Rajab walks during a February 2 anti-government demonstration in central Manama / Reuters
It has been one year since the Bahraini uprising and most of the world continues to pay little attention. Unlike other countries in the region, Bahrain is tiny but the implications are huge. The lack of attention from western democracies is one of the most digsusting double standards in international politics. Make no mistake, the UK and US have actively propped up this totalitarian regime. British and American special forces have trained the Bahraini security forces (most of whom are hired from outside the country) to crush dissent in the most brutal manner. And they continue to sell arms to the Bahraini military. While, there are some concerns that the uprising is Iranian backed and fundamentalist in nature, it seems painfully obvious to me that this is largely a genuine call for democracy and respect for human rights. Consider this article on Nabeel Rajab in 'The Atlantic.' He is hardly advocating for a religious theocracy. Yet, as we've seen elsewhere in the Middle East in recent yeears, the more people are supressed and denied a voice, the more appealing radical Islam is going to be to the youth on the streets. It is high time the US and UK put their money where their mouth is. I'd like to thank all the secular rabble rousers of Bahrain for contributing to my own political awakening over the years and wish them all the best for tomorrow.
