(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Separation of Bahrain in 1971 brings the question to the fore that what international legal bases allowed British colonial power to separate Bahrain from motherland Iran.
According to official map registered by UN headquarters, Bahrain was an integral part of mainland Iran. At that time unfortunately, Iran’s weak and failed monarch distanced from the public and accepted Bahrain’s independence and separation to save his crown, making a large scar on hearts of Iranians forever.
At that time in 1970, British government arranged the scene in order to separate Bahrain, then 14th province of Iran. The colonialist Britain, disturbed by the spread of Shiism in southern coasts of the Persian Gulf, devised the great conspiracy of separation of Bahrain from its motherland, Iran. Then, the British government installed Bedouins and desert-dwellers from Al Khalifa tribe on Bahrain as governors, with the aid from Saudi influence.
A 15-per cent minority, later to form Al Khalifa regime, immigrated Bahrain to change its demographic features, and to bring about gradual decrease in Bahrain’s original settlers.
The original settlers were not allowed to properly give their voices to the referendum held illegally by the British government.
The majority of those participants in the referendum received money from the Britain and came from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
U Thant, then the UN Secretary General, voiced his objection to the British excessive intervention in Bahrain internal affairs, but he was intimidated by UK and US.
The corrupt monarch, Pahlavi, was not so competent and by 1971, Bahrain was independent and separated from the motherland Iran.
After the fall and escape of Shah, and the success of the Islamic Revolution of 1979, it was expected that Islamic new state incite the international attention and condemn Bahrain’s illegal separation according to international legal system. Since Islamic Republic had taken a policy of détente, the Bahraini issue was overshadowed by Iraqi imposed war on Iran.
Al Khalifa rulers, disregarding the historical facts and its tiny size against the mainland Iran, mounted accusations far greater than their political weight on Iran with western support.
Bahraini rulers supported Saddam Hussein during the Iraqi war against Iran with lavish donations to Baghdad. However, Islamic Republic authorities winked at the Bahraini support of Iraq. This emboldened Bahrain rulers and, subsequently, they misconstrued the Iranian self-restraint as Iranian political and military weakness. Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahraini Foreign Minister has recently insulted Iranian people with a discourse governing the Al Khalifa regime officials, and far from diplomatic norms and conventions.
This type of rhetoric not only violates the sense of good neighborhood, but also intensifies the conflicts, where the real loser being Al Khalifa rulers.
The distorted image of the Iranian and international political atmosphere in the eyes of the Bahraini rulers, however has made them brazen to the Iranian nation, the political and demographic situations in the island are too shakier than its rulers may perceive.
So far, Iran has avoided any intervention intended to damage the Bahraini political scene by its hidden and evident capabilities, but if Al Khalifa family hate speech continues, Iran’s behavior would not be the same.
Iranian people have proved their peace-loving nature and its commitment to ethics, either moral or religious; but if the threshold is violated, then Saddam’s fate will happen to Al Khalifa family.
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