In response to the oppressive regime of the al-Khalifa family, the Bahraini Students Council released the following statement on March 28, 1997:
The message from the people to the ruling wing of the al-Khalifa is that patience has a limit and that this ruling elite has violated all norms of sanity. The people are preparing themselves for a long-term struggle until the victimization and oppression adopted by the ruling wing and its foreign mercenaries are brought to a halt. If the al-Khalifa wants to treat the citizens of Bahrain in the same way as an enemy occupying a land and victimizing the people of that land, then they should expect nothing from the population other than preparedness for the defense of their honor and dignity. The opposition aims for no more than the restoration of the dissolved parliament and constitutional rights.
Ing on various forms of civil resistance against the emir's army. In late 1997 clashes broke out between security forces and citizens who were demanding the restoration of the dissolved national assembly and their constitutional rights.
In an effort to stabilize the country the emir made some moderate political changes in 1997, but the Bahraini people were still routinely denied their constitutional rights. The ruling establishment used brutal force, torture, killings, forcible exile, arbitrary detention and sentencing, and other means to abolish the basic freedoms of the Bahraini people.
Numerous Bahraini professionals were fired from their jobs and blacklisted from other employment for refusing to withdraw their names from petitions to the emir advocating the restoration of the national assembly, free elections, and the release of prisoners held for their political beliefs. Many of those expressing unwelcome political views were forcibly expelled from Bahrain by the emir without any recourse to judicial or administrative procedures. In early 1998 more than five hundred Bahrainis were living in forced exile, but the Bahraini opposition to the emir and his government continued, as citizens called for the restoration of the rule of constitutional law and the protection of human and constitutional rights.
After ruling for thirty-seven years, the emir, Sheikh Isa bin-Sulman al-Khalifa died suddenly of a heart attack on March 6, 1999. He was succeeded by his son, Sheikh Hamed bin Isa al-Khalifa. The new emir appeared intent on maintaining family control of Bahrain, since one of his first acts was to reappoint his uncle, Sheikh Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifa, as prime minister. The al-Khalifa family also seemed to realize that some reform was needed, however. The emir released some political prisoners and relaxed controls of the Shiite population. More important, in February, 2000, the Bahraini government granted citizenship to several hundred stateless Shiites in Bahrain and promised to establish elective councils. This movement toward reform continued. In February, 2001, the government held a referendum on a charter for a plan of change that included parliamentary elections and reorganization of the government. The referendum was approved overwhelmingly. The Bahraini authorities released even more political prisoners after this, and relaxed repressive measures. In October, 2002, secular candidates won a small majority in the first legislative elections in nearly three decades.
Alvin K. Benson Updated by the Editors
World History
