SHIA COMMEMORATE ASHURA WITH LARGE, ORDERLY CROWDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000093

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2017
TAGS: PGOV KISL PHUM KIRF BA POL
SUBJECT: SHIA COMMEMORATE ASHURA WITH LARGE, ORDERLY CROWDS
AND PROCESSIONS

Classified By: CDA Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) An estimated 100-150,000 people crowded into downtown
Manama the evening of January 29 to participate in or observe
processions commemorating the Shia holiday of Ashura. By all
accounts, events were peaceful and orderly. Sermons and
speakers in the run-up to the holiday called for the unity of
all Muslims and focused heavily on religious and domestic
affairs, with little talk or criticism of Iran, Iraq, the
United States, or others. In contrast with previous years'
events, there were very few pictures of Iranian Supreme
Leader Khamenei or Hizballah Secretary General Nasrallah or
Hizballah flags. Likewise, the U.S. and Israeli flags nailed
into the street for people to walk on were not present this
year. A local legal case involving two Shia activists on
trial for distributing illegal pamphlets attracted the most
attention among Bahrainis. The focus on unity and overall
peaceful and calm behavior of participants sent an important
message of discipline and restraint during a period of
strained sectarian relations in the region. End Summary.

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Crowds Turn Out for Ashura Processions
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2. (SBU) Crowds estimated at 100-150,000 turned out the
evening of January 29 to participate in or watch processions
in downtown Manama commemorating the death of Imam Hussein, a
Shia martyr and hero, in Karbala in 680 AD. By all accounts,
the events were orderly and peaceful. Bahraini police
controlled vehicle traffic into the area of the marches but
remained at the outside perimeter of the neighborhood. In
the area itself, civilian volunteers wearing badges
identifying themselves as "organizers" patrolled and
maintained the peace. According to a contact, one of the
most important jobs the organizers have is making sure that
rowdy young men do not harass any of the women present.


3. (SBU) Sermons, seminars, and speakers in the run-up to
the major processions on the 28th and 29th called for the
unity of all Muslims and a focus on religious and domestic
issues. Bahrain's most prominent Shia cleric Shaikh Isa
Qassem, in a January 29 sermon, swore that he would never
accept the oppression of any Sunni and that he would fight
alongside Sunnis "to regain their stolen rights anywhere in
the world." He complained that divisions among Muslims
resulted from the policies of the United States and Europe.
The Shia Clerics Council distributed a pamphlet calling for
national unity and understanding, regardless of one's sect.

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No Sign of Khamenei, Nasrallah, Hizballah
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4. (SBU) In contrast with this year's events, in previous
years organizers and participants provoked government
criticism because of overt displays of support for foreign
Shia leaders, in particular Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei
and Hizballah Secretary General Nasrallah. EmbOffs present
at the processions noticed very few flags, signs, or slogans
referring to Iran or Hizballah, although television monitors
set up along the highly traveled routes played and replayed a
two-and-a-half hour speech delivered by Nasrallah from a few
days earlier. Also missing from this year's event was overt
anti-Americanism. In previous years, U.S. and Israeli (and
even Danish, following last year's cartoon controversy) flags
painted on plywood were nailed into the streets along the
procession route for people to step on. Speakers mostly
avoided explicit criticism of the United States, although
there was much talk of an unspecified "enemy."

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Focus on Religious, Domestic Issues
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5. (SBU) Capitalizing on a chance to connect again with
constituents, there were signs and posters of recently
elected Shia members of parliament hung around the downtown

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area. There also were some banners recalling a saying of
Imam Hussein about the refusal to live under suppression or
repression, interpreted locally to mean the situation of
Shias living under a Sunni government. The most pressing
local issue was the imminent decision in a court case
involving two Shia activists charged with possessing and
distributing illegal pamphlets during the pre-election period
last November. (Note: The pamphlets carried a reprinted
article by Shia exile and London-based Bahrain Freedom
Movement leader Saeed Al Shehabi calling for an election
boycott and questioning the legitimacy of the Al Khalifa
regime.) Supporters of the two called for their release and
hung posters publicizing their plight. On January 30, the
court sentenced one of them to one year and the other to six
months in prison (septel).


6. (SBU) According to contacts, there was a surprisingly
large number of Saudi and Kuwaiti Shia participating in the
processions. There is a matam (Shia community center) in
Bahrain that caters to Shia from two particular areas of the
Saudi Eastern Province, and Shia from other areas are free to
participate in activities organized by any of the Bahraini
matams. A group representing a Kuwaiti "husseiniyah," or
matam, put on a particularly fearsome display as about 100
men marched carrying long swords and chanting "haidar,
haidar," the term for cutting one's forehead in symbolic
re-enactment of the death and beheading of Imam Hussein.
(Note: The actual blood-letting takes place the morning of
the 10th of the month of Muharram, in this case January 30.)
A contact stated that less than 10 percent of Bahraini Shia
support the practice of "haidar," and he noted that as an
alternative, Bahrainis were encouraged to donate blood at one
of the many clinics set up around Manama.


7. (SBU) A knowledgeable observer pointed out that Bahrain
television devoted minimal coverage to the processions. At
most, some video clips were shown during the news bulletins.
However, the "Zahra" satellite station, which focuses on Shia
religious issues and has part-Bahraini ownership, featured
non-stop coverage of events in Bahrain and in Karbala.

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Comment
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8. (C) The focus on Islamic unity, extra effort to fly flags
and banners of Bahraini religious leaders only, and overall
peaceful and calm behavior of participants were important
demonstrations of Shia discipline and restraint during a time
of increasingly strained sectarian relations in the region.
Perhaps in an attempt to show the government and security
services that they deserve and are ready for greater
responsibility in society, Bahraini Shia intentionally
projected a benign image while commemorating Ashura.
However, following the sentencing of the two activists, and
as Shia neighborhoods and villages revert back to the control
of government police and security, we anticipate that
friction and misunderstandings will inevitably reappear.


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ZIADEH