More on Bahrain--the Shia canary in a Sunni coal mine

Last summer, in August, I blogged that Bahrain might be a critical link along the Sunni-Shiite chain and, in particular, when it comes to democracy and treatment of minorities. 

A couple of weeks later, I worried about the growing Shia-Sunni tensions in the region in the map to the right, with Iran in the middle to highlight its status as the leading Shia country, surrounded by Sunni Muslim states.

I didn't think that the unraveling would come from even beyond--from Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria--and, more so, not from the Shia-Sunni tensions.

But, it does not mean that these religious sectarian differences will not show up; they do, as we find out with the recent news from Bahrain.

the king of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, made a rare television appearance in which he offered condolences on the protesters' deaths.

He expressed his condolences for "the deaths of two of our dear sons" in a televised speech and said a committee would investigate the killings.

"We will ask legislators to look into this issue and suggest needed laws to resolve it," he said, adding that peaceful protests were legal.

Police reportedly fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the funeral procession [Mahmood Nasser Al-Yousif]

But angered by the two deaths, al-Wefaq, Bahrain's main Shia Muslim opposition group, announced it was suspending its participation in the parliament.

"This is the first step. We want to see dialogue," Ibrahim Mattar, an al-Wefaq parliamentarian, said. "In the coming days, we are either going to resign from the council or continue."

Al-Wefaq has a strong presence inside the parliament and within the Shia community.
The protesters say their main demand is the resignation of Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the prime minister, who has governed Bahrain since its independence in 1971.

An uncle of the king, he is seen as a symbol of the wealth of the ruling family.

The protesters say they are also demanding the release of political prisoners, which the government has promised, and the creation of a new constitution.
Tuesday's violence came a day after demonstrators observed a Day of Rage, apparently inspired by the recent uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Thousands came out on the streets on Monday to protest, sparking clashes with riot police.
Video from YouTube showing riot police firing on largely peaceful protesters during that demonstration.

Poverty, high unemployment and alleged attempts by the state to grant citizenship to Sunni foreigners to change the demographic balance have intensified discontent among Bahrain's Shias.

Around half of the tiny island kingdom's 1.3 million people are Bahraini, with the rest being foreign workers. The majority of citizens are Shia.