It’s getting pretty ugly there, live rounds being used on protesters, despicable. I must say though I never thought Bahrainis felt the same amount of poverty and oppression as the Tunisians and Egyptians. I don’t think much will come out of these protests, the royal family won’t abdicate any time soon.
Re: Bahrain protests
It seems the whole of the ME is lighting up. Im not sure if this is a good thing or bad any more. :-\
Re: Bahrain protests
My parents live in Bahrain, the situation there is much, much nastier than in Egypt or even Libya because of the sectarian dimension.
The majority Shia population is kept under the thumb of the Sunni government through the sunni police and the sunni army - many Bahraini soldiers and police are Pakistanis with Bahraini citizenship brought in specifically because the government does not trust its shia populace. Looking on the net I already saw an interview with a protestor on Salon.com who was saying that the riot police beating him were talking in urdu amongst themselves!
There is extensive resentment amongst the majority population against these outsides brought in to control them. The security forces fear the sectarian violence that could emerge against them and their families if Sunni rule is overthrown - and so they are not hesitant about using lethal force.
Re: Bahrain protests
Pakistan Armed Forces are posted in many Arab nations. In KSA there is a whole Special Commando Unit specifically to protect the Royal Family.
Re: Bahrain protests
Pak Army is providing a shameful service to these kings. Much like how Zia and his troops did to help the Jordanian King back in the day.
My parents live in Bahrain, the situation there is much, much nastier than in Egypt or even Libya because of the sectarian dimension.
The majority Shia population is kept under the thumb of the Sunni government through the sunni police and the sunni army - many Bahraini soldiers and police are Pakistanis with Bahraini citizenship brought in specifically because the government does not trust its shia populace. Looking on the net I already saw an interview with a protestor on Salon.com who was saying that the riot police beating him were talking in urdu amongst themselves!
There is extensive resentment amongst the majority population against these outsides brought in to control them. The security forces fear the sectarian violence that could emerge against them and their families if Sunni rule is overthrown - and so they are not hesitant about using lethal force.
I am from Dammam, which is just 40 minutes drive from Bahrain. I agree with what you have said but I think that Shias-will-kill-Sunni-minority is just a card used by the ruling family to instigate fear in Sunni minority. Usual fear tactics to cling onto throne, nothing more.
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I am from Dammam, which is just 40 minutes drive from Bahrain. I agree with what you have said but I think that Shias-will-kill-Sunni-minority is just a card used by the ruling family to instigate fear in Sunni minority. Usual fear tactics to cling onto throne, nothing more.
Once they get some in the security forces to kill protestors, as has happened, the remainder of the security forces will have reason to fear what happens if they lose.
The petty power games that Bahrain's rulers are playing to hold on to their grip on power is paving the way for a bloodbath when demographic inevitability takes place.
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I'm flying to alkhobar next month, bahrain is right across the causeway, im really worried about stuff that's happening there.
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My Bahraini mates absolutely hate Pakistanis for what Pak army is doing in their country! why isn't our media talking about it?
[edit= video removed for its graphic content]
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It is not Pak-Army... these are Ex-Pakistanies, now having Bahraini Nationality working for Bahraini security forces..
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*^ so, they are Pakistani mercenaries? *
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^^ Nope. there are indian muslims ( sunni mainly) as well in the same team along with Sunni arabs...
who have lived in the island for more than 20 years, got the nationality, some of them joined security forces, some engaged in other commercial activities, a combo which can be found in every society, but because there is word Pakistan in it, we will witness something different here... secondly, the protesters are mainly Shia, so there would be additional fuel for the fire....
Hatred for Pakistanies in the Arab-Shia Community, who in large believe that compare to their home countries Pakistan has been heaven for Shias where they can live freely and can contest and win elections as well...
So my friend... the Bahraini case would be different then what we have seen in Egypt and Tunisia... even Yemen won't be matching it, because the word Pakistan and SHIA is only in bahrain
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^^ Nope. there are indian muslims ( sunni mainly) as well in the same team along with Sunni arabs...
who have lived in the island for more than 20 years, got the nationality, some of them joined security forces, some engaged in other commercial activities, a combo which can be found in every society, but because there is word Pakistan in it, we will witness something different here... secondly, the protesters are mainly Shia, so there would be additional fuel for the fire....
Hatred for Pakistanies in the Arab-Shia Community, who in large believe that compare to their home countries Pakistan has been heaven for Shias where they can live freely and can contest and win elections as well...
So my friend... the Bahraini case would be different then what we have seen in Egypt and Tunisia... even Yemen won't be matching it, because the word Pakistan and SHIA is only in bahrain
thanx...but, i think america will NOT let the uprising succeed for fear of Iran and Inrani influence so close to Saudi Arabia. afterall, US has its 7th fleet i believe based there along with 4500+ personnel. americans will also not support the pro democracy protest in Yemen or Algeria for fear of Al-Qaida in former and muslim fundamentalist in Algeria. well...lets wait N see where it all goes.
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This is really sad. The majority inhabitants of Bahrain have right to run their country & Sunni majority wont be able to hold this up forever. They need to come up with the system that works for everyone & not minority ruling super majority (75% of population is Shia).
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^^ The current ruler have recently thrown out his PAPA out of power and have declared the emirates as a Kingdom, have made some good reforms to make the country a business friendly place... while not allowing many Iranians to influence the financial and commercial market which in result sparked the initial protest few months back... now they have taken the roads again, mainly Shia, mostly working for Iranian influence in the strategic island of Arabian Gulf...
This is not to deny that Shias in most of the AGCC countries are suppressed, and if i am not wrong, they are denied the employment options and senior positions in govt. entities. The same is the case is in Kuwait, Saudi, Oman, ( Qatar and UAE i am not sure).
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^^^ I agree with that, but the fact is that in this day and age you cannot suppress people forever especially when the majority in region hates ruling class...shia or sunni, and religion always makes things more interesting and combustible. Arabs, Shia or Sunni, are suspicious of Iran's intentions, but if ruling class fails to initiate meaningful reforms that gives their populations at least some say in running of these countries, they will be forcing them into arms of Iranian mullahs and eventual overthrow of the ruling class.
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^^ I agree to that... you can suppress them for sometime, but it won't going to work forever...
Re: Bahrain protests
My parents live in Bahrain, the situation there is much, much nastier than in Egypt or even Libya because of the sectarian dimension.
The majority Shia population is kept under the thumb of the Sunni government through the sunni police and the sunni army - many Bahraini soldiers and police are Pakistanis with Bahraini citizenship brought in specifically because the government does not trust its shia populace. Looking on the net I already saw an interview with a protestor on Salon.com who was saying that the riot police beating him were talking in urdu amongst themselves!
There is extensive resentment amongst the majority population against these outsides brought in to control them. The security forces fear the sectarian violence that could emerge against them and their families if Sunni rule is overthrown - and so they are not hesitant about using lethal force.
I live in Bahrain and on some point i disagree with u. Whatever shown on news not 100% true.
In Egypt, Libya, Yemen and in other GCC country whatever is going on is totally different from the situation of Bahrain. Here some sectors wants bring their own Government which is impossible. They want to bring republic Govt. and wanna end Ruling Govt so they can do whatever they feel.
I participated in rally even many Pakistani in thier traditional dress (shalwar-kamez), Indian, Kuwaiti, Qatari, Egyption, Lebanonis and many other nationalities were all walked shoulder-2-shoulder with each other supporting King and its ruling. Even though the shia community were also there. Everything going f9 peacefully.
Some migrated pplz (shias) are not pure Bahraini they migrated from Iran, some from Iraq and by the grace of King, they have been naturalized and now they want rulings of country in their hand, simply pathetic. They are against the Govt and they trying their best to bring stability of this peaceful country upside down since 1990 but till today, they didnt successed.
Here is nothing going on serious except in few areas which marked as red-spot and those clips some of them are old clips uploaded by their own rioters to seek attention of others.
The securities includes, Sunni, shia, hindu, christian and all mixed pplz in it.
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I agree with that, in fact a good friend of mine who is originally from India has Bahraini nationality because his father works for the crown prince. He posted pictures on facebook from a pro-Bahrain rally he was attending yesterday, lol. Interesting thing about this rally was that everyone was in their big expensive cars.
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This is really sad. The majority inhabitants of Bahrain have right to run their country & Sunni majority wont be able to hold this up forever. They need to come up with the system that works for everyone & not minority ruling super majority (75% of population is Shia).
The pure pure Bahrainis are let say 17% in Bahrain, rest all mixed which naturalized long long time ago.
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My Bahraini mates absolutely hate Pakistanis for what Pak army is doing in their country! why isn't our media talking about it?
Basically, Bahraini welcome Pakistanis in their land and two years ago they celebrated Bahrain-Pakistan Friendship and a rally peacful rally carried on. :)