Shia in Bahrain

Bahrain’s longstanding historical ties with Persia significantly shaped the island’s Shia community, as Persian influence extended from the Achaemenid era into the Safavid period (1501–1722). During these centuries, Bahrain became an active center of Twelver scholarship, where Shia theologians produced influential works in fields such as jurisprudence, theology, and philosophy.Wright, Steven (2017). "Iran’s Relations with Bahrain," in Gawdat Bahgat, Anoushiravan Ehteshami & Neil Quilliam (eds.), Security and Bilateral Issues between Iran and its Arab Neighbours. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-43289-2_4 The 1717 Omani invasion forced many prominent Shia ulama, including Yusuf bin Ahmed Al Bahrani, to flee, leading to the spread of Bahraini Shia networks abroad. Although the Al Khalifa dynasty assumed control of the island in 1783, Iranian claims persisted into the twentieth century, raising tensions both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The revolution itself had an “electrifying effect on the politics of Bahrain,” fueling domestic pressures among Shia communities who pushed for deeper political and economic reforms.

The Sunni Al Khalifa family arrived in Bahrain from Najd in 1783. The Shia people of Bahrain celebrated the victory of the Iranian Revolution and formed gatherings to support it. In 1979, Shias were 55%{{Cite book |last=Joyce |first=Miriam |title=Bahrain from the Twentieth Century to the Arab Spring |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-137-03178-5 |location=New York, NY |pages=91 |chapter=5: After the Shah’s Departure |quote=Reviewing events in Bahrain during 1979, Ambassador Walker wrote that fortunately the Shia community, approximately 55 percent of the population of 340,000 Bahrainis, was divided...}} and they wanted to participate in determining their own destiny through protests against the Al Khalifa government.

{{cite web|author=Staff Writer|title=The formation of several movements in Bahrain|url=http://www.farsnews.com/printable.php?nn=13910231000950|website=farsnews}} Al Wefaq, as part of the Shia society in Bahrain, follows two goals: opposition to the current government in Bahrain and change the structure of society to based on rule of the people. Established in 2001, it was founded by more than 100 Shia scholars such as Ali Salman, Saeid Shahabi, Abdul Amir al-Jamri and Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim, leader of Al Wefaq.

{{main|February 14 Youth Coalition}}

A 2011 estimate suggested that Shia Muslims comprised around 60% of the Muslim population in Bahrain.{{Cite web |title=Bahraini Shi'ites protest against settling Sunnis |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-protests-idUSTRE7284W320110309/ |access-date=2024-02-19}} According to behavior of Al-Khalifa's government, Shia activists prompted on February 14, 2011. They named that day as the Day of Rage and asked the people to protest against al-Khalifa's behavior at that day. The Al-Khalifa came into contact with the protesters and from that day widespread wave of Al-Khalifa's actions against Shias has been performed, including the detention of women and men and children and their torture, the destruction of Shia mosques and cemeteries.{{cite news | author=Toby C. Jones and Ala'a Shehabi | title = Bahrain's revolutionaries | date=January 2, 2012 | publisher=Foreign Policy | url = http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/01/02/bahrains_revolutionaries | access-date=January 3, 2012}}

Shias are estimated to be around 45%, though faced persecution from the ruling Sunni royal family, the Al Khalifa.{{cite news |last1=Lulu |first1=Tahiyya |date=3 March 2011 |title=The real story of Bahrain's divided society |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/03/bahrain-sunnis-shia-divided-society |website=The Guardian}}{{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Thomas A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tu5m8_0iUSoC&dq=shia+population+in+Bahrain&pg=PA194 |title=Power, National Security, and Transformational Global Events: Challenges |date=2012 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1439884225 |page=194}}

File:Sunni-Shia unity was a major theme, the majority of the protesters were Shia, but there was a Sunni presence. - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg

There are various sects in Bahrain, such as Bahrani, Arab, Howala, Ajmi, Asians. On the other hand, dominant political and official system in Bahrain are governed by Sunni people.

According to the reports of The Guardian, when Āl Khalīfah family have begun to govern Bahrain, Shiites who have pieces of land, were changed to peasants. Now, High-ranking official positions belong to Sunnis and only few positions are ruled by Shiites. It is necessary to mention that in Bahrain Sunni is not synonymous with rich, nor Shia with poor, but on the whole the Shia majority faces worse economic circumstances.

Some of Bahrain's Shia scholars are listed as following:{{cite web|last1=Bandarchi|first1=Mohammadreza|title=shia in Bahrain|url=http://pajoohe.ir/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88-%D8%AA%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%B9-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%86__a-46748.aspx|website=pajoohe}}

Maitham Al Bahrani, Kamal al-Deen Maitham bin Ali bin Maitham al-Bahrani, commonly known as Sheikh Maitham Al Bahrani was a leading 13th Century Twelver Eastern Arabian theologian, author, and philosopher. Al Bahrani wrote on Twelver doctrine, affirmed free will, the infallibility of prophets and imams, the appointed imamate of `Ali, and the occultation of the Twelfth Imam.Juan Cole, Sacred Space and Holy War, IB Tauris, 2007 p33 Yusuf al-Bahrani Yusuf ibn Ahmed al-Bahrani (1695–1772) (Arabic: يوسف البحراني) was a Bahraini theologian and a dominant person in the intellectual development of Twelver Shia Islam.{{cite web|author=Staff Writer|title=The Autobiography of Yūsuf al-Baḥrānī|url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft2c6004x0&chunk.id=d0e7560&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e7560&brand=ucpress&query=Bahrain#|website=University of California Press}} Isa Qassim Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim (Arabic: آية الله الشيخ عيسى أحمد قاسم) is Bahrain's leading Shia cleric and a politician. He is the spiritual leader of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest opposition society. He was the leader and the founders of Islamic Enlightenment institution.{{cite web|author=Staff Writer|title=Bahrain strips Sheikh Isa Qassim of nationality|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/bahrain-strips-religious-leader-nationality-160620122338238.html|access-date=21 Jun 2016}}

• Ajam of Bahrain
• Baharna
• Beit Al Qur'an
• Muharram in Bahrain
• Rashid Al Marikhi

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{{Demographics of Bahrain}}

{{Asia topic|Shia Islam in}}

Category:Shia Islam by country