ISIS Advances in Iraq Echoed in Bahrain · Global Voices
Noor Mattar

Top Bahrain government officials took to Twitter to show what is being perceived as support for the advances of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a splinter group of the terror organisation Al Qaeda, in Iraq.
On June 11, Bahrain government spokeswoman and Minister of Information Sameera Rajab tweeted [ar]:
أتمنى ان أكون مخطئة،،، وهناك من يؤكد ان داعش اسم يتردد في الاعلام للتغطية على إرادة الشعب العراقي في الحرية والكرامة
— Sameera Rajab (@SameeraRajab) June 11, 2014
I hope to be wrong but there are confirmations that ISIS is a name that is being thrown around in the media as a cover up to silence the will of the Iraqi people for freedom and dignity
Some interpreted this statement as being sympathetic with the extremist Sunni ISIS in its “revolution” against the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government. Following its swift takeover of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, on June 10, the ISIS has since seized a number of smaller cities and towns and it's troops are marching towards the capital Baghdad.
In another tweet, on the same day, Mrs Rajab said [ar]:
وقد تكون احداث الأنبار ثورة ضد الظلم والقهر الذي ساد العراق لأكثر من عشر سنوات، ولم يتعود العراقيون على الاهانة والصبر على الظلم
— Sameera Rajab (@SameeraRajab) June 11, 2014
And the events in Anbar might be a revolution against the injustice and oppression that has reigned over Iraq for more than ten years, and the Iraqis are not used to being insulted and they have no patience for injustice
Meanwhile, chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee at the Shura (Consultative) Council, which is appointed by the King, Dr Shaikh Khalid Al Khalifa doubted that the ISIS was in Iraq to begin with. He tweeted [ar]:
داعش خلال الثلاث سنوات الاخيره في سوريا لم تحتفظ باسير واحد..فكيف في العراق لديها اسرى..هل هي داعش بالفعل في العراق؟
— Khalid Alkhalifa, Dr (@alkhalifabh) June 17, 2014
The ISIS in Syria kept no prisoners in the last three years, how come they have prisoners in Iraq? is it really ISIS in Iraq?
In another tweet, he pointed the finger at regional and international players with a master-plan to destroy the Arab World and tear it apart, saying [ar]:
تتوافق المصالح:ايران لديها اطماعها عند العرب واسرائيل وامريكا تهدف الى تفتيت وتشتيت العرب وحجه التعاون الامريكي الايراني لضرب العرب الارهاب.
— Khalid Alkhalifa, Dr (@alkhalifabh) June 14, 2014
Interests intersect: Iran has ambitions in Arab countries and Israel and the US aim to break up the region and turn it into factions. The excuse for the American Iranian cooperation to attack Arabs is terrorism
And in another tweet, Dr Al Khalifa noted:
يجب جر ايران للمعارك في العراق و عدم ترك العراق و اﻻ سوف تاتي المعارك الى دول الخليج و خير وسيله للدفاع هي الهجوم..اللهم احمي العراق.
— Khalid Alkhalifa, Dr (@alkhalifabh) June 13, 2014
Iran should be dragged into the wars in Iraq and Iraq shouldn't be left or else the wars will come to the Gulf countries. The best way to defend [yourself] is to attack. May God protect Iraq
However, the only official reaction issued by the country on Iraq concerns the pulling out of diplomats from there “due to the unfolding security situation.”