Opposition Party Calls Manama’s Policy to Change Social Fabric "Disastrous"
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Bahrain’s main opposition group said Manama still continues “disastrous” policy of granting citizenship to foreign nationals, saying the policy will affect social fabric in the tiny Persian Gulf island state.
“During the past twenty years, the opposition parties have always warned people against the dangers pose by the (government's) policy of granting citizenship (to foreigners)," said Secretary General of Bahrain’s al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman, adding that Manama still continues the policy regardless of opposition.
Al-Wefaq secretary general added that the opposition party has worked to liaise with international legal organizations to pursue the case.
He said that such massive effort to change social fabric has never happened in any other country.
Salman further called on Bahrainis, including Shiite or Sunni Muslims, to counter the policy which is vigorously pursued by Al Khalifa regime.
Since 1980s, the ruling Al Khalifa regime has been trying to change the Kingdom’s demographic structure which largely consists of Shiites.
Measures have also been taken by Manama to limit the electoral power of the Shiite majority including granting Bahraini citizenship and the right to vote to 20,000 tribal Sunnis from Saudi Arabia, without having to fulfill the criteria of citizenship.
The government has also secretly granted Bahraini nationality and the right to vote to several thousands of tribal Sunnis and their families, who were brought from Jordan, Yemen and Syria to work in the army and the security forces.
In another move in line with the policy, Al Khalifa regime granted its nationality to 240 British citizens in May last year.
