Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): A Bahraini political authority once summed up the Bahraini political approach towards foreign relations after 2011, saying, mockingly, that it is the Saudi foreign policy itself, but ten minutes late. The Qataris; however, have found a more sarcastic expression to describe Bahrain: "The island of retweets." It is a metaphor for Bahrain's blind dependence on Saudi Arabia, as Manama's stances are nothing but "retweets" of Riyadh's announced position.

This expression was first made by Qatari journalist and editor-in-chief of Al Sharq newspaper, Abdullah Hamad Al-Adhba. In an interview on Qatari TV (July 3, 2017) after the eruption of the Gulf crisis, Al-Adhba downgraded Bahrain's position by stressing that "the most accurate description of the island of Bahrain is that it is a retweet state."

"Let's be realistic, the island of Bahrain is a follower of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which both fund. It has no independent decision, and therefore it is safe to say it is the island of retweets."

Since then, Qataris have creatively used this term to ridicule the stances of the Bahraini leadership with regards to the Gulf dispute and even turned it into a hashtag, #retweet_island.

The Gulf crisis has extracted the worst out of the peoples of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, such as hatred and racism. It; however, also revealed a new face that the Qatari people had and we were not familiar with. It has uncovered their love for humor and satire their skill in employing the spirit of humor in the political dispute. The "3 + ½ blockade states" is another expression Qataris used to express the same point. When compared to the positions of the other three countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, Bahrain does not live up to be a complete numerical figure; as it is half an extension to Saudi Arabia.

In response to the two songs "Qatar's flag" and "Tell Qatar", in which Saudi and Emirati singers attacked Doha's senior officials, Adel Al-Yafe'i, a Qatari Twitter user, said: "We are waiting for the [work] of the retweet island's team." It was just a matter of days when Bahrain produced its own version, a modest rap song that says: "Stop financing terrorism. Turkey and Iran will not benefit you. The solution is in Salman's hands, so take our advice and surrender the Brotherhood."

The average Qatari citizens are not the only ones sharing their sarcastic view of Bahrain's foreign policy, as the government has joined them as well. When Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani was asked about the position of Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the crisis, he said: "[Bahrain has no say in anything whatsoever]. If the decision-making was up to Bahrain, it would have been possible for us to respond to it, but we know that its decisions are made beyond its borders."

As for former Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, in response to a question about the secret behind the extremist statements made by the Bahraini foreign minister, he said: "Sheikh Khalid is my friend; I say God help him... God help him! That's all I can say."

Such satirical comments do not seem to be a problem for Bahrainis to hear, as they are an expression of the reality of the situation there, which has become material for satire locally since the Saudi military intervention in Bahrain launched to crush the 2011 protests. They have always mocked themselves in their dialogues and internal discussions by poking fun at Bahrain's dependence on Saudi Arabia, starting from the crescent of Ramadan to the dates of Eid Al-Fitr and Adha as well as the Hijri year, which are regularly changed to conform with the Saudi calendar, and eventually reaching up to the Gulf crisis.

Unlike the people of the three other Gulf countries, the Bahraini public has distanced itself from the dispute with Qatar and the Qatari people. With the exception of the state media and its few online cells which only have a minimal impact, the crisis with Qatar does not please the majority of Bahrain's elite, artists and public- both those who are in the opposition and even many pro-government parties. Many Bahraini families have close ties with Qatari families. The radical government position has no popular resonance at home.

The Qataris' jokes targeting Bahraini officials resonated and were well received on social media sites, but the reactions of Manama were usually "childish," a combination of bullying and blatant flexing of muscles of power. In response to the weapon of satire used by Qatari Tweeters, Bahrain responded by imposing a visa on Qatari nationals, excluding them from entry passways dedicated for GCC nationals at customs checkpoints. It is the only country among the other Gulf countries imposing the blockade that has taken such a step.

The former Qatari foreign minister explains how Bahrain is usually seen in the frontline of the scene in every crisis with any Gulf state. In an interview with Qatari state TV, he said that when things eventually calm down and they are approached about the matter, Bahraini officials usually respond by saying: "You know our circumstances. We are under pressure." There is no pressure that could force the Bahraini leadership to behave childishly larger than the pressure resulting from hitting rock bottom and the bankruptcy that this tiny dictatorship has reached, becoming the laughing stock of the region.

Arabic Version