The arrival of the first American missionary in Bahrain in 1903, marked the beginning of the relations between Bahrain and the United States. This relation grew stronger during the latter part of the 20th century following Bahrain’s independence in 1971 as the independence was acknowledged by the US and followed by the opening of the US embassy in the same year. Bahrain’s modernisation era witnessed regional instabilities, an unfortunate revolution on the opposite side of the Gulf and constant global challenges that have in most cases strengthened the cooperation between Bahrain and the United States. Although the official and diplomatic relations between the countries remained stable during the course of the century, the Bahraini people’s views of America went through constant changes affected by the US’ stances on regional matters.
In Bahrain, people’s views of America are affected by many aspects that include the US’ unwavering support to Israel, Iran’s Islamic revolution of 1979 that led to continuous threats towards Bahrain and its neighbours, the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the Arab Spring of 2011. These key events and stances by the US have shaped public opinion in Bahrain and across the region, public opinion that at times was filled with respect but also at many times was accompanied by resentment towards America within some communities. On many occasions anti US slogans including “Death to America” are raised during protests organised by political opposition groups in Bahrain.
America remains to be a leading ally of Bahrain while Bahrain has also proven on many occasions to be a dependable ally to the United States despite surrounding regional circumstances that instil negative sentiments among the public. As Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the US Navy’s fifth fleet in the Arabian Gulf, the American presence during the past few decades has played a prominent role in maintaining relations and promoting people’s acceptance of America despite disagreement with US policies. At times America was viewed as the perfect ally whereas it also failed in gaining the Bahraini public, an example of such situations is the US’ support for Israel in its war against Hamas, although the Biden administration has been working and stressing on a ceasefire. Bahrain is a diverse society where the existence of different ideologies, political inclinations and religious beliefs also shape our views towards America or other nations.
As the United States is viewed as the world’s leading power, many currently expect a tougher stance by the US on the atrocities taking place in Gaza, another expectation is that America should fix the mistakes of the past that led to the complete destruction of Iraq and the spread of sectarian hatred following the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the fall of Saddam Hussein. Many also view America’s key interest in the democratisation of our region as an obsession and an unrealistic vision that mostly puts our countries at risk of security instabilities as was the case in the unrest of 2011. People’s opinions of America are also largely influenced by the shifts in US administrations, but the matter of fact is that America and Bahrain have remained as dependable allies to one another despite disagreement and shifting public opinion.
Today, Bahrain is the only Arab state that has joined Operation Prosperity Guardian led by America to protect the Red Sea against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that are funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran. In addition, Bahrain also recently signed CSIPA, the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement that aims at further enhancing different areas of cooperation between Bahrain and the United States. Bahrain and the United States are currently celebrating two decades of the Free Trade Agreementsigned in 2004. The two countries had also signed a defence agreement in 1991 that played a vital role in enhancing Bahrain US relations, in addition to the US brokered Abraham Accords signed with Israel in 2020 as part of a wider vision for peace and stability in the region.
While looking into the social aspect of the relations between the two countries, we notice that a huge segment of Bahrainis share some common values with Americans, that negative sentiment towards America lies within smaller communities and that Bahrainis do not hate America while many strongly criticise US foreign policy. Many Bahrainis continue to favour America’s influence in the region over any other global power. Here is a look at what Bahrainis think of America in light of the current regional challenges highlighted by the war in Gaza:
Trusting America
“ There is a lack of trust towards America. It has failed in Iraq and handed it over to the Islamic Republic, it has failed to control Israel and it has failed to bring peace to the region” Mariam 32
“ America is expected to do more to stop the war in Gaza. It is the only country that can actually prevent Netanyahu’s war cabinet from going any further. We expect the US to play this role and to deliver, as an ally and as a global watchdog” Khalid 36
“ The US has proven its double standards. It stresses over the protection of human rights principles while it supports Israel and provides it with weapons to enact the most horrific human rights violations against the Palestinians” Ali 28
“ The US should stop lecturing Arab countries about human rights and democracy, while we have recently seen students across US universities being oppressed and prevented from their right to free speech” Sarah 30
“ What I completely dislike about the US, is its meddling in every country’s affairs. It is yet to set an example of a successful case where it promoted democratisation. That’s nowhere to be found” Abdullah 32
“ Disliking a US administration’s policy does not mean we resent America or Americans. The US is a democracy and it shouldn’t take any negative feelings towards its policies as hate towards America, as this is untrue. This exactly sounds like the unrealistic labelling of anti-Israel sentiments as hate for the Jews or antisemitic” Salman 40
“ In Bahrain, it is those who had in the past felt closest to the Americans during the unrest in 2011 who are continuously spreading anti US bigotry. Pro-Palestine rallies during the past few months and Friday sermons in some communities are continuously using the death to America slogan. This is something that Americans need to look closely into” Fatima 34
A shared future
“ We expect our allies to stand by us and to support our path of development, whether it is the economy, security or academic aspect, America is a strong partner to Bahrain” Noor 31
“ Many efforts have been made to bring the people of America and Bahrain closer together. These efforts are highly appreciated as they have given many of us a sense of American values, shared expertise that have helped us in our fields and also created an environment for coexistence and understanding which our country stands for” Ahmed 27
“ There is a huge segment of Bahrainis that disagree with some US policies such as its support for Israel and others. However, many within this segment still view Americans as friends and allies, ones that we disagree with but still like” Mahmood 35
“ Our alliance with the US plays an important role in Bahrain’s success on the security level. The US provides a source of shared protection against any attacks by militant groups in the region, that threaten our security” Abdullah 32
“ The presence of the US Navy fifth fleet in Bahrain is an assurance to many of us that we have shared interests with America. That we have common threats and we need to stand side by side to protect one another” Hala 43
“ We face common threats from the Islamic Republic, we need to stand side by side and face these threats. Bahrain’s involvement in Prosperity Guardian is a huge indicator of our everlasting relations with America that will never change” Mahmood 37
“ Some Arab nations are playing a leading role in conflict resolution when it comes to the Gaza war. They are working hand in hand with the US to end this war and to reach a ceasefire agreement. It is a war and it will take time to end, especially considering that this conflict has been ongoing for more than 75 years” Manal 38
Anti-America narrative
“ America should stop looking at certain groups of people in Bahrain as the saviours of society that can promote democratisation. Those groups have proven to be the most Ani-America. The world has changed, Bahrain has changed, and America has also changed. Americans share common values with many Bahrainis who are pro-reform and anti-revolution” Ali 36
“ The anti-America narrative is quite exaggerated. It exists mostly in rigid and very conservative communities that are less exposed to the world around them” Aisha 29
“ The US should change its approach towards countries in the Middle East. It has to regain its role as the peacekeeper. It has to once and for all limit Israel’s aggression towards the Palestinians and prevent a wider war in the region” Abdulrahman 42
“ It is expected that people will dislike America, when it is US arms that are used to kill the Palestinians. On several occasions in the past, the US has warned to stop arm sales to some countries in the region for their alleged violation of human rights, while it continues to arm Israel. These contradicting stances and policies by the US need to be revisited” Amal 34
“ Most of us don’t dislike Americans, we dislike what US policies have led to. Instability, war and destruction are unacceptable, and the US has played a big role in much of the mess in the region” Omar 28
“ In Bahrain, we never practiced the culture of hate and neither has our leadership. The leadership’s vision for peace, coexistence and accepting others despite their differences is also reflected on the society as a whole. We cannot underestimate the power of this ideology and its effect on policy and social behaviour” Faisal 40
“Blame it on America”
“ It is very simple and easy to blame everything on America. Every war, revolution, coup and instability are blamed on the US. However, we fail to acknowledge our responsibility as societies towards our nations. If we want to be allies with other countries yet keep them away from intervening in our affairs, then we need to step up and challenge the world through economic and ideological evolution” Mona 41
“It is unfortunate to see that America takes the blame for all the chaos in the region. People hold responsibility for the instability in their countries, if any exist. In the case of Bahrain, the relations with America are excellent despite ongoing and expected challenges “ Hamad 30
“ It is not only the US’ responsibility to end the war in Gaza. Arab countries also need to do more to pressure Israel into ending the war. They need to do more to protect the people of Palestine and should stop expecting everything to be settled by America and the West” Essa 32
“America remains to be America”
“ Whether with America or any other global power, Bahrain has always been a peaceful country that aims at thriving relations and development rather than destruction and chaos. We always respect and welcome nations that stand by our side in our development process” Rashid 38
“ America remains to be America to many of us. We can disagree and dislike its policies, but it still holds a great value in our hearts. Whether some people like it or not, America has influenced our lives through TV shows, cinema, music and the power of its media” Yousif 36