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        <title>Islam Times - Most Popular Bahrain :: Full Edition</title>
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            <title>Islam Times - Most Popular Bahrain :: Full Edition</title>
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            <description><![CDATA[Produced by: Islam Times]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:50:40 GMT</pubDate>
        <category>Bahrain</category>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
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            <title>The Campaign Against Bahrain’s Shi'a Is an Extension of the Project to Politically Reshape the Region</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/interview/1297108/the-campaign-against-bahrain-s-shi-a-is-an-extension-of-the-project-to-politically-reshape-region</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In an interview with Islam Times, Al-Fayez stated that the campaign against the Shi&#39;a in Bahrain cannot be separated from its long historical context. Referring to the deep-rooted origins of this trajectory, he noted that its various dimensions became more visible in the mid-2000s, particularly following the disclosure of the Bandar Report, which sparked widespread controversy over the nature of the government&#39;s management of the country&#39;s internal balance of power and its mechanisms for dealing with political and social forces.
The Bahraini analyst believes that this period marked a turning point in the management of domestic affairs. It was during this time, he said, that the gradual engineering of relations between the state and society began through political, security, and administrative instruments. The objective of this process was to control the public sphere and redefine the rules of political participation in line with the government&#39;s vision, rather than on the basis of equal national partnership.
He added that these policies were not confined merely to reorganizing the political arena; they also extended into the country&#39;s social, religious, and cultural structures. According to him, this approach narrowed the space for pluralism within Bahraini society and significantly reduced the ability of various political and religious groups to express their views freely and participate effectively in public life.
Al-Fayez noted that the developments following 2011 represented a far more severe phase of this trajectory. During this period, Bahrain witnessed a marked escalation in security and judicial measures, alongside the increasing use of instruments such as citizenship revocation, politically motivated prosecutions, and the widespread detention of religious and social figures. These measures were accompanied by growing restrictions on the public sphere.
According to him, such measures can no longer be regarded as exceptional or temporary. Rather, they have become an integral part of the country&#39;s political governance structure. He argued that the purpose of this framework is to redesign the public sphere and establish a form of political and social deterrence that ultimately reduces public participation and suppresses dissenting and critical voices.
In his analysis, Al-Fayez stressed that the developments in Bahrain cannot be understood in isolation from the broader regional transformations. The Middle East is currently undergoing major political changes involving the realignment of regional and international alliances, as well as shifts in the priorities of major powers&mdash;developments whose impact is clearly reflected in the domestic policies of a number of countries, including Bahrain. He emphasized that these transformations have created a more restrictive political environment for opposition groups while increasing sensitivities surrounding issues related to identity and political and religious affiliations. This, in turn, has resulted in stricter domestic measures and heightened levels of surveillance and repression in certain areas.
The Bahraini political activist further argued that what is unfolding today has gone beyond traditional security measures and has evolved into an attempt to influence the political and intellectual structure of the individual. According to him, the authorities seek to reshape public consciousness by diverting citizens&#39; attention away from major political issues and preoccupying them with everyday economic concerns, thereby gradually eroding their capacity for political and social engagement.
He also noted that these policies are accompanied by a particular political and media discourse. The purpose of this discourse, he explained, is to redefine the concepts of national belonging and political loyalty in such a way that they become exclusively associated with unquestioning obedience to the ruling authority, leaving no room for political participation, pluralism, or legitimate differences of political opinion.
Al-Fayez considers regional dynamics to be fundamental to understanding the current developments. He does not view Bahrain as an isolated case but rather as part of a broader regional landscape shaped by major rivalries and alliances, including tensions among regional and global powers and the evolving relations of certain Arab states with the United States and the Israeli regime. He added that these transformations have led to a recalibration of political priorities, prompting some governments to strengthen their domestic control mechanisms rather than pursue political opening. According to him, this process forms part of what he describes as the &quot;reconfiguration of domestic affairs&quot; in line with external geopolitical developments.
In this context, Al-Fayez emphasized that the objective of these measures extends beyond merely suppressing direct political activism; rather, it has evolved into what he describes as a project to &quot;create a new human being.&quot; According to him, this project seeks to redesign individuals&#39; consciousness and their cultural, religious, and political identities in order to produce a society that is less inclined to protest or resist and is fully absorbed into the imposed structure of stability. He believes that this project is closely intertwined with broader regional developments, including regional conflicts, the redrawing of spheres of influence, and shifts in the balance of power. Consequently, Bahrain should be understood as part of a political landscape that extends far beyond its own geographical borders.
In conclusion, Al-Fayez argued that the continuation of this approach will not only fail to resolve the country&#39;s domestic challenges but may also intensify its political and social crises. He called for a serious reassessment of the current policies and for creating the conditions necessary to achieve comprehensive political solutions&mdash;solutions capable of restoring balance to the relationship between the state and society and laying the foundation for a new phase based on participation rather than exclusion, and partnership rather than domination. Only through such an approach, he concluded, can a deeper and more sustainable stability be secured for the country.
&nbsp;]]></description>
            <category>Bahrain</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:36:21 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Bahrain Is Facing a Deepening Political Deadlock; An Intensified Security Approach Is Worsening Rather Than Resolving the Crisis</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/interview/1297107/bahrain-is-facing-a-deepening-political-deadlock-an-intensified-security-approach-worsening-rather-than-resolving-the-crisis</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In an interview with Islam Times, Mushaima stated that the current period is, in fact, a continuation of the accumulated political developments of previous years. However, he noted that this trend has become far more pronounced in recent years through the expansion of security control mechanisms, the shrinking of political and civic space, and the restructuring of the public sphere. According to him, these measures have progressively weakened citizens&#39; ability to express their views and participate in public life while severely restricting the presence of political and social activists in the public arena.
The Bahraini political activist added that the most defining feature of Bahrain&#39;s current political landscape is the transformation of security agencies, judicial institutions, and administrative mechanisms into the primary instruments for managing political disagreements, whereas politics should naturally provide an inclusive framework for addressing such differences. He noted that this shift has weakened political pluralism, undermined the natural environment for social interaction, and created an increasingly closed and restrictive public sphere.
He further recalled that in recent years, the use of measures such as arrests, repeated summonses, and, in some cases, the revocation of citizenship has expanded significantly. In addition, numerous restrictions have been imposed on public, religious, and social activities. Mushaima believes that such practices are no longer exceptional or limited to isolated cases but have evolved into a comprehensive pattern in the state&#39;s management of domestic affairs.
According to him, this governing model has redefined the relationship between the state and society. In this process, an open political environment has gradually given way to an extensive system of security and administrative controls. These changes have not only undermined public trust but have also eroded opportunities for political dialogue and significantly reduced society&#39;s ability to articulate its demands through legal and organized channels.
Mushaima stressed that one of the country&#39;s greatest current challenges is the securitization of political disagreements. In other words, critical opinions and dissenting positions are addressed solely within the narrow framework of security and judicial measures, despite the fact that such issues require political solutions and a comprehensive national dialogue. He argued that the continuation of this approach does not resolve existing problems but merely leads to the accumulation of further crises.
The Bahraini analyst added that the current trend extends beyond restricting direct political activism and encompasses broader spheres, including religious, social, and cultural life. The scope of these restrictions has now expanded to include religious activities, public discourse, and social initiatives. He described this situation as a form of &quot;re-engineering the public sphere,&quot; aimed at reducing the dynamism of society and directing it into highly controlled frameworks.
He further noted that, in the absence of a secure political environment that allows for participation and the free expression of opinions, these policies have generated widespread social concern among large segments of the population. According to him, this has had a direct negative impact on overall stability while increasing underlying social tensions.
Mushaima also warned that the continuation of this trend is steadily weakening the position of civil society institutions. As a result, intermediary institutions are losing their ability to perform their natural role in easing tensions and serving as a bridge between the state and the public, thereby creating a significant political vacuum that will only deepen over time.
In his broader assessment of the country&#39;s political situation, the Bahraini activist emphasized that Bahrain is now facing a progressively worsening political deadlock, as the space available for achieving political solutions continues to shrink in favor of security- and administrative-based approaches. He argued that this strategy amounts to little more than concealing the underlying problem and postponing the crisis, ultimately reproducing it in more complex forms. He added that in the absence of a transparent and inclusive political process that enables the participation of all segments of society and recognizes the country&#39;s social diversity, any apparent stability will remain highly fragile and unsustainable, because the root causes of the crisis remain fundamentally unaddressed.
He stated unequivocally that no government can effectively govern a pluralistic society by relying solely on security instruments. Such an approach, he argued, will ultimately erode internal cohesion, destroy mutual trust between the state and the people, and continuously exacerbate political and social tensions over the long term.
In another part of his remarks, Mushaima referred to the regional situation, noting that the Middle East is currently passing through an exceptionally sensitive period in which political and security issues have become deeply intertwined. Nevertheless, he emphasized that these volatile regional circumstances should not be used as a pretext for restricting freedoms or closing the public sphere. On the contrary, they should serve as an incentive to strengthen domestic stability through the expansion of political participation.
He further stressed that linking domestic issues to regional tensions does nothing to address the root causes of the country&#39;s crisis and may instead provide a justification for intensifying repression. By contrast, he argued, the fundamental and principled solution lies in establishing an open political structure&mdash;one that is capable of accommodating and integrating the diversity that exists within society.
Concluding his interview with Islam Times, Mushaima warned that persisting with the current policies would only further complicate the country&#39;s political and social challenges. He emphasized that unless genuine and meaningful political reforms are implemented, the country&#39;s crises will continue to reproduce themselves in a vicious cycle.
He further noted that genuine and lasting stability can never emerge from policies of exclusion, repression, or restrictions on the public sphere. Achieving such stability requires the formulation of a new political covenant founded upon national partnership, the expansion of civil liberties, and the restoration of meaningful political participation, serving as the principal guarantee of the country&#39;s long-term stability.
The Bahraini activist concluded by stressing that Bahrain is in urgent need of a comprehensive and fundamental reassessment of the way its political sphere is managed. He called for a serious transition from a policy of &quot;crisis management&quot; to one of &quot;crisis resolution,&quot; and from a &quot;security-centered approach&quot; to a &quot;political approach,&quot; so as to ensure a more balanced and sustainable future for the country and for all segments of its society.
&nbsp;]]></description>
            <category>Bahrain</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:34:49 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Bahrain Senior Cleric Warns of US-Israel Plot against Muslims</title>
            <link>https://www.islamtimes.com/en/news/1297084/bahrain-senior-cleric-warns-of-us-israel-plot-against-muslims</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassem, the spiritual leader of Bahrain&#39;s Shiite community, said it is no secret to official regimes across the Arab and Islamic world that the United States and the Zionist regime are pursuing malicious agendas and conspiratorial plans designed to undermine the Muslim Ummah.

He said Washington and Tel Aviv are promoting a &quot;poisonous culture of division&quot; through their media outlets with the aim of shattering the unity of the Islamic nation.

The senior cleric added that the strategy seeks to deepen rifts among governments at both the regional and national levels, with a particular focus on religious and sectarian differences to create the most severe forms of discord and perpetuate destructive conflicts.

He further said enormous financial resources have been allocated to implement these plans, whose objective is to fuel devastating conflicts that drain the resources of Arab and Muslim countries and ultimately destroy their shared existence.

Sheikh Isa Qassem also said that despite widespread awareness of an aggressive conspiracy targeting both Arabs and non-Arabs across the Arab and Islamic world, a considerable number of countries within the scope of these plans have rushed&mdash;either openly or through tacit coordination and secrecy&mdash;to participate in fomenting internal conflicts and civil wars under the guise of sectarian and religious differences.]]></description>
            <category>Bahrain</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 03:56:54 GMT</pubDate>
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