Ali Salman
Encyclopedia
Ali Salman is the president of the Al-Wefaq political society in Bahrain
. He is a Twelver Shi'a cleric educated in Qom
. In January 1995 the Bahraini government forcibly exiled him to Dubai
for leading a popular campaign demanding the reinstatement of the constitution
and the restoration of parliament during the 1990s Uprising. From there he made his way to London and sought asylum. He continued opposition activities from London, where he was associated with the Bahrain Freedom Movement
. Salman returned to Bahrain in March 2001 in a general amnesty as part of a set of political reforms announced by King Hamad.
Within Al Wefaq he is considered the 'moderate' public face of the organization, and has opposed the more confrontational approach with the authorities of other leaders.
, a major centre of Iranian theological thinking in Iran
. He is a Twelver Shiite who originally followed the quietest teachings of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abul-Qassim al-Khoei, the spiritual leader of much of the Shia world until his death in 1992. Following death of his original Marja’, Salman has not felt compelled to speak publicly about his new Marja’. However, in a private interview he claimed that he now tended to rely on the rulings of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani.
This choice is significant as Salman does not rely on an external source of authority to justify his political positioning. This following of Sistani is on a purely individual basis that does not spill over into the public sphere; Sistani is a Marja’ known for avoiding interference in the political choices of his followers.
Role in 1990s Uprising in Bahrain
Ali Salman is widely perceived to have been one of the leaders of the 1990s uprising in Bahrain
. The starting point of the uprising is described as having been a charity marathon organised in November 1994 by several foreign companies. As the marathon runners, both men and women dressed in shorts and t-shirts, entered some Shia villages, groups of villagers headed by activist clerics tried to stop them, considering that running among them in such light clothing was a direct insult to their religious and moral values. Events disintegrated into fist-fighting and stone throwing. The same night, security forces arrested several of the protesters, including Ali Salman. His arrest sparked a cycle of mass-demonstrations that led to the death of a dozen demonstrators and the incarceration of hundreds of others. Salman was the leader of several of these demonstrations, some of which resulted in episodes of violence against Asian
immigrant workers.
Following his arrest in 1994, Salman was exiled and made his way to London
, where he associated with the Bahrain Freedom Movement
, an opposition group led by Saeed al-Shehabi
. Salman did not take up a formal position with the group but nevertheless cooperated with them in an attempt to give political meaning to the Shia uprising, mainly by releasing regular communiqués distributed in Bahrain in which they demanded the reinstatement of the Parliament.
Position in Al Wefaq
Salman is the current official leader of Al Wefaq
. His legitimacy as leader is derived from his leadership in the 1990s uprising and his subsequent activities in exile. He faces little competition as leader of the movement and is regarded as an inspirational figure.
However, Al Wefaq’s organisational structure is such that its leader is in reality Sheikh Isa Qassim
, a senior Bahraini cleric. Some believe that Ali Salman, the formal head of al-Wefaq and also a cleric, is a “puppet obeying the orders of Isa Qassim, his former teacher and superior in the clerical hierarchy”. The independence of ‘Ali Salman as the formally-elected leader of al-Wefaq is believed to be limited by his obligation, as a cleric who has not yet reached the level of independent reasoning (ijtihad
), to submit his decisions to the sanction of a higher-ranking scholar. Because its leadership is considered subservient to an external religious authority, al-Wefaq is considered as lacking the transparency for the normal exercise of internal democracy
.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. He is a Twelver Shi'a cleric educated in Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
. In January 1995 the Bahraini government forcibly exiled him to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
for leading a popular campaign demanding the reinstatement of the constitution
Constitution of Bahrain
Bahrain has had two constitutions in its modern history. The first one was promulgated in 1973, and the second one in 2002.-Constitution of 1973:* Full text of the 1973 constitution...
and the restoration of parliament during the 1990s Uprising. From there he made his way to London and sought asylum. He continued opposition activities from London, where he was associated with the Bahrain Freedom Movement
Bahrain Freedom Movement
Bahrain Freedom Movement is a London based Bahraini opposition group which has its headquarters in a north London mosque...
. Salman returned to Bahrain in March 2001 in a general amnesty as part of a set of political reforms announced by King Hamad.
Within Al Wefaq he is considered the 'moderate' public face of the organization, and has opposed the more confrontational approach with the authorities of other leaders.
Religious Beliefs
Ali Salman originally studied in QomQom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
, a major centre of Iranian theological thinking in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. He is a Twelver Shiite who originally followed the quietest teachings of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abul-Qassim al-Khoei, the spiritual leader of much of the Shia world until his death in 1992. Following death of his original Marja’, Salman has not felt compelled to speak publicly about his new Marja’. However, in a private interview he claimed that he now tended to rely on the rulings of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani.
This choice is significant as Salman does not rely on an external source of authority to justify his political positioning. This following of Sistani is on a purely individual basis that does not spill over into the public sphere; Sistani is a Marja’ known for avoiding interference in the political choices of his followers.
Role in 1990s Uprising in Bahrain1990s Uprising in BahrainThe 1990s Uprising in Bahrain or 1990s Intifada was an uprising in Bahrain between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces...
Ali Salman is widely perceived to have been one of the leaders of the 1990s uprising in Bahrain1990s Uprising in Bahrain
The 1990s Uprising in Bahrain or 1990s Intifada was an uprising in Bahrain between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces...
. The starting point of the uprising is described as having been a charity marathon organised in November 1994 by several foreign companies. As the marathon runners, both men and women dressed in shorts and t-shirts, entered some Shia villages, groups of villagers headed by activist clerics tried to stop them, considering that running among them in such light clothing was a direct insult to their religious and moral values. Events disintegrated into fist-fighting and stone throwing. The same night, security forces arrested several of the protesters, including Ali Salman. His arrest sparked a cycle of mass-demonstrations that led to the death of a dozen demonstrators and the incarceration of hundreds of others. Salman was the leader of several of these demonstrations, some of which resulted in episodes of violence against Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
immigrant workers.
Following his arrest in 1994, Salman was exiled and made his way to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he associated with the Bahrain Freedom Movement
Bahrain Freedom Movement
Bahrain Freedom Movement is a London based Bahraini opposition group which has its headquarters in a north London mosque...
, an opposition group led by Saeed al-Shehabi
Saeed Shahabi
Saeed Shahabi, Saeeid Shahabi, Said Shehabi, is a London-based political activist, journalist, commentator and member of the Bahrain Freedom Movement...
. Salman did not take up a formal position with the group but nevertheless cooperated with them in an attempt to give political meaning to the Shia uprising, mainly by releasing regular communiqués distributed in Bahrain in which they demanded the reinstatement of the Parliament.
Position in Al WefaqAl WefaqAl Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
Salman is the current official leader of Al WefaqAl Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
. His legitimacy as leader is derived from his leadership in the 1990s uprising and his subsequent activities in exile. He faces little competition as leader of the movement and is regarded as an inspirational figure.
However, Al Wefaq’s organisational structure is such that its leader is in reality Sheikh Isa Qassim
Isa Qassim
Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim is Bahrain's top Shia religious leader and a politician. He is the spiritual leader of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest opposition society. He was the leader and is the founders of Islamic Awareness institution.- Biography :Isa Qassim was born in 1937 to a fisherman...
, a senior Bahraini cleric. Some believe that Ali Salman, the formal head of al-Wefaq and also a cleric, is a “puppet obeying the orders of Isa Qassim, his former teacher and superior in the clerical hierarchy”. The independence of ‘Ali Salman as the formally-elected leader of al-Wefaq is believed to be limited by his obligation, as a cleric who has not yet reached the level of independent reasoning (ijtihad
Ijtihad
Ijtihad is the making of a decision in Islamic law by personal effort , independently of any school of jurisprudence . as opposed to taqlid, copying or obeying without question....
), to submit his decisions to the sanction of a higher-ranking scholar. Because its leadership is considered subservient to an external religious authority, al-Wefaq is considered as lacking the transparency for the normal exercise of internal democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
.
External links
- Office of Ali Salman
- Gulf News: Exiled Bahrain opposition leader returns
- The Victory of Al Wefaq: the Rise of Shiite Politics in Bahrain, Mohammed Zahid Mahjoob Zweiri, Research Institute for European and American Studies, Research Paper 108, April 2007 (Athens)