s capital manama on tuesday to deter protests after overnight clashes on the first anniversary of the 2011 uprising. Under the thumb of the imperialist west and an autocratic ruling family, uprisings spring up like clockwork in the gulf. Manama protests on anniversary of bahrain uprising video. She is writing a book on bahraini politics, bahrain in focus, for ib. Bahrains banking and financial services sector, particularly islamic banking, have benefited from the regional boom driven by demand for oil. The military intervention that the world forgot al jazeera. By callum wood june 27, 2016 b ahrains rulers have revoked the citizenship of sheikh isa qassim, a prominent shiite religious and political figure.
Bahraini uprising of 2011 wikimili, the best wikipedia. Become a member today to support us publishing great comics. What bahrains opposition crackdown means for countrys. Almost immediately, these peaceful bahraini protesters were met with violent retaliation from the military of the al khalifa, bahrains dictatorial royal family. Clashes mark anniversary of bahrain s 2011 uprising. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Bahrains uprising alaa shehabi, marc owen jones on. The strike includes workers at bahrains two largest companies, aluminium bahrain and the bahrain petroleum company. While the main bahrain island is the crux of the country accounting for 83 per cent of its landmass, and home to both the capital manama and the countrys. Security forces deployed as protests erupt across the kingdom on the seventh anniversary of the february 14 protests.
The international reactions to the bahraini uprising of 2011 include responses by supranational organisations, nongovernmental organisations, media organisations, and both the governments and civil populaces, like of fellow sovereign states to the protests and uprising in bahrain during the arab spring. In bahrain, a smoldering insurgency reveals the resilience of. Women and youth were at the forefront of bahrains uprising in february 2011, and are at. It prompted an immediate response from iran, which called the intervention an unacceptable interference in bahrains internal affairs. A look at some of the key participants in bahrains uprising. American herald tribune is a genuinely independent online media outlet. Bahrains largest trade union federation, the general federation of bahrain trade unions, which represents 25,000 employees from 70 unions, started strike action on march in support of the movement. While it may be difficult and inconvenient to point out shortcomings to a leadership that has little. International reactions to the bahraini uprising of 2011. The move has sparked outrage from shiites both at home and abroad. Feb 14, 2015 bahrains uprising, four years later on february 14, 2011, hundreds took to the streets in the small island nation of bahrain in a march against the ruling alkhalifa family. The king of bahrain has ordered the release of some political prisoners, conceding to opposition demand as the embattled monarchy tries to engage. Saudi arabias intervention led leaders of bahrains largest opposition group, alwifaq, to state that dialogue would not be possible as long as foreign forces remain on national soil.
Bahrains uprising by alaa shehabi overdrive rakuten. Jan 05, 2012 bahrain s uprising didnt get quite as much attention as some of the others in the arab world last year. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. In the words of bahrains foreign minister, bahrain was at the brink of a sectarian abyss. State department struck a nerve with a regime that has become increasingly sensitive about its image. The political stalemate that has followed the 2011 uprising in bahrain has. A failed uprising in bahrain european union institute for. Bahrains response to the 2012 country report has been predictably shrill, a sure sign the u. The protests were inspired by the unrest of the 2011 arab spring and 201112 iranian protests and escalated to daily clashes af. Sheik abdul azeem al mohtadi is one of the most influential shia muslim clerics in bahrain. But i think that the reason why it wasnt covered in the media is because the uprising in bahrain was inconvenient to everyone, the arabs and the west. Bahrains local context 14 4 arab awakening versus iraniansaudi cold war.
However, a report on bahrains security by the washington institute for near east. Small protests continue in bahrains villages, but attention has long moved away from the kingdom, with little sign of a change in the political and social situation. Bahrain s largest trade union federation, the general federation of bahrain trade unions, which represents 25,000 employees from 70 unions, started strike action on march in support of the movement. Jan 20, 2016 while bahrains uprising arguably would have benefited from a more rigorous balancing of oppositionist and loyalist perspectives, the book succeeds nevertheless in reconstructing an evocative and comprehensive account of what is, in large measure, the forgotten flashpoint of the arab spring. It describes how the prodemocracy movement that erupted in early2011 became entrapped in the crosshairs of regional and international geopolitics. For the first time in bahrains history, a crosscutting, exclusively sunni social. Thousands take to the streets day after anniversary. Revoking a shiite clerics citizenship ignites public furor.
An inconvenient uprising after 26yearold street vendor. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Bahrains policy of revoking shia protesters citizenship. After 26yearold street vendor mohamed bouazizi set himself on fire in front of a public building in the tunisian city of sidi bouzid on 17 december, 2010, protests broke out in tunisia. On the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising, two bahrainis offer their take on the country s past and future.
Washingtons uneasy alliance with bahrain the washington. After a visit to the island in october, ronald neumann, the us ambassador to bahrain from 2001 to. Bahrain protests second anniversary of uprising thursday 14. On the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising, two bahrainis offer their take on the countrys past and future. While bahrains uprising arguably would have benefited from a more rigorous balancing of oppositionist and loyalist perspectives, the book succeeds nevertheless in reconstructing an evocative and comprehensive account of what is, in large measure, the forgotten flashpoint of the arab spring. Only a month later, the saudi military, with the approval of the al khalifa, intervened to assist the bahraini government in suppressing this antigovernment uprising. While the revolutions known as the arab spring took place across many nations, attention has been disproportionately focused on the north african nationslibya, egypt, and tunisiawhile. Subsequently, a wave of protests broke out across almost all of the arab states that people came to dub optimistically the arab spring.
Resistance and repression in the gulf and over 2 million other books are available for amazon kindle. Drawing on powerful testimonies, interviews, and conversations from those involved, this broad collection of writings by. Bahrain, a tiny archipelago in the persian gulf and a member of the gulf cooperation council gcc, has a vivid civil society, particularly by gcc standards. In bahrain, the widespread sense of hope among thousands of bahrainis was evident in their use of social media. Amidst the glamour and speed of last weekends bahrain grand prix near manama was the conspicuous presence of saudi arabian tanks, brought in to stifle protesters complaining against the hosting of the grand prix.
Mar 29, 2014 the eyes of the world remain fixed on ukraine, where russia has annexed crimea and is boosting its military forces along ukraines eastern border. For more than a year, groups have criticized bahrain for its crackdown on antigovernment protests and one activist is urging the world to pay attention. Saab, resident senior fellow and director of the middle east peace and security initiative, argues that a more effective usbahrain policy requires. Resistance and repression in the gulf 1 by alaa shehabi, marc owen jones isbn. Clashes mark anniversary of bahrains 2011 uprising bahrain. Infoplease has everything you need to know about bahrain. If thats not enough, click over to our collection of world maps and flags. This practice note examines the regional and international dimensions of bahrains aborted revolution. The five red points signify the five pillars of islam. Feb 14, 20 bahrain protests second anniversary of uprising thursday 14 february 20 this article is more than 7 years old one teenager killed as anniversary protests turn violent. An interview with a leading human rights activist from bahrain.
Saudi arabia lies to the west across the gulf of bahrain, while the qatar peninsula lies to the east. A man rides his bicycle past graffiti with stenciled images of people killed during bahrains prodemocracy uprising that began in february 2011 in the. This would have been an inconvenient, and perhaps embarrassing, moment to. Important players in bahrains uprising pulitzer center. Washingtons uneasy alliance with bahrain the washington post. Like many countries in the middle east and beyond, bahrain erupted with. Aug 15, 2012 for more than a year, groups have criticized bahrain for its crackdown on antigovernment protests and one activist is urging the world to pay attention. May 18, 2018 the roots of bahrains smoldering insurgency can largely be found in the popular uprising that erupted in 2011 as part of the arab spring. Drawing on powerful testimonies, interviews, and conversations from those involved, this broad collection of writings by scholars.
The uprising in bahrain that began on 14 february 2011 has been contained but not resolved. Bahrains inconvenient truths by atlantic council issuu. Ahtribune is dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent journalism, and to improving the publics access to independent information sources. As was the case with gores first movie an inconvenient truth, the movie is bursting with bad science, bad policy and some outright falsehoods.
I dont have any concrete evidence to back up my speculations. In february 20, for example, minbar boycotted the national dialogue to protest what the islands muslim brothers saw as unacceptable shiite silence on violence plaguing the uprisings twoyear anniversary. Feb, 2016 how bahrains crushed uprising spawned the middle easts sectarianism demonstrators chant and wave bahraini flags feb. Ben anderson reports undercover in bahrain, meeting activists, protestors, grieving parents, and alleged torture victims from the revolution that. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Buy the paperback book bahrains uprising by alaa shehabi at indigo. The strike includes workers at bahrain s two largest companies, aluminium bahrain and the bahrain petroleum company. Bahrains uprising and its movement for radical change. You can also jump straight to todays updates the hospitals of the tiny gulf kingdom of bahrain were packed with wounded after. On saturday, protesters commandeered pearl square, the epicenter of the revolt, from government forcesbut it was a battle hard won. Thousands of people were arrested during the first uprising in early 2011. In bahrain, an uprising unabated the global dispatches. Bahrain king releases political prisoners telegraph.