Bahrain Mirror: «Bahrain Mirror» issued today an e-book entitled "Ashura in Bahrain, US Embassy Wikileaks", in both English and Arabic. The book is a broad reading into the content of diplomatic cables exchanged between the US Embassy in Manama and the US State Department, about the commemoration of Ashura in Bahrain, between 2005 and 2010. This is according to the cables leaked by Wikileaks.

«Bahrain Mirror» has made the book available for free on its website. It was published in dedication to Sheikh Isa Qassim, the country's most prominent national and religious leader. Bahraini authorities are still imposing a siege around Sheikh Qassim's house, where he remains in house arrest. This came after forces crushed the popular sit-in staged around his house for around a year, in protest against the revocation of his citizenship and his trial.

According to the book, which analyzed the Wikileaks cables, since 2005, the US Embassy in Manama collects information on Ashura for study and examination in order to give a comprehensive overview to the US administration, in a form of an annual confidential report.

The embassy was closely monitoring the Ashura commemoration events in Bahrain and regularly sending detailed reports to the State Department. The details in the cables included the number of people participating in a certain event, what Sheikh Isa Qassim and Sheikh Ali Salman said, how the Ashura speech went, and how the security situation was. They further mentioned whether there were violations, whether the United States was mentioned, what upsets and provokes these people participating in the events and how the commemoration of Ashura would affect them that particular year.

«Bahrain Mirror» noted in its book introduction that the cables prove that Ashura is related to Gulf security, the stability of ruling regimes, the fifth fleet, the Iranian neighbor, and how the US image is portrayed in a Shiite's mind.

The online newspaper also added that it now publishes the cables for research purposes, aiming at analyzing how the US diplomacy works in this regard, as well as how the Bahraini government deals with the US Embassy's follow up.

«Bahrain Mirror» will publish a print copy of the book soon.

To download a PDF version of the book in English press here

Arabic Version