The Sole Reference for the Pearl Revolution in Bahrain

Originally Proposed in Arabic by The Coalition of the Youth of February 14 Revolution

@COALITION14

Translated by Pearl Revolution Political Center

@14FebPRPC

Introduction Provided by The Alliance for Republic

@Alta7aluf

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Introduction
The Muslim and Arabic nation of Bahrain has been a pioneer in both science and arts disciplines in the Gulf region. During the early age of the Islamic civilization, Bahrain was self-governed and independent until it was invaded by the tribe of Al-Khalifa in 1782. Since then, a new age of repression, misery and economic distress has begun and ultimately made it possible for the British Empire to impose its influence on the country. The prolonged iron grip of the Al-Khalifa tribe over the country, which has been the subject of many historical studies (Belgraves diaries is a good reference) and the shortage in the natural resources have subsequently led to a number of popular uprisings. For example, an uprising against the forced-labour system sparked in the 1920s followed by a series of political and labour uprisings during the 1930s. Spontaneous uprisings sometimes popular continued in the 1950s and 60 as well. On 14th of August 1971, the British occupation of Bahrain was ended and Britain withdrew its troops, but Britain ensured its interests were still maintained through the Al-Khalifa regime. Britain betrayed its promises of freedom and real self-determination and instead laid down the foundation for a totalitarian regime, but the aggressive resistant from Bahraini people forced the regime to establish a foundation council that consisted of elected as well as appointed members and ultimately led to parliamentary elections in 1973. However, the totalitarian regime that has enslaved its people for centuries could not bear the idea of sharing power and wealth, and quickly returned to its real character after just eighteen months. The previous Emir Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa took a one-sided decision in 1975; he closed the parliament altogether, disabled the constitution and imposed martial law! Under martial law, many activists were arbitrarily detained (including ex-MPs), tortured and expelled. The martial law did not pass unchallenged and the country witnessed spontaneous uprisings during the 1970s and 80. However, the most popular uprising was in 1994 where thousands of Bahrainis took to the streets. Despite the large number of arrests and numerous casualties which exceeded 15,000 detainees and more than 40 martyrs, the uprising continued until the present king (previously Emir) Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa

declared the National Charter in 2001. The National Charter guaranteed the reinstatement of the constitution and the establishment of a parliament with real legislative power. It also guaranteed that the Advisory Council (Shura) will have no legislative power. The National Charter won unprecedented approval among Bahrainis (98.4%) because prominent opposition figures endorsed it and also because the regimes head publicly affirmed that the sole reference would be the original constitution of 1973 and that the council with appointed members (Shura Council) would only enjoy an advisory role and will have no legislative power. However, in the first National Charter anniversary (February 14th, 2002), the regime backed on its promises, imposed an amended constitution and gave legislative power to the appointed council that could effectively nullify the elected one. To make matters worse, the regime had adopted and implemented a tactful sectarian plot (known as the Bandar Gate) with a view to change the natural demographic composition of the country by naturalizing hundreds of thousands of mercenaries from a certain denomination in order to convert the majority into a minority.

Preface
Believing change is the law of God, the revolution in Bahrain, which sparked on the 14th of February 2011, was largely inspired by the Islamic Awakening and the Arab Spring and other revolutions worldwide. The revolution is a continuation of two centuries long struggle between the Al-Khalifa tribe and the people of Bahrain.

First: February 14 Revolution Unleashed Inspired by the Islamic Awakening and the Arab Spring, the February 14 Revolution occupied the Pearl Square at the center of Manama and made it the focal point for peaceful demonstrations that united various sectors and political movements under one unified goal. However, despite strictly adopting extremely peaceful methods to express their opinion, the demonstrators at the Pearl Square were confronted with extreme state violence (by hands of recruited mercenaries) which has ultimately annihilated the already weak trust between the people and Al-Khalifa regime. The Al-Khalifa regime has repeatedly ignored calls for genuine reform so bluntly that it is beyond redemption and that the only choice left for the people was to overthrow the despotic regime and rebuild an entirely new political system.

Second: The Coalition of the Youth of 14 Feb Revolution The Coalition of the Youth of February 14 Revolution (thereafter the Coalition) was born from the very heart of the revolution. It was constituted by independent young revolutionaries who shared the vision and aspirations of the martyrs, the detainees and anyone who has offered sacrifices for the sake of democracy and freedom. The Coalition vows to continue on the path of struggle and revolutionary action until the illegitimate regime of Al-Khalifa is overthrown and the right to self-determination is realized.

Third: Principles of the Revolution Guided by core Islamic rules to stand against injustice and slavery and uphold freedom and dignity, we stress on the following principles: 1. Confirm the authenticity and patriotism of the revolution, and reject all forms of external intervention and subordination. 2. The regime of Al-Khalifa has lost its legitimacy and shall be dealt with accordingly. 3. Liberate the country from any unjust ruler, which is currently represented by Al-Khalifa regime and their mercenaries and loyalists. 4. Refuse of all forms of foreign intervention from Saudi Arabia or any other country, whether direct military intervention or indirect moral, financial or diplomatic support of the despotic regime and perceive such intervention as an illegal occupation that must be driven out. 5. Avoid wasting time and efforts on any secondary differences rather than focusing on the advancement of the revolution. 6. Valuate the efforts of any party that aims to promote the rights of the people and their demands. 7. Activate all appropriate options to realize the goals of the revolution. 8. Promote the concept of patriotism and set the standards of citizenship as a basis for dealing with individuals.

Forth: Goals of the Revolution The ten points below are the main goals of the revolution: 1. Overthrow the tribal and illegitimate regime of Al-Khalifa and bring its figureheads to justice for the crimes they have committed against humanity. 2. Endorse the right of people for self-determination and the right to choose the political system that fulfills their aspirations. 3. Dismantle the existing security apparatus and restructure it in a way that ensures the safety and security for all citizens. 5

4. Reform the existing judiciary system to insure the highest standards of independence and justice. 5. Reinforce the principle of separation of the three powers (legislative, executive and judicial). 6. Maintain nation-wide cohesion, promote justice and equality and prohibit discrimination between citizens. 7. Create a realistic solution to resolve the issue of political and systematic naturalization, which has been used by Al-Khalifa regime to distort the original identity and the basic demographics of the country. 8. Preserve the Islamic and Arabic identity of Bahrain. 9. Form a national body to oversee the election of members of the Constitutional Assembly entrusted with the drafting a new constitution for the country, after the toppling the illegitimate Al-Khalifa regime 10. Emphasize on equitable distribution of wealth, and maintain the resources of the nation for future generations.

Fifth: Mechanisms of Revolutionary Work and Activities The February 14 Revolution adopts the Islamic approach to peace according to which the use of force is restricted to self-defense If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, Transgress ye likewise against him. The work activities are classified into five categories as follow: A) Fieldwork 1. Revolutionary fieldwork is the core of the revolution. It relies on people from all sectors of the society taking part in various protest activities against the illegitimate regime. 2. Fieldwork depends on diversifying protest manifestations and adapting them to various age groups, thus allowing everyone to participate in the revolutionary mass rallies, demonstrations, sit-ins and so on.

3. Strengthening civil resistance based on the popular mobilization, civil disobedience, and general strikes, and continuing to develop existing means of protest and creating new ones as appropriate. 4. Strengthening the capacity of the youth revolutionaries for self-innovation in the field work that will eventually lead to the downfall of the regime and self-determination. B) Media Activities Given the critical role the media plays (audio-visual and written) in the dissemination of facts and events, it has taken a prominent importance in the revolutionary work, with a view to: 1. Expose the repressive brutality of the illegitimate Al-Khalifa regime and mercenaries, and condemn the occupation of Saudi forces and the complicity of the Western countries by documenting and widely disseminating information and facts, organizing seminars and press conferences, conducting audio-visual interviews, and any other appropriate means. 2. Expose the genuine demands of the revolution and revolutionaries to the world, publicize it to media around the world and impose it on the regional and international scenes. 3. Produce audio-visual and written material on the revolution of the people of Bahrain and their historical struggle against the illegitimate Al-Khalifa regime, to preserve it within the cultural and historical heritage of the country. C) Human Rights Activities 1. Monitor human rights violations, and establish permanent links with human right defenders and organizations around the world. 2. Follow-up and fully support lawsuits filed against the figureheads of the illegitimate regime of Al-Khalifa in international courts.

D) Political Activities 1. Cooperate with the revolutionary tide that has swept the region and the world, and support the legitimate demands of all people yearning for freedom, dignity and justice. 2. Forge appropriate political alliances to support the demands of the revolution, and create the necessary political and diplomatic pressure to achieve them. 3. Open pathways for cooperation and coordination with various regional and international bodies based on parity and power stemming from the belief in our cause; persist on demanding the right of the people to self-determination and to establishing the political system that they truly deserve.

Conclusion This document summarizes our vision regarding the political situation in our beloved homeland, which we struggle to shift from a grim present to a bright future, free from the brutal and dictatorial AlKhalifa regime. We pray to Allah to guide and support us in restoring our lost freedom and dignity. We vow to our martyrs, detainees and people that we shall never deviate from the revolutionary path until our victory is achieved.

The Coalition of the Youth of 14 Feb Revolution