MINISTER OF INTERIOR DISCUSSES CONCERNS ABOUT SHIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000416

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC PHUM BA
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF INTERIOR DISCUSSES CONCERNS ABOUT SHIA
ACTIVISM IN BAHRAIN

REF: MANAMA 347

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe. Reason: 1.4 (B)(D)


1. (C) Summary. Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid described for
the Ambassador the government's concern that the Sunni-Shia
split would grow in Bahrain if decisive action were not taken
against Shia political activism during recent Ashura
celebrations. Shaikh Rashid personally met with leading Shia
cleric Al-Ghuraifi, trying to gain his support. Al-Ghuraifi,
for his part, asked the Minister to control anti-Shia
articles/editorials in the press. Shaikh Rashid also met
with Sunnis, who he said were concerned that black flags
(representing Shia mourning during Ashura) had suddenly
popped up everywhere. The Minister, who expressed confidence
that the problem was manageable, said that his Ministry was
making an effort to bring more Shia into the police force.
End summary.


2. (C) Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid Al-Khalifa, during
a March 16 meeting with the Ambassador, discussed the
government's concerns about activities of certain Shia during
recent Ashura celebrations as well as his personal efforts to
control Shia extremism in Bahrain. Showing photographs taken
during Ashura of Hizballah flags, Khomeini and Khamenei
posters, and a group of Bahrainis stomping on an American
flag, Shaikh Rashid said that there was definitely a greater
political edge to this year's Ashura activities (although
only a minority of Shia were involved in activities of
concern). For Sunnis, who suddenly saw black flags popping
up everywhere, it appeared that some Shia were using Ashura
as a political opportunity. He said the Ministry received
numerous calls, including from some Shia, asking what the
government was going to do in response. The Sunnis expected
the government to take some action, or they would act
themselves.


3. (C) Shaikh Rashid said the government was afraid that if
it did not act promptly, the split between the two religious
communities would grow. He said Bahrain did not want to
follow the example of Saudi Arabia, which waited too long
before acting decisively against extremism (Sunni). And if
the government waited too long, there would be a Sunni
reaction against the Shia. The best strategy, he said, was
for the Shia leadership to take care of the problem
themselves.


4. (C) Shaikh Rashid has played a prominent public role in
his government's effort to deal with the issue, meeting with
members of the two houses of the Parliament (Shura Council
and Council of Representatives -- reftel),conferring with
leaders of Shia "matams" (assembly halls),and calling on
Shia cleric Shaikh Abdulla Al-Ghuraifi. He described Shaikh
Al-Ghuraifi as positive and understanding of what the
government was trying to do. "He appreciated my visit. He
is proud to be a Bahraini, and believes that unity is
important." But Shaikh Al-Ghuraifi also expressed concern to
the Minister that the government was letting the story get
too big in the newspapers. He asked Shaikh Rashid to control
press articles/editorials critical of the Shia. Shaikh
Rashid said he could not control the press but, playing on
the similarity of the Arabic words for flag (alam) and pen
(qalam),told Al-Ghuraifi that it is a question of flag and
pen. "If you raise Hizbollah flags, pens will rise. If you
want the pens to stop, bring down the flags."


5. (U) In his Thursday night (March 18) prayer sermon at Imam
Sadiq Mosque, Shaikh Al-Ghuraifi, according to press reports,
stated that unity, security, and stability are red lines that
cannot be crossed, and he rejected any behavior that harmed
those concepts. He then warned against "pens" of "incitement
and treason" that take advantage of events to cause enmity
between people, and incite the regime against a major and
loyal sect in society. He called on the government to stop
these "pens," warning of a disaster if they continued to
write. He said the Minister of Interior had invited him to
the Ministry, and his acceptance would depend on "how much
change we see on the ground."


6. (C) Shaikh Rashid said that, in addition to his approach
to a leading Shia cleric, he is also undertaking outreach to
the Sunni community. He said that he had spent the previous
evening visiting Sunni majlises in the Al-Hidd area, trying
to calm emotions and make sure they did not take any actions
against Shia. Overall, he thought the problem was
manageable. There are extremists on both sides, he said, and
they need to be controlled on both sides.


7. (C) The Ambassador asked about hiring practices in the
Ministry of Interior, noting that he had heard complaints of
underrepresentation of Shia. Shaikh Rashid said that the
police force is now trying to set an example in recruiting
from both sides. In an incoming class of police officers
last month, he stated, 39 out of 40 were Shia. Another time,
he said, Bahrain's municipalities put out an announcement to
hire community service police. Large numbers of Shia showed
up, expecting not to be hired but to embarrass the government
by making a point about unemployment. When several were in
fact hired, they went back to their villages complaining that
they were "stuck" because they now had jobs they didn't want
with the community police.
MONROE