VZCZCXRO7610
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMK #0560 2380639
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250639Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SESTATE WASHDC 8073
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0281
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS MANAMA 000560 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
BAGHDAD FOR AMBASSADOR ERELI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KISL PHUM BA
SUBJECT: SHI'A CELEBRATE BIRTH OF THE TWELFTH IMAM 
 
REF: MANAMA 49 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Bahrain's Shi'a population staged their 
largest-ever celebration of the birth of the twelfth Imam. 
The festivities were orderly.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Bahrain's Shi'a, known for their large annual Ashura 
mourning processions, have begun to emphasize happier 
holidays over the last several years.  Of these celebrations, 
Nasaf Al Sha'abeen, the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 
twelfth Imam, is the most important. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Shi'a from Bahrain and from Saudi Arabia's Eastern 
Province converged on central Manama on August 16 in what 
was, according to contacts in the Shi'a community, the 
largest celebration of Nasaf Al Sha'aban in Bahrain to date. 
Local dailies reported that over 7,000 people attended the 
event.  Matams (Shi'a community guilds) and Manama families 
set up tables and offered sweets and sandwiches to the 
attendees.  Children, bearing sacks, knocked on doors and 
were given candy and change.  Teenagers showered passers-by 
with rosewater.  Shops stayed open late and played loud, 
upbeat music.  In a new addition to this year's celebrations, 
the Bin Rajab family blocked off a street and created a 
children's play area, complete with moon bounce.  Unlike 
Ashura, there were very few signs of sectarianism.  Poloff 
noticed only one politically-themed sign, and there were none 
of the folding tables laden with political pamphlets so 
common at Ashura.  A small police presence on the outskirts 
of the celebration area focused on traffic management, and 
didn't interfere in the festivities. 
 
¶4. (U) Many villages also marked the occasion.  Jidhafs, best 
known for its frequent anti-government protests, hosted a 
large and orderly festival for Nasaf Al Sha'aban on August 
¶19.  The large black and green flags on display in Jidhafs 
for most of the year were temporarily replaced with festive 
banners. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: Eight years into King Hamad's political 
liberalization, Bahrain's Shi'a continue to grow more 
confident in  expressing their identity. 
 
********************************************* ******** 
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ 
********************************************* ******** 
HENZEL