걸프지역의 종파갈등에 관한 연구- 바레인을 중심으로 -

Abstract

In this study, the social and political issues that are triggered by thehistorical provenance of a sectarian policy discovered in the Islamiccountries of the Gulf region, and the historical origin of anti‐Shiapolicies, are examined in the case of Bahrain. Through this examination, abetter understanding of the current sectarian conflict inside Bahrain andother Islamic cultural area can be collected. Bahrain’s sectarian strife was eventually and extensively exposed in2011 as the ‘Arab spring’, and was followed by a political deadlock whichraised sectarian tension between Sunnis and Shi’is, not only in this smallisland kingdom, but also in the rest of the Islamic countries, including theGCC countries in the Gulf area. In GCC countries in general, Shi’i Muslims are minorities in bothpopulation and politics. But in case of Bahrain, 96% of their wholepopulation is Muslims, their state religion is Islam, 30% of theirpopulation is Sunnis, and the rest is Shi’is. Even though Bahrain’spopulation mostly consists of Shi’i Muslims, it is ruled by a Sunni dynasty. The Shi’is have no political position in the administration agency, andseems to be isolated from economy rights. For example, as Shi’i Muslimswere seen as a threat to the Bahrain ruling dynasty due to their constantuprisings and Iran’s Islamic revolution, the sectarian strife between theSunnis and Shi’is affected Bahrain’s character of security agencies: therecruiting was done with sectarian discrimination, and mercenaries withinthe four core security agencies prevented the Shi’is from taking action. The four core security agencies — Bahrain Defense Force, NationalGuard, police forces which are branches of the Ministry of Interior, and theNational Security Agency — have the responsibility of protecting the eliteSunni rulers, and have been reinforced directly after the Shi’i citizenuprising in 2011. Sectarian strife is not a result from a simple segregation of one group,but an inevitable outcome of the strategic ruling of authorities. Sectarianpolitical choices are connected to economic interests, and have massivelyprovoked sectarian conflicts. It is, however, hard to conclude that thesectarian strife is the only reason for Bahrain’s political conflict. Theconstant sectarian tension of the two denominations of Islam in Bahrain isthreatening to spread sectarianism to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and alsocausing frictions among GCC nations, Iraq, and Iran.