Bahrain Students Ordered to Pledge Support for Regime

University Students Told to Sign or Leave School

Reports coming out of the island nation of Bahrain indicate that, as the latest effort by the regime to curb dissent are demands that students sign loyalty pledges as a condition of attending college.

The University of Bahrain in Sakhir has distributed pledges to every student on Sunday, demanding them to sign a statement vowing loyalty to the Sunni monarch. The pledge adds “I acknowledge that not signing this document means I do not wish to continue my education un the University of Bahrain.”

Reports suggest that the university also suspended a large number of students for either participating in demonstrations against the regime or for expressing support for the protests on Facebook.

Bahrain saw protests involving a significant portion of its population, with the Shi’ite majority demanding equal rights and free elections. The GCC invaded the nation to help the Bahraini royal family put down the protests.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.