A section of the Arab media interpreted the recent demonstrations in Bahrain as an expression of growing anti-American sentiments on the island. In fact there was nothing out of the way about the demonstrations which were triggered by a personal dispute between some Bahrainis and Americans.
The media however, particularly that in Qatar, chose to present a distorted version of the event. It is unfortunate that the Qatari media failed to evaluate the issue on the principles of good neighborliness. They were quick to point to the demonstrations as a sign of underlying instability in Bahrain’s political system while the fact is that the government allowed the people to protest if they wanted to. The media added that the demonstrations were protests against Bahrain’s political system and it also seemed to say that Bahrain faced some problems in its relations with the US.
In fact, the reason for the recurrence of the demonstrations was that the Bahrain government, unlike the government of its Qatari neighbor, gave the people freedom to express themselves. The demonstration did not suggest that Bahrainis were more hostile to the US than other Arabs.
The unofficial squabbles between the Bahrainis and their rivals are reminiscent of the dispute between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Soviet media was accustomed to play up any demonstration in front of the White House as a sign of political instability in the US. They never bothered to comment that protest demonstrations were very common in democracies. The absence of demonstrations in Communist countries certainly did not mean that there was no instability there. The Bahraini authorities need not worry about distortions in the media of rival countries. Some of those countries have been waiting for an opportunity to settle old scores.
However, Bahrainis should not go beyond reasonable limits in the exercise of their freedom. They should learn to be patient. The people express their views and sentiments and organize public demonstrations and the media expresses its concern only because the government has given them the freedom to indulge in such democratic practices.
I recently asked a Bahraini about the transition to new regulations in his country; these regulations allowed the organization of an opposition, criticism of the government and anti-American demonstrations. His reply pointed out some stark political realities which deserve to be considered.
He said that, unlike Qatar or the Emirates, which have the economic strength to accommodate each citizen economically, Bahrain is a poor country. It has no choice but to want majority backing for the government’s policies so that economic problems can be solved with popular support. My friend is not worried about the emergence of opposition groups. I believe what he said was correct even if the opposition exceeds the limits and resorts to throwing stones at foreign embassies. Such behavior is a test for the government in its democratic experiment.
Similar tests are being carried out in Kuwait — though economically the country does not need a change in its political system. Despite the widely heard sound and fury of the protests in Kuwait, the opposition never goes beyond a reasonable limit. The criticism rages only in the Parliament and in the media.
