Posted on » Thursday, May 05, 2011
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PROMINENT Bahraini anti-government activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja "has absolutely no interest in democratic reform", according to a damning WikiLeaks cable released yesterday.

The comment was allegedly made by former editor of opposition newspaper Al Wasat, Dr Mansoor Al Jamri, during a conversation with ex-US ambassador to Bahrain William Monroe.Dr Al Jamri allegedly said that if Mr Al Khawaja ever took over, people would look back and view the reign of the Ruling Family as "paradise".Mr Al Khawaja is a former president of now-defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) - a vocal critic of the government - and is in police custody for his alleged role in the unrest since February.

His daughter Maryam is also connected to the organisation in her capacity as head of its foreign relations office, but in another WikiLeaks cable the organisation is accused of paying youngsters to throw stones at police and start fires in the streets.

The comments made in June 2005 by Dr Al Jamri - a prominent figure in Bahrain's opposition movement - raise doubts about the activities of the BCHR and Mr Al Khawaja in particular.During the meeting with Mr Monroe,

Dr Al Jamri allegedly accused Mr Al Khawaja of seeking to deliberately provoke aggressive reactions from the government.

"Al Jamry was highly critical of Al Khawaja, terming him an opportunist who was more interested in personal notoriety than genuine reform," according to a leaked US Embassy document about the meeting."He (Dr Al Jamry) cited an Arab expression about people who exploit a good cause (in this case unemployment among Shia) to create mischief, and said that this expression describes Al Khawaja perfectly."He said that Al Khawaja has absolutely no interest in democratic reforms and that if Al Khawaja ever took over, people would look back on the days of the Al Khalifa as paradise.

"Al Jamry said Al Khawaja's goal is to provoke the government to aggressive responses, believing that he is untouchable, because he has backing of the United States, Europeans and Western human rights groups."Dr Al Jamri added that Mr Al Khawaja was not only a thorn in the side of the government, but also posed a dilemma for mainstream opposition group Al Wefaq National Islamic Society and spiritual leaders such as Sheikh Isa Qassim - the most senior Shi'ite cleric in Bahrain.

Twenty-one US Embassy documents from 2004 to 2009 were released by WikiLeaks yesterday.One of them includes an admission by an Al Wefaq MP that the organisation received direction on its political activities from Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, after Al Wefaq secretary general Shaikh Ali Salman led a delegation to meet the clergyman in September 2009."The delegation received guidance on continued participation in the political process," former Al Wefaq MP Jassim Hussain told the then US Ambassador, Adam Ereli, according to one document.Some documents refer to the rivalry between Al Wefaq and radical splinter group Haq, led by Hassan Mushaima who is also in custody for his alleged role in the unrest.Al Wefaq was part of a seven-society coalition formed during protests in February that said it would take part in a national dialogue, but only if certain conditions were met by the government.Haq, formed by former Al Wefaq members unhappy that the organisation ran for elections in 2006, was among more extremist groups who staged provocative marches through areas populated mainly by government supporters.One of those rallies saw participants show up in white funeral shrouds.Mr Ereli reported back to Washington in 2008 that Bahraini authorities told him Haq was actively encouraging people to become martyrs,

also claiming that both Haq and the BCHR were paying the young to start fires in the streets.Another cable states Haq leaders "inspired low level street violence, and call demonstrations that often get out of hand"."The Bahrain government and many mainstream Bahraini politicians believe Haq seeks to provoke the authorities and create martyrs," it added.Meanwhile, in the 2008 cable to Washington Mr Ereli praised the reform process of His Majesty King Hamad."It is undeniable that King Hamad's reforms have changed much here," he said. "There is now an opposition Press, and the arrest and exile of political oppositionists is a thing of the past."