Current Analysis Bahrain's Medics Are the Targets of Retribution At about 11 pm on May 2, Bahrain’s criminal investigations directorate summoned Nedhal al-Khalifa, a 42-year-old dermatologist. Her father dropped her off at their headquarters at the ministry of interior at about midnight. Her family, including her four young children, didn’t hear anything from her Joe Stork • 2 min read
Current Analysis A Revolution Paused in Bahrain An uncertain calm has settled over the small island kingdom of Bahrain. The wave of peaceful pro-democracy protests from February 14-17 culminated in bloodshed, including the brutal murder of seven activists, some of whom were asleep in tents, by the armed forces. On orders from above, the army with Cortni Kerr, Toby Jones • 13 min read
MER Article The Battle Over Family Law in Bahrain On November 9, 2005, over 100,000 protesters—approximately one seventh of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s population—flooded the streets of the capital, Manama. Most of the protesters were Shi‘a demonstrating their resistance to the government’s campaign to implement a codified family law, announced a mont Sandy Russell Jones • 21 min read
MER Article Bahrain's Crisis Worsens Since early June 1997, an upsurge of crude firebombings, street demonstrations and heavy repression has added some nine deaths and an unknown number of arrests and injuries to the toll of the ongoing unrest in Bahrain. The troubles erupted there three years ago with demonstrations over unemployment, discrimination and the Joe Stork • 11 min read
MER Article Bahrain Regime Stages Confessions, Rejects Compromise At the end of May, the government of Bahrain summoned the international press to Manama for what it promised would be a major policy statement on Monday, June 3. I was in Bahrain at the time, conducting interviews for a report on human rights conditions there. Bahraini opponents of the regime in exi Joe Stork • 9 min read
MER Article The Elusive Quest for Gulf Security Iran’s revolution had a profound impact on the regional balance of forces in the Gulf. Until 1979, the two most powerful and ambitious states in the region, Iran and Iraq, were sufficiently constrained by each other, and by the presence of United States forces and Washington’s friendly relations wit 'Abd al-Hadi Khalaf • 16 min read
Khuri, Tribe and State in Bahrain Fu’ad Khuri, Tribe and State in Bahrain (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980). Fu’ad Khuri has provided us with a sensitive analysis of the recent history of Bahrain. He captures the broad sweep of socioeconomic and political change brought about by the colonial bureaucracy and the discovery (Author not identified) • 4 min read
Labor Movements in Bahrain Labor activism has been a major feature of political life in Bahrain, going back to early industrial activities following the discovery of oil in 1928-1932. [1] These early efforts absorbed many destitute pearl divers, peasants and freed slaves, and paved the way for a new stratum of middlemen from 'Abd al-Hadi Khalaf • 18 min read
"The Rulers Are Afraid of Their Own People" “Isa” grew up in Bahrain and lived there until recently. He spoke with several MERIP editors in April 1985. He asked to remain anonymous in order to protect friends and family still living there. What sort of distinctions and divisions are there among expatriates? You’ve got the Europeans and Amer (Author not identified) • 7 min read
Migrant Labor and the Politics of Development in Bahrain Bahrain was, after Iran and Iraq, the first country in the Gulf to have its petroleum resources developed by Western companies. It has a longer history of economic and infrastructural development than any other state in the peninsula. Bahrain’s petroleum reserves and producing capacity are also the Rob Franklin • 24 min read
