Diplomatic Challenges of the Arabian Peninsula - Case Study Example

? Diplomatic challenges Bahrain is an island kingdom in the Arabian Peninsula, which is ruled by a king who combines legislative, judicial, and executive functions when administering the state. This state is unique in among the other kingdoms of the region because of the fact that it has embraced some form of democracy through the development of parliament and parliamentary elections. Although this country is often perceived to be a totalitarian state by many people in the world, its political system has worked for many decades and not only has it done this, but it has also led to a great deal of development for its people. In fact, it can be said that the political system that has developed in Bahrain is among the most stable in the Middle Eastern region and that because of this, it is likely going to last for a very long time to come. The Bahraini government has used the oil wealth of the country for the benefit of its people and it has put a lot of investment not only in infrastructure but also in education. In fact, it can be said that some of the infrastructure in Bahrain is better developed than that found in the western world and because of this; it has come to attract residents from all over the world. The cities of this country, especially the capital Manama, are also very well planned and built and these are designed in very modern architecture. This country has developed a very extensive social welfare system which caters for all its citizens and one could go as far as to suggest that the Bahraini social welfare system functions better than the one in the United States. However, while this has been the case, it is a fact that as a leading country of the Middle East, Bahrain has been deeply involved in the diplomatic issues affecting not only itself but also other countries in the region. It is a fact that Bahrain, since gaining its independence from Britain in 1971 has developed into one of the most stable states in the world, and despite its position as a small state, has managed to have a very influential role in the affairs of the Middle East. The ability of this country to the ability of this kingdom to develop an influence over the affairs of its less stable neighbours has been a stroke of political genius on the part of the government whose ambitions appear to not only be regional but also global. In addition, Bahrain has come to be recognized as one of the most politically influential states in the Middle Eastern region and it is predicted that it is going to be one of the most influential states in the world in the near future. The influence gained by this kingdom in the region is largely based on the fact that it is an ally of the western powers namely Britain and the United States, and this has created a situation where it has been able to host the naval fleets of these two countries (Radsch, 2013). In fact, it is because of its strategic importance in the Persian Gulf region that Bahrain has come to be considered by western countries, such as the United States, as being one of their most valuable allies. This consideration has made this island kingdom, which would normally have been just another weak state in the region, confident in its development since it is protected from external threats through the presence of a naval fleet of the United States. The fact that Bahrain is among the most stable states in the Persian Gulf region and that it is one of the staunchest allies of the United States has made it most attractive to both potential investors as well as economic planners from already developed countries who are attempting to have a stake in the future of Bahrain. While this has been the case, it has been observed that the kingdom of Bahrain has continuously attempted to remain independent of outside political influence, especially in recent times when it has resisted attempts to allow for democratic reforms within it and it has instead opted to make its own influence felt in the region. Despite the fact that Bahrain is one of the emerging economies in the world, this kingdom still has many problems at home, and these problems are both long term and current. Among these are the calls for political reform from the largely Shia majority in the country are asking from the Sunni dominated political establishment. The need for political reforms in this state has led to many diplomatic challenges from this country because there have been calls for human rights activists from all over the world. This is because they have pointed out that the political oppression from the Bahraini state have will continue to plague its people and government and if nothing is done about these problems, then they are likely to become worse with time (Wiegand, 2012). Therefore, it has become essential for the government of this country to ensure that while it builds its case at an international level, to maintain its legitimacy. This has come to require it use its diplomatic ability to ensure that it manages to survive the political struggles that are developing within it. While doing this, however, it has become important for the Bahraini government to also consider the domestic problems its people are facing and make viable attempts to fix these problems. Over the last few decades, there has emerged a great debate between the various political actors within the kingdom concerning the national security policies which would best guarantee the security of Bahrain. There are some within the political establishment who believe that the policies which have been put in place so far by the royal family of Bahrain not only to secure the kingdom but also to retain themselves in power has been detrimental to the internal security of the country. Among the most criticized issues that have come to the fore was the involvement of the Saudi Arabian military in the crushing of the prodemocracy demonstrations within Bahrain during the Arab Spring where a significant number of Bahrainis were either killed or unlawfully detained. While it is a fact that the diplomatic effort by the Bahraini government in involving Saudi Arabia in its internal affairs paid off in providing the monarchy with the needed support to remain in power. it also served as only a temporary reprieve to a problem which is likely to continue plaguing Bahrain for decades if it is not dealt with soon. The royal family has expended a lot of diplomatic effort in ensuring that the island kingdom is viewed by the United States as a crucial strategic player in the Persian Gulf region, and it is probably because of this that the United States did not make any protests concerning the violent crackdown on protestors in Bahrain. Despite this, one of the main diplomatic challenges that will likely face Bahrain in future will occur when the United States comes to the conclusion where this country is no longer of strategic importance for it in the region. This is likely to take place in case there is an improvement in the relationship between the United States and Iran, for this might lead to the reduction of the importance of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and probably its withdrawal. There are those political players on the island kingdom who believe that the government of Bahrain will eventually fail in its diplomatic effort to maintain its legitimacy, especially with the growing discontent among the Shia majority in the kingdom with the rule of the royal family. Among the threats which the Bahraini royal family feels to be affecting the national security of the country as well as its own existence is the theocratic society of Iran, which is dominated by the Shia establishment. Because of this perceived threat to its existence, the royal family has made plenty of diplomatic effort to convince the international community that it is Iran which is behind the destabilisation of the Bahraini state through the incitement of the Shia population within it. There are those among the royal family and the government who believe that the diplomacy against Iran that has been conducted within the international community so far is not enough. Therefore, more needs to be done to ensure that the government of Bahrain is in a state of the highest security through the protection of such powers as the United States. Despite this being the case, the various political players in the country have very different approaches to national security and each tends to attempt to block the policies that their rivals try to put in place simply because they do not agree with them. However, the power of the royal family has always been absolute when it comes to the government of Bahrain, and it is this, more than anything, that has made sure that its foreign policy has been maintained in order to ensure its national security. While the absoluteness of the monarchy of Bahrain has been behind the stability and continued existence of the royal family in power, it is also likely to be its bane because its continued authoritarian rule will likely have an impact on the way its future diplomatic efforts are received in the rest of the world (Zayani, 2008). One of the issues that have created the need for Bahrain to bolster its diplomatic efforts has been what it considers a growing threat towards it from Iran. The government of Bahrain considers Iran to be culprit behind the instability that has plagued it since the Arab Spring and it has worked towards ensuring that there is recognition within the international community of this threat. The fact that there is wide speculation that Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons is considered an additional threat to the security of Bahrain because of the fact that it would lead to the growth of the power of Iran in the region as well as the magnification of its threat to Bahrain (Bix, 2011). While this has been the case, Bahrain has been one of the biggest supporters of the use of diplomacy in dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue as this has been found to be the best way through which to avoid any long lasting conflict in the region were military action to be resorted to, creating regional instability. It is a fact that the possession of nuclear weapons by certain countries has ensured that their national sovereignty has been protected against outside interference. Certain countries, such as India, which are nuclear states, have managed to retain their sovereignty by working towards and acquiring nuclear weapons. India, despite being weak economically when it first became a nuclear power, has managed to leave a mark on the world stage as well as dissuade those states which would have taken military action against them, such as Pakistan, from doing so. If such a situation were to take place in the Iranian instance, then this state would become virtually untouchable in the region, meaning that it would be able to influence the political destiny of Bahrain decisively. While the diplomatic effort that has been displayed by the government of Bahrain has largely been the reason behind its continued existence, it has created a situation where an uprising might just take place from inside the country. One of the reasons why there is likely going to be a revolution within Bahrain is because of the influence of Muslims from all over the world live in democratic societies. Such influence will probably come from the hajj to Mecca, which tends to be the biggest meeting of Muslims from all over the world and whatever it means to individuals pilgrims, it is a political event. Its political significance is not just for the Saudis, who control it, but also for those states, such as Bahrain, which recruits, screens, packages, and sends its citizens to Mecca every year. It can be said that the hajj has become a forum through which Muslims from various parts of the world can discuss the main political issues that affect their lives and it is likely that one of the most prominent issues to be discussed during this event for several years to come will be the Arab Spring. Over the years, especially the past decade, Muslims from all over the world came to discuss the presence of the United States and its allies in the Middle East during the war in Iraq. One would give the example of the events leading up to the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, when many Muslims in the world showed plenty of concern about the outcome of such a war. In spur-of-the-moment conversations held in tents where pilgrims slept and in lines at concession stands, pilgrims from the western world often became sources of information for those from the rest of the Muslims attending the hajj. When an analysis of the past decade is made, one will find that the possibility of a conflict in Iraq made many Muslims find the hajj to be an occasion to trade views with others. Because of such instances, it has become an event where Muslims from all over the world, especially the Middle East, express their frustration and anger against the United States, Israel and even their leaders. If such an instance were to take place among the people of Bahrain who attend the hajj, then it is more likely than not that there might develop an unstoppable force of dissent that will eventually lead to the crumbling of the Bahraini authoritarian regime. The popular opinion in many countries in the west is that Bahrain is an authoritarian state whose people do not have the political freedom to determine their own destiny. In addition, because it is in the Middle East, the common perception in the west is that this authoritarianism is based on the Islamic religion. While this is the case, most of the individuals in this country are surprisingly very liberal in matters concerning religion and they only appear to be fanatical because of the stereotype that ha been developed concerning Middle Easterners. The royal family of Bahrain is a Sunni dynasty ruling over a majority population of Shia Muslims, which has created a situation where there is a lot of tension in the country. The fact that the royal family is still in power can be attributed to the efforts of diplomacy that it has managed to undertake to secure itself from the threats against from within. it is a fact that the people of Bahrain do not always follow the lead set by Iran on religious matters and in fact, very few people in Bahrain share the same religious point of view as that which is propagated by the religious establishment of Iran. This has created a situation where they are extremely conscious of their identity as Arabs first before being Shia Muslims. References Bix, H. P. (2011). The North African-middle east uprisings from Tunisia to Libya. The Massachusetts Review, 52(2), 329-347,359. Radsch, C. C. (2013). MEDIA-real-time diplomacy: Politics and power in the social media era. The Middle East Journal, 67(2), 324-325. Wiegand, K. E. (2012). Bahrain, Qatar, and the Hawar islands: Resolution of a gulf territorial dispute. The Middle East Journal, 66(1), 79-96. Zayani, M. (2008). COURTING AND CONTAINING THE ARAB STREET: ARAB PUBLIC OPINION, THE MIDDLE EAST AND U.S. PUBLIC DIPLOMACY. Arab Studies Quarterly, 30(2), 45-64. Read More