The reformist discourse in Bahrain in the Mid-Twentieth Century (1950 -1954)

Abstract

Objectives: The major aim of the current study was to reveal the content of the reformist discourse in Bahrain by analyzing the materials published in “Sawt Al Bahrain” Magazine (1950-1954), and determining the impact of the internal and external forces on the development of the political reform movement in Bahrain. Method: The method of “content Analysis” was used to analyze the reformist discourse in the Bahrain island through two dimensions; the political reform movement since the beginning of the twentieth century until the era of Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (1942 – 1961), and the analysis of 17 media materials from “Sawt Al Bahrain” document revolved around reform. Results: The results of the study revealed that the concepts, ideas, and opinions contained in the reformist discourse in that period (1950 – 1954) paved the way for the comprehensive structural reforms in the system of government, and that coincided with Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom Bahrain assuming power in 1999. Conclusion: The study concluded that the reformist discourse in Bahrain in the mid-twentieth century was clear, specific, and firm in presenting demands for political reform, but it was oscillated between nationalist ideas and Islamic trends.