Security forces attacking inmates inside Bahrains Jaw prison, March 10, 2015.[/caption]On March 6, on the fourth anniversary of Saudi troops entering Bahrain, theShiites of Bahrain participated inrallies, led by Al WefaqNationalIslamicSociety, in the cities of Manama and Sitra. While these protests failed to grab headlines, a new slogan was introduced for theBahrainiShiite movement: We are all members of the resistance. In the political language of the Middle East, resistance means themostly Shiitefront under the leadership of Iran and Hezbollah, theShiitegroupsinIraq, the Houthi movement in Yemen, the Syrian governmentand Hamas.
Since February 2011, Shiites in Bahrain, in continuation of the Arab Spring, took to the streets anddemonstrated, asking for the removal of the prime minister, change in the establishment and constitutional reform.
A small Island in the Persian Gulf and home to the United StatesFifth Naval Fleet, Bahrain which has a Shiite majority is run by a Sunni ruling class. The protesters have not taken up arms against the establishment and have so far only participated in peaceful demonstrations in thepresence of numerous military and security forces in the streets. Still, two years ago, a group called Saraya al-Mukhtardeclared its existence. The name of this group meansPartisans of Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, who was a prominent early ShiiteIslamic figure who sought vengeance for the killing of Imam Hussein. The logo of this group has been very delicately designed to appear unique while including all the visual elements of the official logo of Iran'sIslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah) such as the AK-47, the clenched fistand a verse from the Quran.
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This article was written byAbbas Qaidaari for Al-Monitor on March 19, 2015. Abbas Qaidaari is an Iranian international security and defense policy analyst.
