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Al Wifaq National Islamic Society

Wifaq is the leading Shi'a political society. It is also the largest political party in Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its strength at the polls. Wifaq holds a plurality in the elected lower house of parliament, but coalitions of smaller, pro-government Sunni parties usually outvote Wifaq. Most Wifaq leaders were exiled following the unrest of the 1990's, and many continued oppositionist activities from London. With the amnesty of 2001, they returned to Bahrain and founded Wifaq. Wifaq led the 2002 opposition boycott of parliamentary elections. When it decided to run candidates in the 2006 elections, the party split; those who favored a continued boycott left and formed the Haq Movement. After boycotting the 2002 parliamentary elections, Wifaq won 17 seats in the 2006 elections. According to Wifaq, the population of the largest district, which it represents, differs from that of the smallest, represented by a pro-government Sunni independent, by a factor of 13, yet each district only has one representative. Sheikh Ali Salman, a mid-level Shi'a cleric, officially leads the party. Sheikh Isa Qassim, Bahrain's most popular Shi'a cleric, claims to eschew politics but privately supports Wifaq and probably exerts considerable influence over it.

Wifaq Secretary General Sheikh Ali Salman does not appear to be in any danger of being ousted as leader of the party, but he has expressed frustration with the day-to-day grind of leading the Wifaq bloc in parliament's lower house, the Chamber of Representatives (COR). He might at some point step back from his role in the COR to devote himself to his role as SecGen. Wifaq's second tier in parliament includes several MPs who would likely vie for the chance to succeed him as the face of the party in parliament.

Khalil Ebrahim Al-Marzook, at 43 [in 2011] one of Wifaq's youngest and most active MPs, represents the Capital Governorate's 2nd district (Manama). He enjoys a close relationship with Ali Salman, and is popular with other Wifaq MPs and in the wider party. His outspoken personality and exceptional managerial skills have helped him become Wifaq's Deputy Chairman. Wifaq selected Al-Marzook to lead its successful campaign against the use of electronic voting in the 2006 parliamentary election because of his technology background. He obtained a bachelor's degree in computer science from King Fahd University in Saudi Arabia in 1990 and a master's degree in information technology from Sheffield University in the UK in 1998. In addition to his position as Deputy Chairman, he is also Chairman of the Legal Affairs and Legislation Committee. Well-spoken and always sharply dressed in Western suits, Al-Marzook often serves as the de facto spokesman for the party. During COR sessions, he can be seen coordinating strategy with, and calming down, other Wifaq MPs. Nizar Al-Qari, a member of Wifaq's governing council, told poloff that Salman has already let Al-Marzook begin running the bloc's meetings and crafting its strategy.

Abduljalil Khalil represents the Capital Governorate's 4th district, which includes the villages of Sanabis and Karzakan, where many anti-government protests - often violent ones - have taken place. Khalil graduated from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1985 and from the University of Heriot-Watt in the UK with a master's degree in building services administration in 1999. Like many leading Shi'a politicians of his age, Khalil, a founding member of Wifaq, served time in prison for opposition activities. He was pardoned in 2000 following the accession of Emir (now King) Hamad. While perhaps not as outspoken as Al-Marzook, Abduljalil Khalil is nonetheless recognized for his intelligence, management and administrative skills, and his oratory ability. As the longtime chairman of the Bahrain Society for University Students, Abduljalil maintains close associations with recent university graduates.

Jawad Fairooz represents the 8th district of the Northern Governorate. As a founding member of Al-Wifaq, and one of its most active members, he served as the deputy chairman of the Northern Governorate Municipal Council before winning his parliamentary seat in 2006. He graduated from the University of Texas, El Paso, with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1986 and has a diploma from the University of Bahrain in business administration. His technocratic experience benefits him in parliament, where he serves as chair of the Public Utilities and Environment Committee. His arguments are clear, effective, and evidence-based. He played a key role in the controversial quizzing of Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmed bin Atiyattallah Al-Khalifa over discrepancies in the GOB's population calculations.

Jawad's older brother, Jalal, also serves as an MP, however Jawad's influence is much greater than that of Jalal. Both have a great deal of exposure in the local media owing to their sometimes controversial statements. Jalal represents the 1st district of the Central Governorate. He obtained a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1986 and an MBA from Arabian Gulf University in 1991. His primary concerns are human rights and combating corruption. He serves as the head of Al-Wifaq's human rights and political freedoms committee, and also conducts research on behalf of Amnesty International. In parliament, he generally sits near Ali Salman, and provides him vocal and emotional support.

Wifaq's base includes most of Bahrain's poorer Shi'a; well-off Shi'a gravitate toward more secular societies or avoid politics. Wifaq continues to demand a "true" constitutional monarchy in which elected officials make policy decisions, the prime minister is accountable to the parliament, and the appointed upper house loses its legislative power.

Wifaq works to combat perceived discrimination by the Sunni-dominated government through legislation and disciplined street demonstrations. Wifaq has used its growing parliamentary skill and strong leaders to bolster its position as the leading political force in the Shi'a community. Government officials have privately praised Wifaq for its rejection of illegal demonstrations and respect for "the rules". Wifaq often works with other opposition societies, including Wa'ad, Al Minbar Progressive Democratic Society, and Amal. Al-Wifaq has sought to align itself with Al-Asala because it shares more common interests with Al-Asala than either of the other two blocs in parliament: Al-Mustaqbal, the small grouping of secular Sunnis close to the Prime Minister, and Al-Minbar, the Muslim Brotherhood party.

The 2006 parliamentary election was a significant step forward for democratization efforts as the most prominent Shi'a political society, Al-Wifaq, opted to participate in the election and won 17 of forty seats. Al-Wifaq remained the largest bloc in the COR, but its inability to deliver significant gains for its constituents is causing frustration in the Shi'a community. Al-Wifaq faces a growing challenge from unregistered movements such as Al-Haq, which call on Bahrain's Shi'a majority to withdraw from politics and confront the government in the streets. Al-Wifaq's underwhelming performance during the previous legislative session bolstered those Shi'a who argue that extra-parliamentary opposition is the only way to address their grievances. The other political societies in the parliament, including Al-Asala, criticized Al-Wifaq for not cooperating with them toward shared objectives during the last session.

Protests in 2007 illustrated the division within Bahrain's Shi'a community between those who believe, with Al-Wifaq, that political participation is the path to change, and those who, with al-Haq, see street violence as the only way to achieve redress for the grievances of Shi'a. Protesters denounced Al-Wifaq as "corrupt" and "no better than the government."

Bahrain's main Shi'ite opposition group won 18 out of 40 seats in the first round of parliamentary elections in October 2010. The results follow accusations of voter irregularities and mounting tension between the country's ruling Suni and Shi'ite majority. It is a one-seat increase for the Islamic National Accord Association, also known as al-Wifaq, which gained 17 seats in Bahrain's last election in 2006. The group claimed hundreds of its supporters were prevented from voting this year, but the government denied the accusations. The opposition group claims the government cut voting districts in a way that prevents it from gaining a majority in the assembly.

The mainstream Shia opposition, Wifaq, remained committed to the political process and the parliamentary experiment had been largely successful. Shia rejectionist groups Haq and Wafa' inspire the youths who occasionally clash with police, but before 2011 had not seriously threatened Wifaq's hold on the Shia street.

The eighteen members of the leading Shi'ite al-Wefaq party quit parliament to protest the crackdown on demonstrators on 17 February 2011. They said they will return only when the king agrees to transform the nation into a constitutional democracy with an elected government.

In line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, on 18 February 2011 Justice and Islamic Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali bin Abdullah Al Khalifa called on Al Wefaq Bloc to continue participating in the legislature. He said HM the King stresses the importance of Al Wefaq Bloc's contribution, alongside the other parliamentary blocs, to boosting the democratic march, promoting the rule of law and building the state of institutions within the framework of the national reform project. Shaikh Khalid pointed out HM the King's keen desire to see the legislative power, with all its members, assume its role in fostering the national democratic dialogue for a better and well-deserved future.