I have read some bogus reports on Bahrain in my long tenure here, over 30 years now but, the following article http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_03_13/68305115/ would qualify for an award by itself as probably the most factually inaccurate article that I have every encountered in all that time.

Demand for freedom - Interview with Nabeel Rajab - President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_03_13/68305115/ VOICE OF RUSSIA

One of the more annoying and dishonest features of this account is its opening statement “Being part of the Arab Spring”. This could not be further from the truth. Simmering sectarian unrest has been fizzling away in Bahrain since the early 80’s. The leaders of the current coup attempt including the man Nabeel Rajab replaced as head of his quasi Human Rights group BCHR, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja ( http://www.twitlonger.com/show/c8rpq4 ) all have served time in jail for previous attempted coups or in absenteeism were barred from reentering the county for revolution activities. This despotic group should anybody care to investigate have solid links to Iran and its theocratic leaders, to Iraqi Shia hardline and Lebanese terror groups. Those that remain free like Saeed Shehabi head of the Bahrain Freedom movement ( http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/files-link-activist-to-iran-regime-6437913.html?origin=internalSearch ) have long been exposed as pawns in a very dirty game being played by Iran.

What happened in Bahrain last February and continues to simmer even today was an opportunistic grab at legitimacy on the back of the Arab spring. A sectarian coup aimed at toppling a rather paternal slightly anachronistic but liberal secular Arab regime with a theocratic Iranian style Islamic republic. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2RLYwaU-yA ) Other Arab revolutions were spontaneous events but that in Bahrain was contrived, preplaned part of a long term strategic plan by the Shia encouraged by Iran, with its allies Hezbollah and other groups that are very active in the Gulf states totally  sectarian in nature.

Sadly by the time the press caught up with events they were already feeding on the media frenzy of the Arab Spring, most of international media had therefore already labelled the regime despotic even before stepping of the plane and the protesters as heroes, fighting for reform and democracy. A sad reflection of the real truth. For none of had even bothered to investigated the history of the main players; the cultural and context of the coup. To their own discredit and with a total disregard of press ethics, reporters seldom talked to the other sides, yes sides; besides the protesters there are the silent majority represented by secular Shia and moderates and the entire Sunni populace, then the government, besides the largest and majority sector of the resident population, the expatriate workers. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Bahrain )

The media jumped in feet first, looking more like vultures following a trial of blood than news hounds following a story. Having committed the cardinal sin of journalism of not doing any research, they so contaminated the e-waves of cyberspace with so much rhetoric and misinformation from the likes of Nabeel Rajab that now when the truth is offered, it is no longer recognized as such. Such has been the level of contrivance and contamination between media and these so called revolutionaries. Who comprising clerics, Human Rights activist, ex-parliamentarians, bloggers, journalists and the notorious cell of Shia Doctors; they now are now given credence over and above all others as if they speak for the people. The media created and defined the villains, none were ever these activists or protesters, despite protesters murdering expatriate workers and killing the police sent to reestablish law and order, despite the protestations of the great silent majority. 

Nabeel Rajab is major player long associated with the main Shia opposition party Al Wefaq National Islamic Society. He is not a fighter for Human Rights but a vindictive political opportunist, hell bent on the down fall of the regime. He neatly plies his new found notoriety under the umbrella of Human rights. He uses their connectivity world wide, selling these disturbances as a revolution for reform and democracy, with him representing the voice of the people. The man is a master at deception, of manipulation and fabrication, of making false claims and filing bogus reports. ( http://fredwillie.newsvine.com/_news/2011/05/07/6603471-american-mission-hospital-bahrain-twisted-activists-manipulate-childs-death )

In the emotionally charged arena of this sectarian conflict Nabeel Rajab is not immune to using coercion and implied threats of further violence to further his cause, as was the case at Fridays Al Wefaq (March 9th) rally. ( http://fredwillie.newsvine.com/_news/2012/03/11/10640228-human-rights-activists-or-political-opportunist-oped ) His manipulation of the truth astounds those that live here. We often ask why nobody ever questions his facts as for instance his claim that more than 300000 attended this rally. The 2010 census tell us their are only 387,465 locals over the age of 15 in Bahrain this include people from both sects Sunni and Shia. Advertised as a Shia Rally, ( http://www.tacticalreport.com/view_news/Bahrain:_Shiite_Opposition_plans_massive_protest_on_Friday/2542 ) it is obvious that the figure was simply plucked out of the air for propaganda purposes. The Rally was said to be one and a half kilometers long yet from photographs and analysis of the crowd in a 500 meter section of road the figures are somewhat surprising ( http://twitpic.com/8v938b ) 2000 people only per five hundred meters. To match the figures banded about by Nabeel Rajab one would need in to find in this photo in excess of 100,000. Where is the evidence that every living Shia turned out and a sizable number of there most ardent opponents. The man like his figures are a fake, he is a charlatan.

Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, have refused repeated attempts to settle the matter through dialogue and negotiation. They with drew from talks with the Crown Prince, they with drew from the National Dialogue and forced all their elected parliamentarians to resign. However this has been to their detriment since they were perceived by many extremists to have failed to deliver on a single point they proclaimed. Out of fear of being out-maneuvered by its own radical fringe and suspicious of the government they have continue to refused negotiations choosing instead to initiate through its Clerical leadership a campaign of civil disobedience and violence. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4BoN7HOXHI ) From his pulpit Isa Qassim the clerical leader of Al Wefaq addressed the most deprived and less educated elements in his flocks initiated a policy of violent confrontation with the security forces. The aim to provoke a reactions from the security personnel one that can then be qualified by Nabeel Rajab as a violation of human rights. In a two week period after this sermon over a hundred policeman where injured some critically in confrontations, the audacity of which beggars believe. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8eDiro7xfE ) ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD3vcYcMAb4 )  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-WkLk2JtiA ) Yet to date I have not seen one words from Nabeel Rajab denouncing these violent tactics. Instead he often appears in videos with the same street thugs events always illegally contrived for use with his propaganda campaign.

Nabeel Rajab obviously believes no one is ever going to question his facts but, people, reporters, the international media need to look a little bit closer at this man before using or being used by him for his messaging. On the question of Oil unlike its Gulf neighbours, Bahrain has little oil wealth and the economy has expanded into banking, heavy industries, retail and tourism. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Bahrain )

On the question of casualties and reform has Nabeel Rajab not heard of the National Dialogue; Al Wefaq did they walked out or the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry  (BICI) ( http://www.bici.org.bh ) and the efforts made by the government over the last 3 months to implement its recommendations. The document in full lays bare the government short comings during the unrest however it does not cover the crimes, the manipulations or fabrications by the protesters themselves. Nor the conniving way in which this local so called Human Rights  worker Nabeel Rajeb has manipulated the truth to further the cause of his so called revolution. The BICI report documents 28 deaths unfortunately there have been several since it was published. The report includes details of the policemen and innocent Expats murdered by the protesters in its total.

Among many here in Bahrain it is often said that, in the main stream media narrative there appears to be a conspiracy to deny all other voices and opinions that contradicts their preconceived, nicely contrived and pre-packaged story from being given any space. Any attempted coup is nasty. We lived through it, witnessed it, we saw what happened, we are eye witnesses. You will not find many expats for instance criticizing the police action on the street, ask yourselves why that is. What happened behind closed doors that is a different story, we all condemn that when it involved torture or abuse. However the individuals who over stepped their authority during the unrest are themselves facing charges, are now being prosecuted. A healthy sign for the future. The BICI report was a turning point, Bahrain has moved on but Nabeel Rajab, his revolutionaries and street thugs have not. He continues to funnel their violence as a consequence of police brutality and protesters rights. In all case we witness first hand these attacks on the police, we see what come first the Molotov the spears the stones the rocks, the tear gas always follows in response but the output in video and rhetoric is always conveniently manipulated to exclude the events that initiated the police action.

A contradicting view to that presented by the main stream media narrative however can be found in more scholarly reports ( http://cejiss.org/editors-desk/bahrain-context ) such as the Central European Journal of International & Security Studies or even in Independent reports of European Human Rights groups such as Human Rights without Frontiers who visited Bahrain and investigated all side all factions and included interviews with top government officials. ( http://www.hrwf.org/images/reports/2011/bahrain%20preliminary%20report.pdf ) and on some independent media channels like this here a useful video exposing Nabeel Rajab & exploitation of Children and more ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD8enD30dfo