Stuck in the regional struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the Shiite communities of the Arab world are often depicted—particularly in the Arab media—as little more than pawns of the Iranian theocracy.In reality, the interests of many of these Arab Shiites, their political outlook and even religious beliefs have long diverged from Iran’s in many crucial aspects. Some of these Shiites, in fact, see little difference between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the two powers in whose battle for supremacy they are caught.“These two regimes are fighting, and I will not accept to be pulled into this fight in which they are using my identity and my sect to serve their own goals,” said Ali Abdulemam, a Bahraini political activist now exiled in London.“I have my own goal: I want to be treated as a human in my country and in my region,” added Mr. Abdulemam, a Shiite who was sentenced to a long prison term in absentia and had his Bahraini citizenship revoked for his role in the 2011 uprising against the Shiite-majority country’s Sunni rulers. -
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