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events from that time which were given to me through the memories of many

Bahrainis from that generation. It was apparent that not only Belgrave left a mark

on Bahrain’s political scene but so did the members of the nationalist movement, in

particular Abdul-Rahman Al-Bakir and Abdul-Aziz Al-Shamlan. Unfortunately many

of those who survived that era -- regardless of their political inclinations -- have

died without documenting their memories or perspectives of that crucial time in

Bahrain’s modern history.

Nothing captured my imagination more than my mother’s story of her uncle

and brother discreetly looking from the arabesque window of the family’s old

residence in Fareej Al-Fadhel (Al-Fadhel neighbourhood) in Manama in the early

hours of 6 November 1956 as they witnessed the arrest of the leader of Bahrain’s

nationalist movement, Abdul-Rahman Al-Bakir, who lived in very near to the

family’s home. The arrest signalled the fall of the nationalist organisation.

As an adult, these second-hand memories of the events surrounding the

conflict that had unfolded in Bahrain from 1953 to 1957 remained with me. I was

curious to know more and I started to look for what had been published about them.

I was also intrigued by the words of Bahraini journalist Saeed Al-Hamad in February

2012 as he commented in an article published by Bahrain’s Al-Ayam (The Days)

newspaper mourning the death of a supporter of the Movement. He said:

Documentation and writing about history is not part and parcel of our
Arab culture. Despite the fact that many new generations studied in
Western schools and universities, they did not learn how to
implement it and are not influenced by this important Western
quality. The history of our men and women from the national
movement is scattered and under threat of being lost.
4

4 S. Al-Hamad, ‘Jassim BuHiji Wada’an’ [Farwell to Jassim BuHiji], Al-Ayam, 28 February 2012, 21.

© Hamad E. Abdulla vi