US embassy cable - 05MANAMA416

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000416 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ASEC, PHUM, BA 
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF INTERIOR DISCUSSES CONCERNS ABOUT SHIA 
ACTIVISM IN BAHRAIN 
 
REF: MANAMA 347 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe.  Reason: 1.4 (B)(D) 
 
1. (C) Summary. Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid described for 
the Ambassador the government's concern that the Sunni-Shia 
split would grow in Bahrain if decisive action were not taken 
against Shia political activism during recent Ashura 
celebrations.  Shaikh Rashid personally met with leading Shia 
cleric Al-Ghuraifi, trying to gain his support.  Al-Ghuraifi, 
for his part, asked the Minister to control anti-Shia 
articles/editorials in the press.  Shaikh Rashid also met 
with Sunnis, who he said were concerned that black flags 
(representing Shia mourning during Ashura) had  suddenly 
popped up everywhere.  The Minister, who expressed confidence 
that the problem was manageable, said that his Ministry was 
making an effort to bring more Shia into the police force. 
End summary. 
 
2. (C) Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid Al-Khalifa, during 
a March 16 meeting with the Ambassador, discussed the 
government's concerns about activities of certain Shia during 
recent Ashura celebrations as well as his personal efforts to 
control Shia extremism in Bahrain.  Showing photographs taken 
during Ashura of Hizballah flags, Khomeini and Khamenei 
posters, and a group of Bahrainis stomping on an American 
flag, Shaikh Rashid said that there was definitely a greater 
political edge to this year's Ashura activities (although 
only a minority of Shia were involved in activities of 
concern).  For Sunnis, who suddenly saw black flags popping 
up everywhere, it appeared that some Shia were using Ashura 
as a political opportunity.  He said the Ministry received 
numerous calls, including from some Shia, asking what the 
government was going to do in response.  The Sunnis expected 
the government to take some action, or they would act 
themselves. 
 
3. (C) Shaikh Rashid said the government was afraid that if 
it did not act promptly, the split between the two religious 
communities would grow.  He said Bahrain did not want to 
follow the example of Saudi Arabia, which waited too long 
before acting decisively against extremism (Sunni).  And if 
the government waited too long, there would be a Sunni 
reaction against the Shia.  The best strategy, he said, was 
for the Shia leadership to take care of the problem 
themselves. 
 
4. (C) Shaikh Rashid has played a prominent public role in 
his government's effort to deal with the issue, meeting with 
members of the two houses of the Parliament (Shura Council 
and Council of Representatives -- reftel), conferring with 
leaders of Shia "matams" (assembly halls), and calling on 
Shia cleric Shaikh Abdulla Al-Ghuraifi.  He described Shaikh 
Al-Ghuraifi as positive and understanding of what the 
government was trying to do.  "He appreciated my visit.  He 
is proud to be a Bahraini, and believes that unity is 
important."  But Shaikh Al-Ghuraifi also expressed concern to 
the Minister that the government was letting the story get 
too big in the newspapers.  He asked Shaikh Rashid to control 
press articles/editorials critical of the Shia.  Shaikh 
Rashid said he could not control the press but, playing on 
the similarity of the Arabic words for flag (alam) and pen 
(qalam), told Al-Ghuraifi that it is a question of flag and 
pen.  "If you raise Hizbollah flags, pens will rise.   If you 
want the pens to stop, bring down the flags." 
 
5. (U) In his Thursday night (March 18) prayer sermon at Imam 
Sadiq Mosque, Shaikh Al-Ghuraifi, according to press reports, 
stated that unity, security, and stability are red lines that 
cannot be crossed, and he rejected any behavior that harmed 
those concepts.  He then warned against "pens" of "incitement 
and treason" that take advantage of events to cause enmity 
between people, and incite the regime against a major and 
loyal sect in society.  He called on the government to stop 
these "pens," warning of a disaster if they continued to 
write.  He said the Minister of Interior had invited him to 
the Ministry, and his acceptance would depend on "how much 
change we see on the ground." 
 
6. (C) Shaikh Rashid said that, in addition to his approach 
to a leading Shia cleric, he is also undertaking outreach to 
the Sunni community.  He said that he had spent the previous 
evening visiting Sunni majlises in the Al-Hidd area, trying 
to calm emotions and make sure they did not take any actions 
against Shia.  Overall, he thought the problem was 
manageable.  There are extremists on both sides, he said, and 
they need to be controlled on both sides. 
 
7. (C) The Ambassador asked about hiring practices in the 
Ministry of Interior, noting that he had heard complaints of 
underrepresentation of Shia.  Shaikh Rashid said that the 
police force is now trying to set an example in recruiting 
from both sides.  In an incoming class of police officers 
last month, he stated, 39 out of 40 were Shia.  Another time, 
he said, Bahrain's municipalities put out an announcement to 
hire community service police.  Large numbers of Shia showed 
up, expecting not to be hired but to embarrass the government 
by making a point about unemployment.  When several were in 
fact hired, they went back to their villages complaining that 
they were "stuck" because they now had jobs they didn't want 
with the community police. 
MONROE