h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just checking out you profile..discussions.

Wondering what the political climate is like in Bahrain in terms of religion and preaching. Is there a lot of recruitment/ activity/ anti-US feeling, are people campaigning for a democratic system or is there a royal family that people just have to like or lump?

Is the state afraid of its people or vice versa there?

There is a royal family but they do have elections for something like local MPs. It's much freer than say Saudi. The royals are all Sunni, but the majority of Bahrainis are Shia with strong historical connections to Iran which is just over the other side of the Persian Gulf. There has been civil unrest in the past over this (religion sectarianism rearing its ugly head again), but it's much more subdued now than say 10 or 20 years ago when it was quite common to see sectarian graffiti on walls in the villages and businesses and offices were torched and the ocassional policeman (the force of which includes a lot of non Bahrainis eg Pakistanis) were targetted and killed. It has been much more peaceful though in the last 5 years or so.