Bahrain: Not quite Egyptian enough?

by Stokely STARmichael

For over 2 years now, we have watched Egypt go through 2 dictators, one “civilian” who ruled for over 30 years and one military who didn’t rule for anywhere near that amount of time due to the vigilance of the Egyptian people. We’ve watched her get rid of some key regime remnants, fill the streets with countless massive protests, and exercise it’s right to self-determination with parliamentary and presidential elections. Egypt, again, has now decided that it has not yet reached the change necessary for what it considers to be Democracy, or to be representative of the entire population’s idea of what Egypt should be. But while we have watched Egypt go through phase after phase of demonstrating it’s re-attained revolutionary spirit and prowess, we have completely, and regrettably, ignored an entire population’s equally as important fight for self-determination and freedom in a small Arabian Peninsular island named Bahrain, the land of two seas.

Many of us who call ourselves things like “anti-imperialists”, “revolutionaries”, and claim to “support resistance” are guilty of contradicting the ideals we proudly boast by grossly ignoring the struggle of a people against a Western-backed, sectarian monarchy that openly and proudly administers violent suppression against an unarmed civilian population who has been hidden and silenced by both Western and Arab media alike. To make ourselves feel better about it, we write off their struggle as “sect-based”, or applying the classic left-wing, privileged selection of support given to secular movements, but often denied to what they perceive as the “backward religious masses” they so often alienate and criticize. Simultaneously, many of us who boast our “secular Arab nationalism” or our non-existent “Islamic piety” have also turned this same blind eye to their struggle due to the phenomenon of Shi’aphobia; a deeply engrained Arab sectarianism that has planted itself into the psyche of the most secular and religious of Arabs and Muslims over the centuries, and has constantly been used as a tool of Western imperialism to divide the Arab and Muslim World in a more violent and efficient fashion than Sykes-Picot could’ve ever done.

While we deal with our own hypocrisy, people in Bahrain die. Their revolution started around the same time Egypt’s did, and they’ve actually had largely ignored uprisings lasting from 1994 all the way to 2001 long before Egypt’s Jan 25th revolution or any of the “Arab Spring” protests ever took place. Bahrain is a kingdom, ruled by the tribal, sectarian “Sunni” Al-Khalifa family, and has been ruled by this same family since 1766. For almost the entirety of their rule, they’ve been funded and backed by Western power, first by the United Kingdoms, and later by the United States as well. Because of this, they currently play a hegemonic role in Arab, Muslim, and Middle Eastern affairs on behalf of the UK and the US, much like their fellow Gulf rulers. Their king, Hamad Al-Khalifa, has carried on the tradition of not only persecuting the majority Shi’a Muslim population, but also doling out similar persecution to anyone who demands reforms, change, or actual democracy within the country, regardless of denomination. The Al-Khalifa regime has been involved in the rape, child molestation, sexual harassment, beating, kidnapping, torturing, destruction of holy sites, Apartheid, and of course, killing of Bahrain’s over 70% Shi’a population and “undesirable” Bahraini citizens. This has triggered mass unarmed protests across the country, and has only been met with more of the same treatment at the hands of it’s police, soldiers, recently imported mercenaries, and military assistance from the kingdom’s fellow Gulf cohorts.

Bahrain is not the most well-known place on Earth, but while that may be an excuse for the average Westerner, the average non-Muslim, or the average non-Arab, it provides no shelter from criticism for Muslims, who generally have some awareness of the goings-on of Gulf countries, due to their proximity to Mecca and Medina, and are also commanded by our Prophet to protect and support the oppressed regardless of their religious beliefs. It provides no shelter from criticism for Arabs in specific, who tend to go on and on about the virtues of “Arab unity” and “Nasserism”. Moreover, it provides no shelter from criticism for Leftists, who have an internationalist tradition of expressing solidarity with causes they see fit to support outside of their own countries of origin or residence. No matter what angle or scope you view this situation through, there is no excuse.

I get it. Egypt is the sweetheart of the Arab World. It’s the entertainment capital of the Arab World. So many of the Arab World’s fondest memories lie in Egypt; from Naguib freeing Egypt and Sudan from Anglo-hegemonic monarchy and imperialism, to Abdel Nasser’s declaration of Arab unity against Zionism. From the sounds of nationalistic anthems of Oum Khalthoum and romantic, sorrowful ballads of Abdel Halim Hafiz, to the comedy of Adel Imam and the drama of Ahmed Zaki. It is, along with Sudan, the birthplace of civilization. It’s glorious African history has captured the hearts of the African diaspora, and it’s ancient and contemporary culture has, for centuries, been a Western tourist’s or orientalist’s fetish and dream. Not to mention the glaringly obvious fact that because Egypt is primarily “Sunni”, with a relatively significant “secular” demographic, it makes it shamefully more acceptable and accessible to Arabs at large. Moreover, it is one of the most geopolitically important places on the planet, situated right in the middle of the Arab and Muslim World, it is the primary channel between Africa and the Middle East and the de facto third party between the Zionist apartheid entity of Israel and it’s victims, the occupied and besieged Palestinian people. To top it all off, there is no taking away from the pure inspiration that the strength, resilience, and force of will of the Egyptian people and their revolution provided to the World. There is no denying the awe that most of us were in watching Egypt grab her freedom from the jaws of corruption. Like I said, I get it. I’m an Egyptian; a proud one. My family is from perhaps the “most Egyptian” part of Egypt. The part of Egypt where Egyptian civilization began, and the part of Egypt that has been the least culturally changed by colonization, globalization, and  Westernization. With all of that in consideration, I can honestly say that anyone who cannot see the lopsided support given to Egypt, especially in comparison to Bahrain, is either not thinking straight or is, very simply, lying to themselves.

This isn’t “oppression Olympics”; a term often utilized by those who wish to divert attention from the obviously disproportionate amount of attention one people in an oppressive situation receive over another similar group in a similarly oppressive situation. I’m not arguing to turn attention away from Egypt’s struggle. I’m arguing for the recognition that Egypt and Bahrain are two fingers on the same hand of liberation, that both deserve an equal amount of attention by those who champion either cause, and that those who support and praise one but not the other are displaying above average levels of hypocrisy. It is time for the World to support the Bahraini people and their fight for freedom. That support is long overdue, and we all know it. Let’s stop acting like we don’t.