The London-based Arab daily Al-Quds al-Arabi reported Friday that protesters have taken to the streets again in Bahrain. The English-language media is ignoring this almost entirely, but we have tried to cover it here at Publius Pundit (see Mass March Urges Reform in Bahrain and Crackdown Coming in Bahrain?).

This is a translation of the Al-Quds article, “Thousands Protest in Bahrain to Demand Reforms“:

Thousands of Bahrainians engaged in mass protest to demand the implementation of constitutional reforms through a call from the four political associations… near the village of Sanabis in the west of the capital Munama carrying Bahrainian flags and repeating slogans demanding the implementation of constitutional changes. Organizers estimated the number of demonstrators at 30,000, but independent sources estimated approximiately 6,000 persons.

In a statement to Agence France Press, the head of the Islamic National Accord Association, Shaikh Ali Sulayman, stated that… ‘there is a real problem with regard to the matter of the constitution and it is necessary to deal with it to find a solution… we hope that there will be ways to work with the authorities to reach common ground… the recourse to the street does not contradict our commitment to dialogue but is a call for it.’

And the opposition demands the insertion of amendments to the constitution focusing on more reforms of the elected parliament and lessening the legislative powers of the appointed consultative council. Sulayman added that ÄmostÅ believe that in the case that there are no amendments to the constitution then they will maintain their position on the elections and boycott those scheduled in 2006.

It is also important to bear in mind the regional context; Bahrain is a largely Shia country governed by a Sunni monarchy close to the United States (a U.S. naval base is located there), while some of the Shia opposition have links to Iran. It was in part Iranian support for uprisings among Shia Arabs in the 1980s that led to the Persian Gulf states supporting Iraq in its war with Iran 1980-1988.

Contributed by Kirk H. Sowell at Window on the Arab World, and More!