Sunnis in Bahrain Threatened With Iraq-Style Chaos if Shiite Majority Elected

[ECH1969]

MUHARRAQ, Bahrain (AP)— About 1,500 people chanting for the prime minister's resignation marched through this capital city Friday, accusing the government of working to rig the weekend elections against Bahrain's Shiite majority.

A huge turnout is expected when polls open Saturday after a campaign that has been fierce and dirty, with rally tents vandalized, allegations of secret government funding for favored candidates and torrents of text messages flooding mobile phones. Anonymous messages warn Sunni Muslims to back pro-government candidates against the Shiite Muslim-led opposition or face Iraq-style chaos.

"Wake up Sunnis!" reads one broadly distributed message. "Don't be naive or your fate will be like the Iraqi Sunnis who lost their rights and their lives."

The landmark election in this U.S.-allied Gulf nation will be closely watched by neighboring Arab monarchies, concerned about rising Shiite influence. It is the first time since the constitution was restored in 2001 that the opposition is giving the pro-government candidates a run for their money. The main opposition party boycotted the 2002 elections.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,231731,00.html

[JerseygirlCT]

1. Since the Shia on Bahrain are the poor, by and large, and have

most definitely been looked down on by the Sunni minority (which includes the rulers), I don't doubt that the minority is now scared witless about the retribution likely to be coming their way.

I wonder if it is, though. That I don't know, at all.

[ECH1969]

2. Democracy in the Middle East = presecription for war?

One group who persecuted the other loses power and the persecuted leds for the first time which results in war just as we see in Iraq.

[JerseygirlCT]

3. You know, I just don't know

We would have thought the same was absolutely necessary in S. Africa, too, but reconciliation worked.

I don't know if the religious leaders of the Bahraini Shia are willing to go there, though, and lead their people.

Economic justice would be a start, though. At least as far as memory serves, there was a big, big gap between the haves and have-nots. Tremendous wealth, mansions and Mercedes for all the kids, vs. people living in cardboard shacks.

I wonder -- does democracy need to evolve in a culture? We all know it can't be forced on people (see Iraq). But will it simply take time and an incremental approach?

Wish I knew!