Bahrain’s F1 will utterly shame the government for hosting a race amid “brutal suppression, legitimate political grievances, and economic woes” throughout the country, an analyst tells Press TV.


Anti-regime protesters in Bahrain continue their rallies against the Formula One Grand Prix set to begin in the Persian Gulf country. “Down, Down Hamad” and “We don't want Formula One,” the protesters shouted in reference to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The tournament is scheduled to kick off in Bahrain on Sunday.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Beirut-based political analyst Sara Marusek to further discuss the issue. The following is a transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Miss Marusek, thank you very much for joining us. Now as the race is officially set to start today I’d like to get your reaction to the race’s motto being and I’m quoting now “unified one nation in celebration.” Now is Bahrain a unified nation that is celebrating?

Marusek: Well, clearly not. I mean it’s very evident from the pictures that are coming out; tens of thousands are protesting against the regime, the brutal oppression of the security services against those protesters, the killing of yet another martyr in Bahraini revolution.

This country is not at all united and in fact it’s very lopsided, the opinion against the ruling regime. The majority of Bahrainis have been struggling for more than a year now to express their will to the international community that they’ve had enough.

They initially were only asking for reform but because of the brutal suppression they’ve decided now that they can no longer even work with this government because the government has made pledges for reform that have not happened and instead we see an increasing oppression against the Bahraini peaceful demonstrators.

And it’s just ongoing and ongoing and the formula one is only providing an outlet for them finally to get their voices out because sadly the international media has not paid attention, largely due to Western political interests in Bahrain and the support of neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia.

And so this is actually going to provide an opportunity for the Bahraini people to utterly shame their government for spending 40 million dollars on hosting an elite race when there is brutal suppression; there are legitimate political grievances, economic woes throughout the country and so this is going to be the beginning of the end of the regime in my opinion.

Press TV: Speaking of the elite Miss Marusek, F1’s head and drivers participating in this race have denied altogether the presence of the protesters, using words such as peaceful and quiet to describe the atmosphere as well as hyped regarding the media’s attack on the monarchy’s repression. Now do they truly believe what they say or are their intentions more sinister as well?

Marusek: Well, of course their intentions are motivated by profit, the reason why the racers and their companies go ahead with the F1 is because they have a financial interest to do so and I think that, you know, to some degree the Bahraini regime has struggled to try to separate the protesters from the actual people participating in the race.

Although it’s really obvious that they’re not going to be successful and so really it’s quite disappointing to listen to what’s happening from those participating in the F1 but they have a financial interest at stake and also we’re from societies in the West, here they basically think that it’s OK to carry on with the status quo that is somehow taking a neutral position according to this Western way of thinking.

So that we can still carry on and do a race and we’re not making a statement for or against the Bahraini people but that’s really obviously not the case. By actually coming to Bahrain and participating in the F1 it’s not going to work but they’re trying to give more legitimacy to the Bahraini regime that is brutally oppressing its people.

And so they are taking a political stand by participating and I think the international community, not only the Bahraini people are going to condemn this action and they’re going to suffer the consequences in the long run.