Posted on 02/14/2002 1:39:41 PM PST by TomGuy
Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, 49, gave his royal assent to constitutional amendments that create a bicameral legislature. The king, however, appoints one of the houses, allowing him to control lawmaking - a provision that brought criticism from the opposition.
Sheik Hamad said he was "fulfilling his promise" and immediately called municipal elections May 9 and national legislative elections Oct. 24. Men and women will be allowed to vote and run for office.
"We are keen to resume democratic life as soon as possible for the glory of Bahrain, its prosperity and development," he said.
The amendments change Sheik Hamad's title to king from emir - a more traditional Arab title of royalty often translated as "commander" or "prince" - and officially change the country's name to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
This tiny island nation of 600,000 people between Saudi Arabia and Iran is a close U.S. ally and home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet - making its political stability important for the West. Since its independence from Britain in 1972 it has only been ruled by the Al Khalifa family.
During the mid-1990s, Shiite Muslims, who form a slight majority, staged a violent campaign for political reform, triggering a government crackdown. More than 40 people were killed in the unrest. The Al Khalifa ruling family hails from the mainstream Sunni branch of Islam.
After Sheik Hamad became ruler in 1999 on the death of his father, he released political prisoners, allowed exiles to return as the unrest subsided and began the process of democratization.
Opposition groups said the reforms fell short of their demands, but some said they were willing to cooperate.
Hassan Mushaima, deputy leader of the opposition Wefaq Islamic Society, said criticized the government's power to interfere in the legislative process. He said it was too early to tell whether opposition parties will take part in the elections.
But Mansoor al-Jamri, a former dissident, said he expects the opposition to cooperate and "work from within the system to correct what happened."
Bahrain's justice minister said the decision to turn the nation into a kingdom followed consultations with Arab and European constitutional experts.
"It has become appropriate for Bahrain to take its place among constitutional monarchies which have a democratic system that achieves the people's aspirations for progress," Sheik Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said at the signing ceremony.
A referendum a year ago overwhelmingly backed a national charter calling for constitutional amendments for a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament.
Sheik Hamad decreed a bicameral legislature, one body made up of experts appointed by the palace and the other elected by the people. Both have equal legislative powers, ensuring the king has his way.
Under the provisions, the king must also sign legislation passed by the houses, though it was not clear if he could refuse to do so.
Still, the constitutional changes put Bahrain on the road to democratic rule in a conservative region where political freedoms are limited.
Kuwait is currently the only Arab state in the Gulf with an elected legislature, but Kuwaiti women cannot run for office or vote. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are ruled by royal families with public input from appointed consultative councils.
Saudi Arabia is the only other Gulf country with a king. Other Gulf rulers hold titles of emir or sultan.
Gulf political analyst Abdul-Khaleq Abdulla, of the United Arab Emirates University at Al-Ain, said the Bahraini constitutional monarchy is an "advancement over the traditional emiri system," although both are hereditary.
In the emiri system, the emir holds ultimate power. In a constitutional monarchy, the constitution is the focus of power and politics, he told The Associated Press.
The kings of Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Jordan sent congratulatory messages to Sheik Hamad, while officials in Egypt offered their praise. Kuwait called the developments "a historic turning point" for Bahrain.
AP-ES-02-14-02 1653EST
... The kings of Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Jordan sent congratulatory messages to Sheik Hamad ...Dude! You da' man, man. I mean, you know, like, cool.
Emir of Bahrain praises the 'good fight' to liberate Afghanistan and calls for Palestine
THE Emir of Bahrain yesterday became the first Arab leader to call the fighting in Afghanistan a great war of liberation.
"I am so happy America and Britain are going into Afghanistan," he said. "Liberating it from this evil Taliban will only be good for women, men and children. It is a very good war of liberation.
"The Americans aren't like the Soviet Union, they are not trying to overthrow Muslims for communists. They are helping the Afghans to progress and saving poor Muslims from evil."
In an interview at Saffriya Palace, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa said Bahrain would not only lend troops, but would allow its airbases to be used for bombing raids. The US Fifth Fleet is based at the island.
"If we were asked to send troops we would consider it, but they might not be appropriate because they are not used to mountainous terrain," said the former Sandhurst officer. "We would think it a great honour. We have helped the British for 180 years and the Americans for 50."
Sheikh Hamad insisted that his neighbours in the Gulf states who didn't support the war in Afghanistan were wrong. "Anyone against such a thing must have lost their mind, it's a gift of God that the developed world can go into Afghanistan and help to correct it."
The Emir who is a Sunni Muslim, said that Muslims should help to hunt down Osama bin Laden. "How can Muslims support a man who is hiding in a cave, who wants to return to the Dark Ages?"
The new progressive head of this tiny state disagreed with other Arab leaders who have criticised the bombing. "It breaks all our hearts to see an Afghan refugee crouching in a dust storm but this bombing is necessary to free these people.
"We have supported this campaign from day one without any hesitation. It is not against Islam or Arabs but terrorism. And terrorism should frighten us, not the war against terrorism."
He said that Bahrain would not send blankets to the refugees. "They are a tough lot, like us. They can survive the winter, what they need are medicines."
The Arab world must understand, he said, that the Taliban are not Islamic. "The way they treat women is disgusting. What can we learn from them? Have they given us better hospitals, schools or gardens? No. Women should choose what they wear: a burqa, a pair of trousers, a swimming suit."
The Emir said that if bin Laden or the leaders of the Taliban were tried in an Islamic country they would be treated extremely harshly. "Killing women and children is not in the Koran," he said.
Arab states must ensure that the war against terrorism did not become a war of religions. "In Saudi Arabia and Yemen even a strange goat is suspicious, there is more resentment against the West. Here we are an island, we are used to different peoples, we must lead the way."
The Emir said the issue of a Palestinian state should not be mixed up with the war on terrorism. "It is nothing to do with bin Laden and his gang. I am confident that the two states, Israel and Palestine, will soon co-exist.
"It would be a great help to the allies if these two states were created quickly, to bring back the support of the Arab world that the West has lost. If we do the right thing in Afghanistan, we must also do it in Palestine."
Per your comment, here's an interesting article from a Qatari cleric:
Dean of Shari'a and Law at Qatar U. in Support of the U.S., the War on Terror, and Curricular Reform
There is a shrill and highly vocal minority at FR that is not just anti-terrorist, but anti-Arab and anti-Muslim (if I thought it were a majority, I wouldn't be here). I'd like to remind that crowd that our battles in the Middle East are not over, and America will likely continue for a long time to need the help and cooperation of Arabs/Muslims who do not hate us.
How would the Bahrainis feel about us if they read the hateful things some have said here about Arabs and Islam? Would it truly help the American war effort?
There are inarguably many Arabs/Muslims who hate us and wish to see us destroyed, but I'm not convinced that most do. I lived and worked in Egypt for six years, from 1990 to 1996. I learned Egyptian Arabic (barely) well enough to supervise technical personnel in that language, and I traveled the country working with the Egyptian Army. Met and talked with hundreds of Egyptians, and I enjoyed them.
There is a pronounced anti-Americanism in much of the Egyptian press, and there is a significant number of Muslim clerics, student radicals, etc., who are hostile to us. One could see how people here could reasonably get the impression that all Egyptians hate us. But that wasn't at all the impression I got actually living among them. I didn't encounter any significant anti-Americanism among the ordinary Egyptians I met every day. Everybody wanted to be my buddy. That experience makes me skeptical about the claims of those here who profess to know for certain that "they" are all evil and want to destroy us.
Based on past experience, I expect someone will give me a furious lecture about how "they" destroyed the World Trade Center. There are roughly one billion Muslim men, women, and children in this world, and they didn't all do it. We ought to do everything we can to destroy those who did do it, and anyone who deliberately aids or harbors them. Making any more enemies than we have to in the Muslim world won't help us accomplish that.
the same can be said of the European press and the EU-type elites. The people themselves are pro-American now, and have the same fears of security.
It's hard to say about the Arab world as a whole. I for one have been pointing out that fellows like Col.Gaddafi have been making realtively pro-American statements all along. But from what I've read and have been told, different countries have different degrees and shades of anti-Americanism. Egypt, being Muslim and Christian, represses certain tendencies. However, in Saudi Arabia, the students are taught essentially that they are superior, purer, and better than the Kafirs, but then, America is their friend. There is a lot of hatred out there, in various degrees.
BTW, when it comes to Turks v. Greeks, the posters here I can safely say are very biased to the Turks. :)
As there is the Saudi press. But the Bahrain Tribune seems quite pro US.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.