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One of Bahrain’s most outspoken Islamist MPs is Mohammed Khalid, the Al Menbar representative from the Northern Governorate . A Sunni Islamist whose party is the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood , Mr Khalid has been a constant critic of government, business leaders and liberals, and the effectiveness of his political campaigns says much about the political process in Bahrain today. Mr Khalid has used his parliamentary privilege to question government ministers to the full. In the knowledge that a two thirds majority of MPs is enough to remove a minister, Mr Khalid has used the combined Sunni-Shia Islamist majority in the lower house to force the government on to the defensive on issues such as cultural festivals, the sale of alcohol, and foreign policy. Two notable successes illustrate how radical Islamists have used their parliamentary platform to mobilize the street to pursue their agenda. In October 2003, when they heard that Lebanese singer, Nancy Ajram , was to perform Mr Khalid along with other Islamists in parliament put forward an emergency motion to ban her concert on the grounds of ‘immorality’. The motion was rejected by parliament, but in the aftermath of the parliamentary outcry youths went on the rampage outside the concert beating up Ajram’s fans and burning cars. Several months later, Mr Khalid was involved in another incident that helped establish cultural boundaries when he led Islamist protests against the Arab version of the reality TV show, Big Brother . Although the producers, MBC , prior to filming had made adjustments to the format after consultations with clerics, Mr Khalid condemned the ‘immorality’ of the progamme at a large demonstration of Sunni Islamists outside the Big Brother House. Police reinforcements had to be called after the demonstrators threatened to storm the set, and the production ended after technicians were followed home and given death threats. |
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