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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BAHRAIN MUST CHANGE DIRECTION
______
HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN
of massachusetts
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, today marks the 8th anniversary of the
beginning of the Pearl Uprising in Bahrain.
On this day eight years ago, thousands of Bahrainis gathered in
peaceful protests to demand greater political freedom, and political
and constitutional reform.
Their demands were not new--the roots went back to the 1970s.
They were not radical: Bahrainis wanted greater popular participation
in governance, equal access to socio-economic opportunities and
development, action against corruption and an end to the practice of
political naturalization.
And they were not sectarian--even though Bahrain is a majority Shi'a
country ruled by a minority Sunni monarchy.
But by the end of March 2011, what started as a moment of hope had
been met with massive repression by the Bahraini government and
security forces sent by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. As
protests grew and spread, at least 35 people died, some 3,000 people
were injured, thousands were detained or lost their jobs, and many were
brutally tortured, including medical doctors.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain did take some steps to
address the people's demands. His appointment of the 5-member Bahrain
Independent Commission of Inquiry BICI) to examine the government's
response to the protests was an important gesture. And the 26
recommendations contained in the BICI report, which the monarch
promised to implement, did inspire some new hope that change was
possible.
Many of us in Congress urged the government to fully implement the
BICI recommendations and to cease the repression of human rights
defenders and peaceful opposition leaders.
But in the years since, hope has been completely dashed. Some initial
important reforms have been rolled back, opposition political societies
are banned, peaceful human rights defenders and popular opposition
leaders are spending their lives in jail, sectarian divisions have
hardened, hundreds have been stripped of their citizenship, no
independent press remains, the most recent elections were a sham--and
to top it all off, the Bahraini government has supported the Saudis in
the brutal war in Yemen and the senseless embargo of Qatar.
Madam Speaker, some observers turn a blind eye to Bahrain's
increasingly authoritarian rule because they accept Bahrain's argument
that Iran is to blame for encouraging the Shi'a population to rebel.
These days, any mention of Iran is often enough to silence legitimate
criticism.
But what I see is a Bahraini government whose own policies deepen
sectarian divisions and create the conditions for unrest.
In spite of their majority status, Bahraini Shiites are less likely
to hold jobs in the all-important public sector. They are almost
entirely disqualified from serving in the police or military. They live
in highly segregated neighborhoods with inferior public services
compared to Sunni areas. They are systematically underrepresented in
the lower house of parliament.
No one should be surprised that this stark political and economic
inequality causes grievance. Add to that Bahrain's crushing of
political expression and channels of participation, and you have a
recipe for fostering extremism.
No government that does this can be considered a true United States
ally in the war against terrorism. You cannot claim to be fighting
extremism when your own policies foster it.
On this anniversary, I renew my call to the government of Bahrain to
free Nabeel Rajab, Sheikh Ali Salman, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Abduljalil
Al-Singace, Ahmed Humaidan, Naji Fateel and all other prisoners of
conscience jailed for exercising their most fundamental human rights.
And I call on the government to end the prohibition on political
societies, decriminalize all speech, allow national and international
press to operate without state intervention, stop rendering its
citizens stateless, strip the National Security Agency of its power to
arrest, bring its anti-terrorism legislation into line with
international human rights standards, integrate its security forces and
end discrimination against the Shi'a population everywhere it exists.
Only if these steps are taken will the rights of all the Bahraini
people, the country's long-term stability and America's national
interests be assured.
____________________
