28th Nov, 2013 –

There are a wide variety of views among Bahrainis concerning the implications of the Iran nuclear deal. Below are two opposing viewpoints, which we have collected, which between them encompass the variety of hopes, concerns and even suspicions felt by ordinary Bahrainis.

Finally – a glimmer of hope in the Middle East

“We are at an important moment in history, with Iran and America signing up to a deal and the US at least promising to reduce sanctions”.

“For many years now people in the Arab world have lived under the threat of confrontation between Iran and America. Indeed, we have seen many conflicts between them and their proxies; with pro-Iran groups attacking US forces in Iraq; Israel fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon; and both sides backing different groups in Syria”.

“However, let’s be realistic: This is just a temporary deal which talks about Iran’s nuclear programme. There is no mention of Iran’s harmful role in the region here, and we would suspect that America deliberately avoided dealing with some of these issues in order to make reaching an agreement much easier”.

“What about Iran continuing to bankroll the Syrian regime; what about Iran’s support of terrorist and extremist groups in Lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen and Iraq? What about Iran’s terrible human rights record towards dissidents and minorities; for example Sunnis in Khuzestan; or Baha’is and Balouchis?

“So this deal makes us all a lot safer; and it is reassuring that in President Rohani we finally have an Iranian figurehead who seems to want better relations with the outside world. However, we would say to the US and its allies that this is only the first step towards dealing with Iran. Nobody wants Iran to have a nuclear bomb – but this is not the only way that Iran has threatened and bullied its neighbours. Any deal which ignores this reality cannot be considered a good deal.” Noor Khalid a 27 year-old marketing consultant, from Isa Town

This dangerous deal solves nothing

“Why does the announcement of a deal between Iran and America make us all feel very nervous? Why in recent months have America and Iran seemed in such an indecent hurry to embrace each other and declare themselves the best of friends?

“Part of the reason is that more often than not the US and Iran have found themselves on the same side. Both Iraq and America had a stake in getting rid of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, for example. After abandoning its old allies in the region – Mubarak, Ben Ali, Qadhafi, Ali Abdullah Saleh and alienating other Arab leaders – Obama now seems to believe that his natural allies are the Mullahs in Tehran and their immense oil reserves – we should all be feeling very nervous.

“This is a bad deal for the Arab world because it ignores and worsens all the crises afflicting our region – the number one cause of which is Iran. America has made clear that Iran and Al-Assad can continue the genocide in Syria – as long as they don’t use any of those troublesome nuclear weapons. Terrorist groups like Hezbollah can continue to extend their control over Arab nations in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait and Bahrain. And to placate Netanyahu we can expect announcements very soon of thousands more settlement homes being built in Jerusalem.

“Obama’s foreign policy has exposed American weakness round the world and in the Middle East. The US was made to look weak and ridiculous when it tried to address the Palestinian issue, with Netanyahu proving that it was the Israeli tail wagging the American dog. Confused and contradictory US policies allowed for chaos and anarchy in Libya, Egypt, Syria and several other Arab states – a wave of instability that will continue to cause ripples for years to come.

“A deal about not producing highly-enriched uranium or allowing inspectors to visit a few sites in the Iranian countryside has no relevance to the Arab world and addresses none of the issues which concerns us. It solves nothing and allows Obama to conveniently ignore the instability and unrest that this region faces.” Ali Abdullah a 32 year-old Secondary School Teacher, from Manama

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