History of Bahrain |
---|
![]() |
![]() |
The National Union Committee (Arabic: هيئة الاتحاد الوطني) was a nationalist reformist political organization formed in Bahrain in 1954 (originally named the Higher Executive Committee, Arabic: الهيئة التنفيذية العليا). The committee was formed by reformists in response to sectarian clashes between Sunni and Shia members of the population. Its foundations were laid in the journal, Sawt al-Bahrain, which was founded and published by these reformist figures.[1] The original aims were to push for an elected popular assembly, a codified system of civil and criminal law, the establishment of an appellate court, the right to form trade unions, an end to British colonial influence (through the removal of Charles Belgrave), and an end to sectarianism.
The original committee was made up of four Sunni representatives and four Shi'i representatives.[2] The members were:
One of the early members of the committee was Ali Sayyar, who joined in 1956 and would become a veteran journalist in Bahrain.[3]