Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04MANAMA1379
2004-09-07 15:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:
SEPARATIST MOVEMENT EMERGES WITHIN BAHRAIN'S
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001379
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2014
TAGS: PGOV KDEM BA
SUBJECT: SEPARATIST MOVEMENT EMERGES WITHIN BAHRAIN'S
LARGEST OPPOSITION SOCIETY
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001379
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2014
TAGS: PGOV KDEM BA
SUBJECT: SEPARATIST MOVEMENT EMERGES WITHIN BAHRAIN'S
LARGEST OPPOSITION SOCIETY
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Following a period of speculation, Nezar Al Baharna,
a prominent Shia businessman and former board member of the
largest Shia opposition political society Al Wifaq, confirmed
to the press in late August that he planned to establish a
new political society called the Society of Justice and
Development. Soon after, four other prominent Shia,
businessman Jala Haji Hassan Al A'ali, leading cleric Seyad
Deya'a Al Mousawi, Al Wifaq founding member Jawad Fairooz,
and Chairman of the Central Governorates Municipal Council
Nabeel Sayed, either publicly announced or indicated to
PolOFF that they also intended to join the new society. In
response, members of Al Wifaq staged a sit-in at its
headquarters on September 1 to protest Al Baharna's move.
2. (C) Al Baharna's steps to establish the new society have
fueled widespread complaints that he is intentionally trying
to split Al Wifaq. But Al Baharna told PolOFF that his
departure from Al Wifaq was due to lack of a consolidated
platform and a clear vision for the future. Al Baharna said
that Al Wifaq's current leadership insists on boycotting the
2006 national elections, as it did in 2002. He said his
political society will participate in the democratic process
and did not rule out his own candidacy in the 2006
parliamentary elections. Al Baharna did not comment whether
his society would have a strictly Shia membership base, and
added that increasing the number of political societies was
beneficial because it brings about competition, resulting in
more effective, responsive political organizations.
3. (C) Jawad Fairooz denied rumors that establishment of
this new society was a GOB-backed plan to weaken the Shia.
Fairooz told PolFSN on September 5 that he does not believe
establishing a new party will split Al Wifaq and that the
organization is strong enough to withstand the formation of a
new society. He pointed to the ongoing struggles between
hard-liner Hassan Mushaima and more moderate President Shaikh
Ali Salman as evidence of Al Wifaq's strength and ability to
withstand differences within the organization. Fairooz noted
that Al Wifaq continues to attract the support of most
Bahraini Shia.
4. (C) COMMENT: Al Wifaq's continued boycott of elections
and single-minded focus on returning to the (very short)
"heyday" of democracy in the early 1970's has meant that
Bahrain's Shia have had little voice in governing or public
decision-making. While Al-Wifaq has brought together
Bahrain's Shia and forced the government to deal with it as a
legitimate voice for the country's majority sect, the
creation of Al Baharna's new society has the potential to
become a significant move toward increased political
participation in the country. END COMMENT.
MONROE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2014
TAGS: PGOV KDEM BA
SUBJECT: SEPARATIST MOVEMENT EMERGES WITHIN BAHRAIN'S
LARGEST OPPOSITION SOCIETY
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Following a period of speculation, Nezar Al Baharna,
a prominent Shia businessman and former board member of the
largest Shia opposition political society Al Wifaq, confirmed
to the press in late August that he planned to establish a
new political society called the Society of Justice and
Development. Soon after, four other prominent Shia,
businessman Jala Haji Hassan Al A'ali, leading cleric Seyad
Deya'a Al Mousawi, Al Wifaq founding member Jawad Fairooz,
and Chairman of the Central Governorates Municipal Council
Nabeel Sayed, either publicly announced or indicated to
PolOFF that they also intended to join the new society. In
response, members of Al Wifaq staged a sit-in at its
headquarters on September 1 to protest Al Baharna's move.
2. (C) Al Baharna's steps to establish the new society have
fueled widespread complaints that he is intentionally trying
to split Al Wifaq. But Al Baharna told PolOFF that his
departure from Al Wifaq was due to lack of a consolidated
platform and a clear vision for the future. Al Baharna said
that Al Wifaq's current leadership insists on boycotting the
2006 national elections, as it did in 2002. He said his
political society will participate in the democratic process
and did not rule out his own candidacy in the 2006
parliamentary elections. Al Baharna did not comment whether
his society would have a strictly Shia membership base, and
added that increasing the number of political societies was
beneficial because it brings about competition, resulting in
more effective, responsive political organizations.
3. (C) Jawad Fairooz denied rumors that establishment of
this new society was a GOB-backed plan to weaken the Shia.
Fairooz told PolFSN on September 5 that he does not believe
establishing a new party will split Al Wifaq and that the
organization is strong enough to withstand the formation of a
new society. He pointed to the ongoing struggles between
hard-liner Hassan Mushaima and more moderate President Shaikh
Ali Salman as evidence of Al Wifaq's strength and ability to
withstand differences within the organization. Fairooz noted
that Al Wifaq continues to attract the support of most
Bahraini Shia.
4. (C) COMMENT: Al Wifaq's continued boycott of elections
and single-minded focus on returning to the (very short)
"heyday" of democracy in the early 1970's has meant that
Bahrain's Shia have had little voice in governing or public
decision-making. While Al-Wifaq has brought together
Bahrain's Shia and forced the government to deal with it as a
legitimate voice for the country's majority sect, the
creation of Al Baharna's new society has the potential to
become a significant move toward increased political
participation in the country. END COMMENT.
MONROE