Jan 9, 2015

The arrest by Bahraini authorities of opposition Shiite National Accord Association leader Sheikh Ali Salman highlights a pattern of political behavior that prevails in the Middle East and naturally leads to social collapse and religious extremism.

Sheikh Salman was detained primarily on charges of establishing contacts with Iraqi Shiite parties, but the charges are unconvincing and do not justify the arrest of someone like Salman, a significant political figure for a section of Bahraini society. Amnesty International called for his immediate, unconditional release, arguing, “The detention of Sheikh Ali Salman is a flagrant violation of his right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.” For its part, the United Nations demanded the release of the Bahraini opposition leader through the Human Rights Commission.

The controversy over the legality of his detention may last awhile, and folds into a wider controversy prevailing in the region and increasingly taking on a sectarian form and leading to sharpening differences among people in the region.

In this regard, it is worth mentioning the lessons of Iraq over the past decade. There is a general belief in Iraq today that serious mistakes have been made, such as the marginalization of the Sunnis and blaming them for the repercussions of the regime of Saddam Hussein. These mistakes have left the Sunnis with feelings of bitterness, a sense of marginalization and political grievances. All these have turned into a platform to challenge the government and voice exaggerated stories and claims.

This atmosphere, in which the criminal organization the Islamic State (IS) fought to destroy the Iraqi state under the pretext of protecting Sunnis from Shiites, has contributed to breeding extremism. IS definitely did not provide any protection for Sunnis. It has carried out acts of repression, torture and murder against them, leading about 2 million people, mostly Sunnis, to abandon their homes and towns.