MANAMA — The Al Khalifa regime in Bahrain is facing mounting criticism for its glaring double standards, openly promoting foreign cultural festivals while simultaneously waging a brutal crackdown on the indigenous Shia Muslim majority and their centuries-old religious traditions.
Local news outlet Mir’at al-Bahrain recently highlighted the regime’s hypocrisy, noting that authorities openly permitted and promoted a Japanese animation film festival for the third consecutive year at the Al Dana Commercial Centre. Government media touted the event as a celebration of cultural exchange, openness, and tolerance. However, this so-called “openness” sharply contrasts with the strict, often violent restrictions imposed on Shia religious gatherings (majalis), the display of Hussaini flags, and the activities of religious speakers and elegists (zakirs). The outlet pointed out that the regime treats deeply rooted Islamic practices as “security concerns” while freely endorsing foreign cultural imports, questioning why principles of tolerance are not extended to Bahrain’s own Islamic heritage.
This cultural suppression is part of a broader, systematic campaign against the Shia community. Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference titled “Beyond Prison Bars – Beyond Limitations,” prominent Bahraini political and human rights activist Ali al-Fayez warned that the regime is conducting an “existential war” aimed at entirely eradicating the Shia faith in the country.
Al-Fayez emphasised that the ongoing oppression goes far beyond mere political suppression. He pointed to the relentless arrest of dozens of Shia scholars, seminary professors, and directors as clear evidence of a targeted assault on Shia beliefs, jurisprudence, and rituals. “What is happening in Bahrain is beyond oppression and suppression; the people of this country are facing the suffering of an existential war whose goal is to eradicate this people,” al-Fayez stated, calling on the Islamic world and international human rights organisations to recognise the true dimensions of the crisis.
The dual narrative pushed by the Bahraini government—projecting an image of modern, cosmopolitan tolerance to the international community while systematically dismantling the religious identity of its own Shia citizens—has sparked renewed outrage. Rights advocates continue to demand an end to the discriminatory policies and the immediate release of persecuted religious scholars, urging the global community to hold the Al Khalifa regime accountable for its ongoing war on religious sanctities.
Reference: ABNA24