SECTARIAN INSULTS LEAD TO CALLS FOR LIMITS ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000810 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI BA SUBJECT: SECTARIAN INSULTS LEAD TO CALLS FOR LIMITS ON SPEECH REF: MANAMA 790 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) A summer of name-calling between Sunni and Shi,a members of parliament has prompted calls for new legislation limiting incitement speech. End summary. -------------- Al-Deiri v. Al-Saeedi -------------- ¶2. (U) A photograph appeared in local papers in May showing prayers at the opening session of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Bahrain,s parliament. The picture included Ali Salman, the chairman of the Shi,a Wifaq political society, praying behind independent Salafist deputy Jassim Al-Saeedi, who many Shi,a view as an anti-Shi,a bigot. Although meant to highlight intercommunal cooperation, the photograph prompted a number of Shi,a to question Salman,s judgment. ¶3. (U) Wifaq managed at first to contain the criticism, until one of its members, MP Hamza Al-Deiri, responded during an interview for an internet chatroom to a question on the issue by backhandedly labeling Al-Saeedi and the imams of Mecca and Medina "nasibis." (Note: Shi,a use this term for those who reject those who they believe to be the rightful successors to the prophet Muhammad - the Twelve Imams.) Al-Deiri noted that Shi,a have long prayed behind "nasibi" imams in Mecca and Medina. Al-Saeedi hit back quickly, calling Al-Deiri a "keffir." He demanded that Al-Deiri and the Wifaq political society apologize to him and to all the imams of Mecca and Medina. On August 8, the Al-Asala political society, which often seeks publicity as a champion of Salafist causes (reftel),placed a half-page ad in Bahrain,s leading daily, Akhbar al-Khaleej, demanding satisfaction for the offense to Sunni Muslims and the imams of Mecca and Medina, along with a strongly-worded warning against further insults from Shi,a quarters. -------------- GOB Spin Control -------------- ¶4. (U) GOB reaction to the flare-up was evident in the content of sermons Friday, August 3 and August 10. Focus shifted quickly to themes of national unity, cohesion, and overcoming sectarian differences. One prominent imam went so far as to criticize unnamed Deputies for engaging in "immature behavior" and urged them to turn their attention to the real issues like unemployment. -------------- Limits to speech? -------------- ¶5. (U) Parliamentarians responded to the controversy by suggesting that there should be limits to free speech. Many, including Latifah Al-Qaood, Vice Chair of the Legal and Economic Affairs Committee in the Chamber of Deputies, have called for the parliament to pass a law criminalizing offensive speech on the basis of sect, belief, religion, or ethnicity. The Wifaq political society, the largest bloc in the lower house, joined six other smaller societies (Wa,ad, Nationalist Democratic, Amal, Al-Minbar Progressive Democratic, National Brotherhood, and Free Thought) in a declaration in support of such legislation on August 14. ¶6. (SBU) Somewhat surprisingly, leading secular journalists are also backing anti-incitement legislation. Speaking to Charge on August 15, Ibrahim Al-Bashmi, a secular, leftist Sunni Shura Council Member and editor of the daily Al-Waqt, said Bahrain needs a law to rein in insulting sectarian rhetoric. Isa Al-Sha,eegi, the secular Sunni editor of Al-Ayam, and Mansoor Al-Jamri, the secular Shi,a editor of Al-Wasat, shared similar views with Charge. One dissenter among post,s contacts was the Deputy Director of the Bahrain Human Rights Society, Dr. Abdullah Al-Derazi, who told Pol/Econ Chief on August 15 that Bahrain needs a law to deal with "real discrimination on the basis of religion or sect," rather than offensive speech. Even he allowed, though, that the Al-Deiri / Al-Saeedi exchange was particularly ugly and that "there are many people who support" legislation to limit insulting or offensive speech. ¶7. (U) Not surprisingly, the issue has been a hot topic on MANAMA 00000810 002 OF 002 television and a number of blogs. The prevailing opinion is that Al-Deiri and Al-Saeedi are behaving childishly and as members of parliament should concentrate on improving social conditions in the country. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) With Al-Wifaq supporting the idea, the session of parliament expected to start in October is likely to see an attempt to push through legislation that would place controls on this kind of incitement. ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** HENZEL