Sunni-Shi'ite Divide Clouds Prospects for Reform in Bahrain

  • Share
  • Read Later
HO / Reuters

Saudi King Abdullah (L) welcomes Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa on his arrival at Riyadh Airport, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 23rd, 2011.

(2 of 2)

"I have lost so many Sunni friends because of this," laments pastry chef Zainab al-Halwachi, who closed her business on Monday to join the protests. One friend told her that she was ungrateful for all that the King had done for his people. "She said we deserved what had happened. I was shocked. I said I didn't want to lose our friendship over politics, but the reality is, after hearing something like that, I don't think we can ever really be friends again. How many other Sunnis think this way?" A pro-reform Sunni activist, who has given Shi'ite democracy campaigners technical assistance in the past, confided that the new tone of the protests sickened her. "It is tearing us apart even when you walk alongside each other in these protests. You find yourself picking and choosing what to chant."

Unlike Egypt, where Christians stood guard while Muslims prayed in Tahrir square, Bahrain's government has successfully driven a wedge between the sects. It's a move that has gained them short-term relief from the pressure to reform, but will likely end in greater divisiveness. On Tuesday evening, a widely broadcast SMS from the newly formed "unity council" invited all Bahrainis to join in a rally at a nearby mosque. It turned out to be a massive pro-government show of support, complete with mass-printed banners and identical Bahraini flags — a marked contrast to the hand-lettered placards seen at the Pearl Roundabout. Shi'ites were hard to find. The government estimated a turnout of 300,000 — triple the real number, but still a significant showing. The following day a counter rally drew similar crowds. Calls for democratic reform have been drowned out by pro and anti-government stances.

"What we need at this point is unity against violence, censorship and corruption," says the Sunni activist. "These are things every Bahraini can agree on regardless of their stance." But the more the divide settles along sectarian lines, the less likely it is that Bahrain will ever see democratic reform. Of the sixty-some people who were missing after the government's initial crackdown, all but one have been located. Mohammad Bouflasa, a Sunni from a prominent family, stood up on the stage of the first day of the protests to announce, "I am Sunni, and I am with you." His disappearance immediately afterwards, say anti-government protesters, is a visible warning from the regime to the pro-reform movement's Sunni sympathizers. By using a combination of force, threats, promises and propaganda, the government of Bahrain has succeeded in dividing the nation and buying time. But the question is what else has it purchased with its unholy currency?

Sharif says what Bahrain really needs it time for reflection. The opposition and the government have entered into a dialogue that he hopes will remove some of the pressures, and will give the anti-government protesters time to cool down. "It will take time to convince people that whatever comes out of this will not dilute what the Sunnis have, it will only make things better for the Shi'ites," he says. "What ever fruits that come from this movement will be eaten by everyone in Bahrain." That is, if Sunnis and Shi'ites are even sitting down together by then.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. Next