Your Excellency Secretary of State John Kerry,
We would like to firstly welcome you to our beloved Kingdom, You will be well aware that Bahrain is widely rated as the most progressive and tolerant state in the region in terms of empowerment of women, economic openness, freedoms of religion and political rights of citizens.
However, these achievements cannot be taken for granted and thus Bahrain looks to its closest allies to continue their commitment to supporting His Majesty King Hamad’s reform program and his vision for taking this nation forward. There are several areas of concern which we would wish to bring to your attention:
Support for consolidating political reforms
Those who are driving the reform process forward should be supported and encouraged in order that their efforts do not falter. Achievements deserve to be recognized and tangible assistance should be offered for what is yet to be achieved. It should be recognized that the democratic process must leave in place the checks and balances of a mixed Constitutional Monarchy; preventing any faction, sect or agenda from undermining the political process and curbing the freedoms of other segments of society.
Political reconciliation
The US, EU and others rightly spoke out in 2014 when leading opposition groupings refused to participate in parliamentary elections and return to the political process to seek change from within the system. This has resulted in the unsatisfactory situation where the unrest is long since over, but the consequences have not been conclusively addressed. We hope that you will impress on all sides the need to continue the dialogue towards an honourable settlement for all of Bahrain.
Supporting moderate voices
Arguably the biggest losers of the 2011 unrest were moderate, middle-ground societies and entities. These groupings either disappeared altogether as sectarian tensions grew, or allied themselves with one side or the other and abandoned their liberal ethos. Although most Bahrainis are tolerant and moderate in outlook, this is not reflected in civil society influence. As a result, those with an Islamist or ideological agenda have been disproportionately influential inside Parliament and across civil society. Bahrain’s moderates need to find a coherent voice to preserve our tolerant and open traditions.
Radicalization of young people
We have a generation of young Bahrainis who have been radicalized, having been exploited by militants as foot-soldiers in violent rioting against police. We hope that America will provide tangible support for reconciliation efforts which can help bring these youngsters back into the social mainstream. The illiberal and inflammatory narratives of ISIS, Hezbollah and sectarian militants have never been a greater threat to young people in the region. The threats by ISIS against Shia places of worship and against the Bahraini state itself should be taken seriously because of the terrible potential for loss of life and sectarian tensions that could result.
Action to check Iranian interference
It has become clear that the single greatest threat to security is Iran. Throughout 2015, numerous weapons smuggling operations, terrorist networks and security threats were uncovered. All of these had clear Iranian footprints, while those sentenced on terrorist charges were found to have received Iranian training, funding and direction. Many were sentenced in absentia after seeking refuge in Tehran. Only two weeks ago Revolutionary Guards Commander General Saeed Qassimi, a close ally of Ayatollah Khamenei, gave a speech calling for the annexation of Bahrain. We call for threats against Bahrain and its allies to be taken seriously.
Empowerment of women
Bahrain is proud of the role women play at all levels of society and committed to doing much more. This week elected MPs will be voting on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which the Government and other major institutions have supported strongly, despite opposition from certain quarters with an intolerant agenda. Bahrain last year also passed important legislation last year for protecting families from domestic violence. However, as a result of clerical and factional opposition the Shia community still lacks a Family Law; compelling many Shia women to seek justice in Sunni courts. We hope to hear a strong American message of support for efforts to empower women.
Affirming solidarity with GCC states
Rightly or wrongly; many people in this region perceive that America has weakened its support with GCC states and that the consequence of the nuclear deal will be a stronger and more aggressive Iran, awash in funds with which to back terrorism and insurgency across the region. They believe that the US’s reluctance to involve itself in events in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere has allowed Iran to entrench its allies and proxies. We need to see through America’s actions that it remains committed to its closest allies and has the will and ability to check Iran’s hostile interference.
We hope that your all-too-brief stay in Bahrain will allow you to see for yourself the huge potential this nation has and the importance of unwavering support for reforms and moderate voices.
Citizens for Bahrain