Political parties are illegal in Bahrain but operate as ''de facto'' political parties under the term political societies. Political societies in Bahrain range from the
communist left
Left communism, or the communist left, is a position held by the left wing of communism, which criticises the political ideas and practices espoused by Marxist–Leninists and social democrats. Left communists assert positions which they reg ...
to the
Islamist right.
Current
Banned Parties
registered opposition:
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Al Wefaq
Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society ( ar, جمعية الوفاق الوطني الإسلامية; ), sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest co ...
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National Democratic Action Society
The National Democratic Labour Action Society – Wa'ad ( ar, جمعية العمل الوطني الديمقراطي – وعد) is Bahrain's largest leftist political party.
History and profile
It emerged from the Popular Front, a "radical" c ...
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Islamic Action Society
The Islamic Action Society ( ar, جمعية العمل الإسلامي ''Jamʿīyah al-ʿAmal al-ʾIslāmī''), sometimes shortened to ʿAmal ( ar, أمل), was one of the main Islamist political parties in Bahrain, and mainly appealed to Shī ...
The unlicensed opposition:
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Bahrain Freedom Movement
The Bahrain Freedom Movement ( ar, حركة أحرار البحرين الإسلامية, Harakat Ahrar al-Bahrayn) is a London-based Bahraini opposition group which has its headquarters in a north London mosque. Its main medium is the Voice of B ...
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Haq Movement
The Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy ( ar, حركة حق حركة الحريات والديمقراطية) is an opposition political organization in Bahrain founded in November 2005 with Hasan Mushaima as its secretary general. Several of ...
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Al Wafa' Islamic Movement
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
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February 14 Youth Coalition
Coalition Youth of 14 Feb Revolution (), sometimes called The Coalition () is a Bahraini youth group, named after the date of the beginning of Bahrain's uprising, and led by anonymous individuals who organize protests chiefly via new-media si ...
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Al-Ashtar Brigades
The al-Ashtar Brigades (''Saraya al-Ashtar'', named after Malik al-Ashtar), or AAB for short, is a Shiite militant group in Bahrain designated as a terrorist organization by the governments of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, ...
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Al-Mukhtar Brigades
The al-Mukhtar Brigades, also called Saraya al-Makhtar or Bahraini Islamic Resistance, is a Bahraini Shia insurgent movement that has taken part in several attacks against government targets. It is classified as a terrorist organization by multip ...
See also
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Politics of Bahrain
Politics of Bahrain has since 2002 taken place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy where the government is appointed by the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The head of the government since 2020 is Crown Prince Salman bin Ham ...
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Bahraini opposition
The Bahraini opposition refers to a group of political groups who are opposed to the Cabinet of Bahrain government and the ruling monarch of the Sunni House of Khalifa. Currently, the Bahraini opposition can be divided into the officially registere ...
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List of ruling political parties by country
This is a list of ruling political parties by country, in the form of a table with a link to an overview of political parties in each country and showing which party system is dominant in each country. A political party is a political organizat ...
{{Bahrain topics
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
Politics of Bahrain
Political parties
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
Political parties
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...