Press TV has interviewed political editor from independent pan-Arab daily al-Quds al-Arabi Khalid El Shami on the Saudi Arabia's role in the Bahraini uprising. The following is a rush transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Let's look at the situation and its deterioration [in Bahrain]. Demonstrations are being held and will be held in support of Bahrainis, not only in Bahrain but also through the rest of the region, like in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq and Kuwait. Let's look at the rippling effects on the area.
El Shami: I think what is happening is quite serious. The Saudi intervention, particularly in Bahrain, is a very serious and irresponsible decision as it is in the using of civil war in Bahrain [which is] actually risking an explosion or sectarian violence in the [Persian] Gulf region which is very sensitive and vital not only to the stability of the Middle East but eventually to the whole world.
Press TV: Why you said sectarian violence? You said that the situation is risking a sectarian violence. Can you expand on that?
El Shami: Well obviously, the Saudi intervention in Bahrain is trying to pre-empt the growing uprising in the eastern territories of the Saudi Kingdom. As you know the Saudis are very concerned to be exposed to the same waves of change that has already transformed and changed the Middle East. The Saudi intervention is seen as a sectarian intervention to stop the majority of people in Bahrain, who are Shiite, from taking power. So that is very shameful and it is already backfiring not only in Saudi Arabia but on the whole region. It is going to complicate the relations with Iran and Lebanon. Even Egypt condemned yesterday what the Saudis had done. The new Egyptian Foreign Minister [Nabil El Arabi] said that Egypt supported the right of the people to seek freedom as long as they are peacefully protesting. This is what has been happening in Bahrain.
Americans have also condemned the intervention today. Of course the level of the condemnation or the reaction is very different from the US reaction to what is happening in Libya for example. There is a very clear double standard by the US. The US that is telling to be the leader of the free world, is closing one eye on what is happening in Bahrain. What is happening in Bahrain is crime against humanity. No matter what was the reason, this is a peaceful civil society that is seeking freedom. We have not seen any arms with the demonstrators in Bahrain and the Saudi army is killing these people, so I believe this is crime against humanity.
Press TV: More and more protests are taking place inside Saudi Arabia. How much of what is happening in Bahrain is going to have effect on Saudi Arabia itself from your perspective?
El Shami: I think it will have a significant impact on Saudi Arabia. As I said Saudi Arabia sees Bahrain as a front defense line of their own stability. So they wanted to fight the battle in Bahrain, so it will not come to their own territories. As I said this is going to backfire on them. Now we are witnessing an increase again in the sectarian violence. People like Moqtada al-Sadr and Ayatollah Sistani in Iraq are calling for protests against the Saudis. I think Saudis have not learned the lessons. The security has never resolved the problem in Egypt, Tunisia or anywhere else. Security is not the answer to this. The answer is a constitutional monarchy, democracy and human rights for everybody no matter what ideological background that they have and it is very unfortunate that the Arab world and the west is taking such a position on the Saudis.
I want everybody to imagine what would happen if the Saudis send forces or arms to Gaddafi to kill even more of his own people. This is what they have done in Bahrain but in London the British Foreign Minister, David Cameron, called the Bahraini King today, inviting him to have a dialogue with the opposition, while people are being killed on the streets. I think what Bahrainis are expecting is a much stronger opposition from not only the Arab or the Muslim world but the whole world, because this is crime against humanity. As an Egyptian journalist, I am very sad to observe that even the Arab media is operating in such a double standard way in covering Bahrain, compared to their coverage of uprisings in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt.
Press TV: You just brought up a point about the Arab media's double standards. Why do you think that is the case?
El Shami: Unfortunately, we have to switch to CNN or BBC to really see what is happening in Bahrain. In my opinion, some major satellite Arab channels for one reason or another are not providing an adequate coverage of what is happening [in Bahrain]. Of course the Saudi factor is the reason the Arab media, either owned by the Saudis or they have a very special relation with them, [are not covering the events]. I think it is very unprofessional that we do not have coverage. At least we do not know how many people are killed in Bahrain today.
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