Refugee footballer makes triumphant return to Australia

Yahoo – AFP, Daniel DE CARTERET, 12 February 2019

Hakeem al-Araibi (C) was greeted by a throng of well wishers at Melbourne Airport
after an overnight flight to freedom

Refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi made a triumphant return to Australia Tuesday, ending a harrowing two months in Thai detention, as his supporters called for an investigation into why he was arrested in the first place.

"I want to thank Australia," said a smiling Araibi, ending an ordeal that saw him jailed during his honeymoon and threatened with extradition to his native Bahrain. "This is my country."

"I don't have citizenship yet, but my country is Australia. I will die in Australia and I love Australia," he said.

A throng of well-wishers decked in #SAVEHAKEEM T-shirts cheered and sang the football anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" as they greeted the 25-year-old defender at Melbourne Airport, after an overnight flight to freedom aboard Thai Airways flight 465.

Araibi was detained at a Bangkok airport on November 27 at the request of Bahraini authorities who accuse him of offences linked to the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Hakeem al-Araibi (R) was greeted by a crowd of supporters including former 

Australian football captain Craig Foster (C) who led a campaign for his release

His detention sparked worldwide outcry and a protracted diplomatic dispute between Bahrain, Thailand and Australia that raised questions about the neutrality of Interpol and the writ of Canberra's refugee protections.

Araibi had expressed fear that he would be tortured and killed if he returned to Bahrain and supporters allege his prosecution was politically motivated.

Former Australian football captain Craig Foster, who led a campaign in the sporting community for Araibi's freedom, expressed his "deepest gratitude" at his release.

But he also launched a broadside against politically linked officials who dominate sports governing bodies and who "played a role in bringing this about".

"We're not going to stop until we hold people accountable for what has occurred," he said. "We want to see an investigation in Interpol and the use of red notices."

Araibi has been a vocal critic of Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain's ruling family.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed Araibi's release, saying many Australians' prayers had been answered.

The footballer's detention sparked worldwide outcry and a protracted
diplomatic dispute between Bahrain, Thailand and Australia

"We know all Australians will deeply appreciate the decision, allowing him to return to his wife, family and friends."

Morrison thanked the Thai authorities, who had earlier left his written appeals for Araibi's return unanswered, but abruptly dropped extradition proceedings on Monday at Bahrain's request.

The case had also become a cause celebre in the football world, with stars like Didier Drogba calling for Araibi's release and FIFA urging the Thai football authorities to intervene.

The international football governing body on Monday thanked Thailand in a statement for "doing the right thing" and said it hoped the athlete "will be able to resume his footballing career soon".

'Cruel and inhumane'

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, said the case had brought the plight of others imprisoned in the country to light.

"Two moments captured the world's attention this month: the photo of footballer Hakeem al-Araibi shackled and barefoot, and the moment of Hakeem breaking the chains and reunited with his beloved wife, friends and the football community in Melbourne."

Thailand's treatment of refugees has been thrust under international scrutiny in recent weeks.

Hakeem al-Araibi was detained in Thailand on November 27 while on honeymoon

In January, an 18-year-old Saudi woman who ran away from her "abusive" family arrived at a Bangkok airport and -- armed with a smartphone and a captive Twitter audience -- managed to outmanoeuvre Thai authorities and gain refuge in Canada following her pleas for asylum.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha brushed aside questions about Araibi's detention, saying "everything was proceeded in an orderly way so please stop criticising -- there were many agencies involved in solving this case."

Bahrain's reversal of Araibi's extradition request is surprising.

Only last week the Gulf state issued a statement defending its decision to pursue the footballer after he fled while awaiting trial, and he was convicted in absentia in 2014 for damaging a police station.

A statement from Bahrain's foreign ministry on Monday said it "takes note of the halt in legal proceedings" though it did not confirm it had withdrawn its extradition request.

"The guilty verdict against Mr. Al Araibi remains in place.... (Bahrain) reaffirms its right to pursue all necessary legal actions against (Araibi)," the statement said.

The reversal came a day after Thailand's foreign minister met with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in Manama to "discuss... areas of interest", according to Bahrain's state-run news agency.

Football: Gulf crisis could hit Qatar 2022

Yahoo – AFP, David Harding, Jun 5, 2017

A picture taken on May 18, 2017, shows a general view of the Khalifa International
Stadium in Doha after it was refurbished ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World
Cup (AFP Photo/KARIM JAAFAR)

Doha (AFP) - The diplomatic crisis sweeping the Gulf could invigorate a campaign by critics of Qatar to strip Doha of the 2022 World Cup, experts said Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen were among those to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on the grounds that Doha supported extremist groups "that aim to destabilise the region".

One of the areas that could feel the impact is Qatar's hosting of the World Cup, football's biggest tournament, in five years' time.

"This is a massive escalation in pressure on Qatar," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Gulf analyst with the Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston. "I think it will really have an impact if it lasts any time."

Since being controversially chosen by FIFA in 2010 as the host, Qatar has maintained that it is a politically secure nation despite its location in a volatile region.

Doha has also emphasised that the tournament serves the entire Gulf, and not just the tiny gas-rich emirate.

Nasser Al-Khater, a senior figure with Qatar's World Cup organising body, recently claimed that up to 1.3 million fans would visit Doha in 2022, the majority from the Gulf and "mainly from Saudi Arabia".

But current events may challenge those notions, Ulrichsen said.

"One of its pitches (to secure the World Cup) was that Qatar is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East," he told AFP.

'Looking over their shoulder'

With that potentially called into question -- and the fact that there are other countries which could host the event at little notice -- organisers may be getting anxious, Ulrichsen said.

"Qatar will know that there are alternatives, so they will be looking over their shoulder," he said.

Suggestions have been made previously that the United States, one of the countries that lost the race for the 2022 competition to Qatar, could take over hosting duties if necessary.

The crisis that erupted on Monday came only a few weeks after US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia to cement ties with Riyadh and called for Muslim countries to unite against extremism.

In a brief statement sent to AFP, football's governing body FIFA said it was "in regular contact" with Qatar 2022 organisers and had "no further comments for the time being".

Simon Chadwick, professor of sports enterprise at Britain's Salford University, said the diplomatic crisis "raises an important issue of risk assessment and contingency planning" for the World Cup.

"The closer we get to 2022, the more Qatar becomes exposed. In terms of reputation and embarrassment, this is a big issue for Qatar," he said.

"As a country, Qatar likes to hedge, in regional terms it hedges and I think it's being forced by countries and organisations to stop that. I think there's an awful lot to be resolved in five years."

Sponsorship deal cancelled

Already the first sporting victim of the crisis has been claimed.

Saudi football club Al-Ahli said just hours after the cut in diplomatic ties that it would end its financial association with Qatar Airways, taking to Twitter to announce "the termination of the sponsorship contract between the club and Qatar Airways".

A three-year sponsorship deal, worth an estimated $16 million a season (14 million euros) with the Doha-based carrier was originally signed in October 2014 and renewed in May this year.

Another potential early victim could be this year's Gulf Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in December in Doha.

Qatar had stepped in as host when Kuwait was stopped from hosting following its ban from FIFA.

Among the nations set to take part include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who all cut diplomatic ties on Monday.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE also announced they were suspending flights to Qatar and banned their citizens from travelling to Doha.

Winning the right to host the 2022 World Cup was a major coup for Qatar, which has used its natural gas riches to promote its international profile. The country has said it is spending almost $500 million every week on major infrastructure projects related to the tournament.

Map of the Middle East showing countries which have severed diplomatic relations with Qatar pic.twitter.com/NVlrWuwqfJ

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 5, 2017

Thousands demonstrate in Bahrain to mark uprising anniversary

Deutsche Welle, 15 February 2014

Thousands of people have marched in Bahrain to mark the third anniversary of a pro-democracy uprising that was put down by authorities. The country remains in the grip of sectarian tensions.

Saturday's rally saw crowds of men, women and children taking to streets in and near the capital, Manama, to call for more democracy. The demonstration was called by the kingdom's main opposition movement, the Shiite al-Wefaq.

It was one of the largest protests staged since 2011, when pro-democracy demonstrations began on February 14, inspired by Arab Spring uprisings elsewhere.

Some media reports say clashes between protesters and police broke out after the demonstrators had marched several kilometers (miles), with police firing tear gas into the crowd.

The protesters called for democracy, political reform and the release of political prisoners.

Sectarian conflict

The protest highlights sectarian tensions that continue to beset the Gulf-island nation since the 2011 uprising, with the country's majority Shiites demanding greater political rights from the Sunni-led monarchy. Activists and police have clashed frequently in recent times, and anti-government factions have increasingly been using small-scale bombs to attack government forces.

The demonstration on Saturday came as the Interior Ministry announced that one of two police officers hurt in a bombing on Friday had died of his injuries. In a statement, it described the explosion in the village of Dair, near the country's main airport, as a "terrorist blast."

Twenty-six people were reportedly arrested in unrest on Friday, the exact anniversary of the start of the 2011 protests.

Uprising put down in 2011

Bahrain put down the uprising in 2011 with the help of neighboring Sunni-ruled gulf countries with smaller Shiite populations, led by Saudi Arabia.

More than 65 people died in the unrest, with rights groups putting the death toll higher.

The ruling family has launched a third round of dialogue with its opponents, but so far talks have failed to produce political agreement.

tj/ipj (Reuters, AP)

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Bahrain ready for Gulf union, says king

Google – AFP, 16 Decmber 2013

The King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa attends a summit at the Bayan

Royal Palace in Kuwait City on December 10, 2013 (AFP/File, Yasser Al-Zayyat)

Manama — Bahrain's king said Monday he is strongly in favour of a Saudi proposal to upgrade the Gulf Cooperation Council into a union.

"Bahrain is ready from this day for the declaration of the union, to assert our firm will and our solid determination," King Hamad said in an address on the occasion of the kingdom's national day.

"We look forward to the call for a special Summit in Riyadh to announce the establishment of this union," he added.

The six conservative Arab members of the GCC -- which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman -- sit on 40 percent of the world's oil and a quarter of its natural gas.

The proposal to upgrade the bloc from a coordination council to a union was put forward by Saudi King Abdullah in 2011.

Bahrain's Sunni monarchy, which at the time was grappling with Arab Spring-inspired protests by its Shiite majority, strongly supported the proposal.

But other Gulf states have shown less enthusiasm, with Oman threatening last week to quit the loose alliance if the union proposal is pursued.

Divisions have surfaced within the bloc -- established in 1981 to put up a united front against Iran -- just as Tehran has managed to break its isolation, reaching a preliminary deal with world powers on its controversial nuclear programme.

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With US ties frayed, Saudi calls for Gulf union

With US ties frayed, Saudi calls for Gulf union

Google – AFP, Acil Tabbara (AFP), 9 December 2013

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) speaks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince

 Saud al-Faisal during a joint press conference on November 4, 2013 in Riyadh (AFP/

File, Fayez Nureldine)

Manama — With its decades-old US alliance strained over the Syria war and a nuclear deal with Iran, Saudi Arabia is calling on the Gulf monarchies to unite for their own self-defence.

US Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel has assured Gulf states that the agreement struck between major powers and Iran on November 24 will not affect the presence of some 35,000 US troops in the region.

But in a speech at the Manama Dialogue security forum in Bahrain, Saudi Assistant Foreign Minister Nizar Madani said "Gulf countries should no longer depend on others to ensure their safety."

The oil-rich monarchies "must unite under one political entity in order to face internal and external challenges," said the minister.

Riyadh has called for an enhanced union with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council states Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which together account for 40 percent of the world's oil reserves and a quarter of its natural gas.

Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief

Prince Turki Al Faisal attends the 9th IISS

regional security summit in the Bahraini

capital Manama on December 8, 2013 

(AFP/File, Mohammed al-Shaikh)

"All countries have realised that blind dependence on a foreign power is no longer acceptable. GCC countries must decide their own futures," said Madani.

Saudi Arabia, long wary of Tehran's regional ambitions, has reacted cautiously to the nuclear deal reached in Geneva, saying it could mark the first step towards a comprehensive solution for Iran's nuclear programme "if there are good intentions."

The interim deal would curb Iran's controversial nuclear activities in exchange for some sanctions relief, and is aimed at buying time for negotiating a comprehensive accord.

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal suggested that the GCC states join the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany.

Western nations have long suspected Iran of covertly pursuing nuclear weapons alongside its uranium enrichment programme -- charges denied by Tehran -- and the United States has not ruled out military action to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Faisal stressed that the Sunni-dominated monarchies would immediately be affected by any regional military conflict or radiation leak, while accusing Shiite Iran of duplicity in its relations with its Arab neighbours.

"Iran addresses us with broad smiles, while at the same time their man in Lebanon accuses Saudi Arabia," Faisal said in reference to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who blamed the kingdom for a twin suicide attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut last month, which killed 25 people.

Iran is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, and the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiite militias are battling alongside his forces against the Sunni-led rebels, who are supported by Riyadh.

US accused of failing Syria rebels

Saudi Arabia has accused the United States of turning a blind eye to the bloodshed in Syria, which has killed an estimated 126,000 people since March 2011.

"The world sits as a spectator in front of the massacres against the Syrian people," said Faisal, the influential Saudi royal who served in the past as ambassador in Britain and the United States.

It is "necessary to provide the reasonable Syrian opposition with means to defend themselves," which the "United States does not do," he said.

"The Saudis blame the United States for imposing a veto on any delivery of heavy weapons or anti-aircraft batteries to the Syrian opposition, allowing the regime to maintain an upper hand using its airforce," a Syrian opposition member said.

Saudi Arabia did not hide its anger after US President Barack Obama stepped back from punitive strikes against Syria over a chemical attack in August on a rebel-held district near Damascus.

But for Faisal, the US-Saudi alliance, which dates back to a meeting aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal in 1945 between the kingdom's founder King Ibn Saud and US president Franklin Roosevelt, "is not over."

Both leaders had at the time agreed that Washington would help secure the kingdom in exchange for oil, but circumstances have changed, with the United States expected to become the world's top oil producer in 2015.

"We had our differences in the past," Faisal told AFP. "And today we have differences on certain issues, but we agree on others."

Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah speaks at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in

Kuwait.  (REUTERS/Stringer)

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UAE leader accepts invitation to visit Iran
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This image released by the Emirates News Agency, WAM, shows UAE president
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 Mohammad Javad Zarif in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013.
(AP Photo/WAM)

.

Bahrainis protest Saudi Gulf union proposal

Deutsche Welle, 18 May 2012

Opposition activists in Bahrain have rallied to protest a proposed union with neighboring Saudi Arabia. Some protesters view the plan as an attempt by Riyadh to end the uprising in the Gulf island nation.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Bahrain on Friday, denouncing proposals for closer military and political cooperation with neighboring Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

The mainly Shiite demonstrators blocked one of the island nation's major highways outside the capital, Manama, in a rally that stretched for nearly five kilometers (three miles). The demonstrators chanted slogans such as "No, no unity" and "Bahrain is not for sale."

On Monday, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council met for a summit meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to disclose closer union between the organization's six member states. The council is comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The meeting postponed any decisions on closer political integration for later in the year. Some critics believe the proposal is a push by Saudi Arabia's Sunni monarchy to consolidate its regional power against its main rival, Shiite Iran.

Regional power politics

Bahrain, a small island state in the Persian Gulf, plays an important strategic role in the region: it is home to the US Navy's fifth fleet. Once a province of Iran, a Sunni monarchy currently rules over the majority Shiite population.

In February 2011, mainly Shiite activists - inspired by the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt - rose up against the Al Khalifa monarchy, calling for greater political participation. At least 50 people have died in the unrest so far. The monarchy blames the unrest on Iran.

Saudi Arabia, which has a large Shiite population in its eastern, oil-producing regions, deployed troops last year to help shore up the Al Khalifa family. Some opposition activists suspect that Riyadh wants to use the GCC proposal to secure control over Bahrain and deny Tehran influence in the region.

Protests against a Saudi-Bahraini union also took place in Iran on Friday, with the cleric Kazem Sediqi delivering a sermon broadcast live on state radio.

"This is an ill-fated plot that is taking place with the American and Zionist (Israeli) green light but they should know that the people of Bahrain and the region, Muslims around the world and in Iran will never tolerate it," Sediqi said.

"Instead of surrendering to its own people, it (the Bahraini government) is surrendering its identity, with total abjectness, to another country," Sediqi said.

slk/jm (AP, Reuters)

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US to resume military sales to protest-torn Bahrain

Deutsche Welle, 11 May 2012

The United States says it will partly resume military sales to Bahrain despite the crackdown on popular protests by the Gulf emirate's rulers since early last year. Bahrain hosts a major US naval headquarters.

The Obama administration said the deliveries to Bahrain's defense forces and coast guard excluded equipment "used for crowd control." Since the uprising began in February 2011, Amnesty International has listed 60 deaths and numerous arrests. 

Under arrest - Bahrain human
rights advocate Nabeel Rajab

On Thursday night, Bahraini riot police fired tear gas during protests by Shiite villagers near Manama who were calling for releases of detained activists.

They held aloft pictures of the prominent activist Nabeel Rajab, who was arrested last weekend for sending messages deemed insulting by the government.

In Washington, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged Bahrain's ruling Sunni minority led by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to tackle what she termed "serious unresolved human rights issues."

Ruling figure - Bahrain's King Hamad
bin Al Khalifa

She said the equipment released was "for the purpose of helping Bahrain maintain its external defense capabilities," but said the US would withhold deliveries of wire-guided missiles as well as Humvee vehicles.

"Certain additional items for the Bahrain Defense Force, as well as all items for the Ministry of the Interior, excepting the Coast Guard and units deployed in Afghanistan, will also remain on hold," Nuland said.

On Wednesday, Al Khalifa had visited US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who said "much work remains to fully address ongoing human rights issues."

Sales delayed since October

The original sale delay in October 2011 had been worth $53 million (39 million euros) and included some 44 Humvees as well as several hundred wire-guided TOW missiles. Prime contractors were to have been AM General and Raytheon Co. 

Motor racing featured in graffiti with call for boycott

Bahrain's human right issues strife was highlighted by protestors last month during the world motor racing's Grand Prix which took place under heavy guard. It had been canceled in 2011.

Human rights advocates have criticized Washington for its muted response to the crackdowns in Bahrain compared to vocal US support for recent popular protests in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria.

On the other flank, Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council had pressured the Obama administration to back Bahrain's ruling Al Khalifa monarchy. It has rejected calls for an elected government and parliament with full legislative powers, accusing Bahrain's opposition of being influenced by Iran.

Bahrain, a strategic island nation located in the Gulf opposite Iran, has served as headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet for more than 60 years.

ipj/slk (Reuters, AFP, AP)

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"Healing the Military Energies in our family Tree" – Jun 13, 2011 (Kryon channelled by David Brown)

“ … There’s much violence and anger throughout the world; when we look at the Middle East, we can see that changes are coming there. The West has a lot of power over the Middle East, but that power will begin to dissolve. The Muslim people of this world will begin to have their own power, and their own prosperity, and they will begin to disconnect from the Western World. This disconnection doesn’t have to be violent as violence only happens when somebody hangs onto what doesn’t belong to them....

... What Military Energy means if we use an analogy: it would be like putting grinding paste into the oil of your motor car. Once you release these energies you will begin to feel lighter as you disconnect from this reality, and, you will find it easier and easier to release any other negative emotions. Military Energies are the core of all your problems...."

Zainab Al-Khawaja arrest a brutal manner - Bahrain Occupied (Video)

Zainab Al-Khawaja arrested brutally assault them from before the mercenary system – Bahrain Occupied

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Bahrain Seeking Indonesian Mercenaries to Help End Popular Uprising: Report

Jakarta Globe, June 19, 2011

A noted Saudi scholar has claimed that Bahrain’s embattled Al Khalifa royal family is seeking Indonesian mercenaries to help maintain its iron grip over the country.

Ali al-Ahmad, head of Washington-based think-tank the Institute for Gulf Affairs, told Iran’s PressTV on Sunday that Bahraini officials had traveled to Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan “to seek more mercenaries and more weapons.”

“The Saudis are doing the same trying to invite Indonesia and Malaysia to send military troops to protect the monarchy; and we see that from Jordan as well.”

He said the Bahraini monarchy was “at the end of its rope.”

“They do not trust even the loyalists in Bahrain so they need to seek mercenaries from elsewhere — and these mercenaries will one day be captured and tried in public.”

Bahraini authorities in mid-March crushed a month-long protest movement on the streets led by Shiite demonstrators calling for democratic reform in the Sunni-ruled state.

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Bahrain royal family orders army to turn on the people

Bahrain's ruling family has defied mounting international criticism by ordering the army to turn on its people for the first time since pro-reform demonstrations erupted five days ago.

The Telegraph, by Adrian Blomfield in Manama 18 Feb 2011

Protesters run from a cloud of teargas during a clash with
Bahraini security forces near the Pearl roundabout Photo: GETTY

As protesters attempted to converge on Pearl Roundabout, a landmark in the capital Manama that has become the principal rallying point of the uprising, soldiers stationed in a nearby skyscraper opened fire.

Since they took to the streets, Bahrain's protesters have come to expect violence and even death at the hands of the kingdom's security forces. At least five people were killed before yesterday's protests.

But this was on a different scale of magnitude.

As they drew near, they were met first with tear gas and then with bursts of live ammunition.

Many fled the first salvoes, scrambling down empty streets as the shots rang out behind them.

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As they ran, terror and disbelief flashed across their faces. One man shouted: "They are killing our people! They are killing our people."

Cowering behind a wall, a woman wept, her body shaking in fear.

But many refused to run, initially at least, determined to defy the violence being visited upon them. Some held their hands in the air and shouted "Peaceful! Peaceful!".

The shooting resumed. One man crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from his leg; nearby a second was also felled. A scream went up: "live ammunition!"

As security forces then began to fire anti-air craft guns over their heads and the air filled with tear gas, the protesters' will finally broke.

But even as they fled in headlong panic, a helicopter sprayed gunfire at them and more fell.

Paramedics from ambulances that had rushed to the scene darted forward to help the wounded, but they too were shot at. Several were detained and at least one ambulance was impounded.

Doctors at the nearby Salmaniyah hospital said they had received 32 wounded people, nine of whom were in a critical condition. There were unconfirmed reports of two deaths at Pearl Roundabout, but witnesses said the bodies had been seized by the army.

Those caught up in the violence were mourners, returning from funerals of three people killed before dawn the previous day when police opened fire on protesters, many of whom were asleep, in a successful bid to regain control of Pearl Roundabout.

Thousands thronged the body of Ali Ahmad al-Moumen as it was born aloft down the streets of Sitra, a poor Shia village near Manama.

Despite the violence, many said the death of Moumen and other protesters had only increased their determination to press ahead with the protests.

"The regime has failed to stop us," Abdulwahab Hussein, a senior Shia Muslim leader, told the crowd. "Their action shows that they are strong and we are weak."

Most of the protesters are members of Bahrain's long-marginalised Shia majority.

They say they are not demanding the abdication of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Sunni king, but they are calling for a constitutional monarchy that would treat the Shia fairly and make them equal subjects in his kingdom.

But they are demanding the resignation of his uncle Khalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa, who has served as prime minister for 39 years.

During his rule, the protesters say, the Shia have been turned into second class citizens, deprived of jobs in the army, police force and government while Sunnis from abroad have been given Bahraini citizenship to alter the kingdom's demographic balance.

Government officials in Bahrain have warned that the Shia opposition is controlled by Iran, which seeks to use the kingdom to establish a foothold on the Arabian peninsula.

Protesters insist that they have no love for Iran and are only seeking justice for themselves.

Troops opened fire on demonstrators after the funerals
for protesters killed on Thursday

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