By Rima Saini

With the turmoil in Bahrain attracting increasing levels of international attention, Rima Saini delves deeper into how the situation is affecting those who call the embittered country their home.

As a former student of International politics, when I write about global affairs I cannot help but delve into the obscure historical legacy of the events in question, rationalise them within the political frameworks that I am familiar with and give my informed academic perspective on the situation. In this article, for instance, I could have made reference to David Cameron's recent Downing Street photocall with the Bahraini Crown Prince as a colonial throwback to the political alliances Britain have inculcated for years with the al-Khalifa Sunni tribe, a juncture from which it would not be at all difficult for me to wax lyrical about post-colonial puppet governments. Indeed, many openly agreed that Cameron's extension of hospitalities to the Crown Prince was an ill-thought gesture at a time when there is effectively a human rights crisis in Bahrain. On the one side there is a repressive government upon which the calls from democratic leaders and international human rights groups fall deaf and on the other anti-government protesters, both peaceful and non-peaceful, who under this state of 'national safety' are risking torture, abuse, frightening interrogation and unlawful detainment.

However, when I posed the standard questions such as whether global leaders are not doing enough to condemn the heavy-handed tactics of the Bahraini state or to what extent events are being misrepresented by the media to a friend of mine who grew up in the country and is now a legal professional there living, working, and witnessing the political situation unfold, her answers brought to light the importance of taking into account the experiences of individuals, and the realism of the here and now, to understand a situation as complex and sensitive as Bahrain's. As she asked me whether I could imagine Canary Wharf being hijacked for over 2 weeks and no employees are allowed to enter the buildings, or police officers in London being run over by their cars and murdered brutally, I realised the sheer scale of disorder and terror that us external observers can barely comprehend, let alone assess from an objective perspective.

Stating plainly, and despondently, "I've never felt so homeless before", it seems that for her Bahrain is no longer for the Bahrainis but for the various religious identities mobilising themselves in opposition to one another. And those unwilling to ally themselves blindly to one side find themselves caught in the middle: “when I criticise the government, pro-government and my own family call me a traitor. When I criticise opposition, Shia puts me under the category of "those who sold their souls to the government". It is no wonder that the factions have become increasingly militarised, their boundaries hardened by the pressure to exert your ideological affiliations and fall in line and their resolve strengthened by transnational solidarities: as Guardian columnist Madeline Bunting stated, when the world looks upon a protester in Bahrain, “westerners see a political activist; some Sunni Muslims see a Shia troublemaker and Shias across the Muslim world see a martyr”.

The violence of some of the outbursts is no surprise when understood as a reflection of the long-standing lack of respect the government has shown to the demands of its people, a government that many seem willing to undermine even at the expense of the stability and safety of functioning societal institutions. But as a result, not only are the pleas of non-violent protesters struggling to be heard among the din of those harnessing violent methods of resistance, but any cause for celebration or at least the modest optimism we have seen in Egypt and other democratic struggles this year has been well and truly crippled. Having heard first-hand from those caught in the middle, however, my usual strong political sentiments that urge me to sympathise with those dedicated enough their cause to stake their life on it will in this instance be put aside for those caught in the middle, who, like my friend, are watching and waiting while their country hangs by a thread.