POLITICAL ISLAM IN BAHRAIN (PART III): THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MANAMA 000516

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D COPY INFO ADDRESSE GULF COOPERATION
COUNCIL COLL VICE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLL

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV KISL KDEM SCUL BA POL REFORM
SUBJECT: POLITICAL ISLAM IN BAHRAIN (PART III): THE
LIBERALS STRIKE BACK

REF: A. MANAMA 0456

B. MANAMA 0339

Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) Twenty-nine NGOs formed the "Lana Haq" (We Have a
Right) movement in December 2005 and issued a public
declaration calling for the defense of individual and civil
liberties. The declaration says that the signatories took
this step because "the liberal and patriotic forces in
Bahraini society have been appalled by the attempt by some to
force their views upon all," a reference to the legislative
agenda of the Sunni Islamists in parliament. Several Lana
Haq supporters told us that Bahraini society has
traditionally been open and tolerant, but the Islamists are
trying to impose their beliefs on citizens by legislation
rather than by convincing people of the merits of their
position. A Lana Haq organizer said one of the motivating
factors in launching the movement was to show the government
that there are people in the country who are willing to
publicly state their opposition to the Islamists' policies.
Several business leaders pulled their donations from Islamic
charitable organizations and established the Private Sector
Development Society, which will carry out philanthropic
activities while showing the caring side of the business
community. In this battle of ideas, the liberals are
swimming against the tide as Islamic messages gain greater
esonance in countries of the region. In the end, t may be
divisive external influences, in particlar sectarianism in
Iraq and tensions with Iran, hat tip the balance in favor of
Islamists in Bahain. End Summary.


2. (C) This cable is the thrd in a three-part series of
reports covering poitical Islam in Bahrain. Part I (Ref B)
discusss the three leading Islamic political societies and
their agendas; Part II (Ref A) reports the viewsof competing
olitical societies and politicianson the Islamist agenda;
and Part III describes te reactions of civil society,
business people, ad liberals in the country.

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"We Have a Right" Too
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3. (U) Twenty-nine civil society organizations sined and
released a declaration in early December2005 proclaiming
"Lana Haq," or "We Have a Right" The National Movement for
the Defense of Indiviual and Civil Liberties announced:

"Individual and civil liberties are the gateway to the
freedoms sought by all societies. In Bahrain, they are an
important indicator of the success of the ambitious reform
program initiated by His Majesty The King. During the last
few years, these freedoms have faced very serious threats
that have led to:

- a. Prejudicing freedom of belief, thought and
expression;
- b. Damaging Bahrain's image as a tolerant society, a
center for enlightenment and a home to various religions,
sects, cultures, and ideals;
- c. Destruction of the fundamentals of a free economy,
based upon the values of freedom, transparency, and
competitiveness;
- d. Undermining the status of Bahraini women and their
achievement of a prominent status in society alongside and on
equal terms with men;
- e. Relinquishing the drive to create a civil society
that provides protection to freedom and the rule of law."


4. (C) The declaration continues that "the liberal and
patriotic forces in Bahraini society have been appalled by
the attempt by some to force their views upon all." The
reference is to the Sunni Islamist members of the Council of
Representatives (COR),who have used their position to
champion greater adherence to Islamic practices in everyday
life. Businessman Adel Fakhro, chair of the cosmopolitan Al
Muntada Society and the moving force behind the declaration,
told EmbOff that the 29 societies came together as Lana Haq
in order to gain strength in numbers while taking on the
Islamists. No one individual or group would have had the
strength to publicly criticize the Islamists, but by joining
together they are able to have an impact.

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Emphasizing Bahrain's Traditional Openness
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5. (C) Shura Council member and KPMG/Bahrain chair Jamal
Fakhro (a cousin of Adel) said that Bahraini society has
traditionally been open. Forty years ago, he said, his
mother wore sleeveless shirts and miniskirts in public, and
was respected and had no problems. Several generations of
Bahrainis grew up like this. Liberals in society want to
protect this openness and the personal freedoms of citizens.
Bahrainis and foreign residents should have options about how
they live their personal lives, and not be told what to do by
conservative Islamists.


6. (C) Business woman Selwa Al Moayyed offered a similar
opinion. She noted that Bahrain's economy had historically
relied upon shipping and trade. As a result, Bahrainis were
accustomed to working with foreigners. Bahrainis generally
are moderate people, even if they are religious. Member of
the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) board and
Shia opposition society Al Wifaq leader Nizar Al Baharna told
EmbOff that Bahrainis have never feared speaking their minds.
Dialogue is important, even if people disagree. However,
Bahrainis have feared speaking out against the Islamists
because they might be accused of being bad Muslims. He said
the role of clerics is to convince people to live according
to religious principles, but not force them to do so. After
years of using religious police to enforce their version of
Islam, Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia still cannot compel people to
practice Islam according to their interpretation of the
religion.

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Islamists Defying King's Reform Program
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7. (U) Prominent intellectual Dr. Abdulla Al Madani said in
a magazine interview that following the launch of the
declaration, some clerics accused Lana Haq members of being
"pagans, unbelievers, and dogs. They said the campaign is
aimed at spreading prostitution and alcoholism" in Bahraini
society. In response to a question, Al Madani said the
availability of alcohol is not the main issue, but the
decision to ban hotels from serving drinks during Ramadan
(early October - early November 2005) pushed liberals to look
seriously at civil rights and personal freedoms in the
country. "We look at this (the Islamist agenda) as trying to
defy" both the constitution and the National Action Charter,
the 2001 blueprint for the King's reform program.


8. (U) Al Madani said the Islamists "are trying to ruin
Bahrain's image as a society of tolerance." This will damage
Bahrain as a state of law and order and its multi-cultural,
multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. In addition, the
Islamists' actions will push business and investment away
from the country. He stated that already, many businesses
have relocated to neighboring Gulf states because of "this
extremism and fanaticism and intolerance." Because of all of
these factors, Al Madani said "We need to voice our opinion,
to tell the Islamists that they are not the only ones in
Bahrain, and they should not think that Bahrain belongs to
them to shape the image or cultural identity of Bahrain."

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A Force to Balance the Islamists
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9. (C) Adel Fakhro said it was important for liberals to
speak up to defend their interests. Islamists in the COR
pass non-binding proposals, called "iqtirah bi raghba," to
convey their demands for a higher profile for religion in
daily life. If the government needs something from the
Islamist deputies, they can use these proposals as bargaining
chips. In Fakhro's view, the government is in a stronger
position to refuse if it knows that many people oppose the
Islamists' policies. The Lana Haq movement demonstrates
publicly that support exists for a more tolerant, moderate
society. Ahmed Juma, chair of the Al Meethaq Society, a
centrist political group with both Sunni and Shia members,
told EmbOff that senior government officials are aware of the
potential danger behind the Islamists' agenda and asked
liberals to form an alliance and become active in politics.


10. (C) In a different interpretation, Shura Council member
Jamal Fakhro said the government was grateful for the Sunnis
Islamists' participation in the 2002 parliamentary elections
because by doing so, they enhanced the legitimacy of the
political system at a time when most Shia leaders boycotted.
In return, the government supports its Sunni base. But, in
Fakhro's view, the Sunni Islamists are not politicians. They

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represent narrow interests. They have no party platform and
do not have the country's best interests in mind. Rather,
they want to further their religious agenda. The government
has chosen not to interfere in their activities as long as
the government is able to consolidate its powers in
anticipation of a more aggressive and opposition parliament
following the 2006 elections, in which Al Wifaq is expected
to participate. Human rights and political activist Abdul
Nabi Al Ekry told EmbOff that the government has made a
mistake by stunting the growth of Bahraini civil society. If
there are no secular outlets for opposition, people turn to
the mosque to address their grievances.

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Leftists Complain Not a True Liberal Agenda
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11. (C) In addition to provoking criticism from some
religious scholars, Lana Haq also took flak from the left.
Al Waad President Ibrahim Sharif, whose roots are in the
communist/socialist movements of the 1970s, told EmbOffs that
Lana Haq does not have a "true" liberal agenda, which should
encompass economic, political, and individual rights rather
than just individual rights. Lana Haq requested that Al Waad
join its coalition but Sharif refused, saying his group would
join only if Lana Haq endorsed the range of civic rights. He
criticized Lana Haq for picking too narrow an issue - the
availability of alcohol, tourism, and the impact on the
commercial environment - because it was too easy for the
Islamists to claim that Lana Haq was only concerned about
drinking.


12. (C) Al Waad Vice President Muneera Fakhro echoed
Sharif's comments, saying the Lana Haq leadership, mostly
business people, have traditionally been close to the
government and so they did not have credibility taking on the
government over this issue. Pro-business MP Jasim Abdul Aal
told EmbOffs that Lana Haq faced a problem with terminology
and spin. Lana Haq supporters refer to themselves as
liberals, which many Bahrainis understand to mean that they
drink alcohol. He recommended they use the term
"open-minded" (monfateh) rather than "liberal" (liberali).
Because of this impression, Abdul Aal doubted Lana Haq's
campaign would gain wide traction in Bahraini society.

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No More Charitable Contributions to Islamists
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13. (C) Al Muntada Society Chair Adel Fakhro told EmbOff
that Lana Haq supporters, including many of the major
business owners in the country, had decided to stop donating
to Islamic charities and had formed their own philanthropic
group, the Private Sector Development Society (PSDS). They
want to send a message to the Islamic charities, who rely
upon the generosity of business people, that their
anti-business political activities are unacceptable. The
PSDS will have no overt political message but over the
long-term its activities will help improve the image of
business people in society, who are often seen as greedy and
only looking out for themselves. The Society will pay for
housing, scholarships, training, and medical treatment for
the poor, among other activities.


14. (C) PSDS supporter Jamal Fakhro said the Society would
carry out activities that the Islamic charities were already
doing with business people's money. He said Bahrain's
business families donate hundred of thousands, if not
millions, of dinars to Islamic charities each year, who end
up taking the credit while working against the country's
business and economic interests. "Why are we giving all this
money to these idiots who fight against us," he asked. The
Moayyed, Kanoo, and Fakhro families are some of the major
contributors to the Society. BCCI board member and business
man Adel Al Maskati, another supporter, said the PSDS would
demonstrate in a concrete way the caring side of the business
community and combat the negative impression of business
people in Bahraini society.

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Comment
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15. (C) The Lana Haq movement is a hopeful sign that some
Bahrainis are willing to take a public stance against the
imposition of Islamic practices into everyday life, as is
championed by Sunni Islamist deputies in the COR. Lana Haq
supporters' refusal to continue to fund Islamic charities
while the political arms of these very groups pursue policies
that run counter to business interests sends a strong message

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that the Islamists cannot have it both ways. In addition,
the PSDS' charitable activities could result in a greater
appreciation in society for the beneficial role the business
sector plays. But as MP Abdul Aal points out, Lana Haq
supporters face an uphill battle. They risk being tarred as
promoting alcohol use, a spurious but simple claim the
Islamists will continue to make. And they swim against the
tide as Islamic messages gain greater resonance in countries
of the region. In the end, regional influences such as
sectarianism in Iraq and tensions with Iran, which have a
direct and divisive impact on Bahraini society, may tip the
balance in favor of the Islamists in the battle of ideas in
Bahrain.

MONROE