New Article: Uprising in Bahrain

Dear Friends:

I invite you to read a new article I've written about Bahrain and the Arab spring. There's an excerpt below and you can click on the link for the full article. Thanks!

Uprising in Bahrain:

Democracy, Repression, and Sectarianism in the Arab Spring

By Melaina Spitzer

June 1, 2011

It’s springtime in the Arab world, and Bahrain has a new look. The tiny country comprised of about 30 islands in the Persian Gulf was once known for its relaxed social atmosphere, and received an overload of tourists hoping to escape the strict codes and confines of religiously orthodox societies like Saudi Arabia. Yet today, a visit to the capital Manama leaves a very different impression: Armored tanks occupy the streets, Shia mosques have been burned to the ground and Pearl Square, the epicenter of the pro-democracy protests just a few months ago, has seen its tents set ablaze and its pearl monument toppled by the very government that erected it. While uprisings and repression in Syria, Yemen, and Libya continue to make international headlines, Bahrain grapples quietly beyond the limelight with an uncertain future that, despite the modest size of the country, could have serious consequences for the region and the world. READ MORE...