One of Bahrain’s most outspoken Islamist MPs is Sheikh Mohammed Khalid, the Al-Menbar Islamic Society representative from the Northern Governorate. A Sunni Islamist whose party is the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood (Al Eslah Society), Mr Khalid has been a constant critic of government, business leaders and liberals, and the effectiveness of his political campaigns says much about the political process in Bahrain today.
Mr Khalid has used his parliamentary privilege to question government ministers to the full. In the knowledge that a two thirds majority of MPs is enough to remove a minister, Mr Khalid has used the combined Sunni-Shia Islamist majority in the lower house to force the government on to the defensive on issues such as cultural festivals, the sale of alcohol, and foreign policy.
Two notable successes helped set new cultural boundaries in the traditionally liberal state. In October 2003, when they heard that Lebanese singer, Nancy Ajram, was to perform in Bahrain, Mr Khalid along with other Islamists in parliament put forward an emergency motion to ban her concert on the grounds of ‘immorality’. The motion was rejected by parliament, but in the aftermath of the parliamentary outcry youths went on the rampage outside the concert beating up Ajram’s fans and burning cars. While opponents of the concert did not have the parliamentary majority to ban the singer, they showed they could use their parliamentary platform to mobilise the street. Several months later, Mr Khalid was involved in another incident that helped establish cultural boundaries when he led Islamist protests against the Arab version of the reality TV show, Big Brother. Although the producers, MBC, prior to filming had made adjustments to the format after consultations with clerics, Mr Khalid condemned the ‘immorality’ of the programme at a large demonstration of Sunni Islamists outside the Big Brother House. Police reinforcements had to be called after the demonstrators threatened to storm the set, and the production ended after technicians were followed home and given death threats.
Following these successes, Mr Khalid has been outspoken on several other issues: he described rebel fighters facing assault by US troops in Falluja in Iraq as ‘heroes’, which annoyed Shia MPs and embarrassed Bahrain’s government which has good relations with Washington. He derided the annual Spring of Culture arts festival jointly sponsored by Batelco and the Culture and National Heritage Department, in 2006 as the ‘Spring of Sakhafa’ (Silliness) [1], and in 2007 as the 'Spring of Sex'[2]; in 2004 he described young people competing in the Arab version of Star Academy as ‘scum’[3] and alleged that Satanists in Bahrain are organizing rock concerts as cover for devil worship[4].
Mr Khalid has dismissed criticism that his campaign to ban alcohol will damage business, telling parliament: "If this issue will cause trouble, then it makes me proud, because this means that I am pleasing God." His first target is duty free alcohol sales at Bahrain International Airport, saying "This is an Islamic country and imagine the nation's frontier is booze shops. Prostitution is a profitable investment, so why is it banned in the country? Why don't allow it in the open like alcohol? Alcohol should be criminalised as prostitution, because both are unacceptable Islamically, morally and socially." He has vowed "We will not stop until alcohol disappears from the country and any place where alcohol is sold will be targeted by MPs until they close down, if not today in the future."[5] Bahrain International Airport has gained the ire of Bahrain's Islamists on several occasions, with an Asalah MP seeking to have it moved from Muharraq because of complaints from constituents about 'noise pollution'.
Mr Khalid has been at the forefront of efforts to free Bahrain's three remaining Guantanamo Bay detainees and has been critical of anti-terrorism legislation passed by parliament in 2005, asking: "What is an anti-terror law supposed to achieve? There is no terrorism in Bahrain. We don't need a law. The United States is the center of terrorism on this earth. The American president should be indicted."[6]
During a parliamentary session to debate the budget on 1 July 2006, Mr Khalid was punched in the face by another MP Jassim Malawi after MPs exchanged a barrage of expletives[7].
Mr Khalid has vowed to constituents to continue to campaign on these issues, promising that if he ever were to go back on his word he would offer his bisht for ceremonial burning.
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