Bahrain cracks down on Iran agents buying land

Shia Imperialism hard at work buying up land in Bahrain:

ABU DHABI — Bahrain has launched an effort to block an Iranian takeover of the Gulf Arab kingdom.

Officials have drafted a series of regulations meant to prevent Iranian agents from spreading Teheran's influence in the Gulf Cooperation Council state. They said the regulations were designed to block Iran from purchasing property through Shi'ite supporters in Bahrain.
The focus of the Bahraini effort has been the province of Muharraq. Officials said Iranian agents have been purchasing property from the minority Sunni community in a trend that has alarmed the government.

Sixty percent of Bahrain's population is comprised of Shi'ites, Middle East Newsline reported. During elections in November 2006, Sunnis and other loyal to King Hamad managed to retain nominal control of parliament.
Muharraq Gov. Salman Bin Hindi has ordered a halt to all land and property transfers in his province. Bin Hindi said all such transactions would require his approval.
Another regulation stipulated that only families deemed indigenous would be allowed to purchase property in Muharraq, Bahrain's second largest city. Officials said the reference was mostly to Sunni families.

"No one can accuse me of sectarian discrimination because I am closer to the Shi'ites in Muharraq than the Al Wefaq Society," Bin Hindi, referring to the Shi'ite opposition group, said in a statement.
The Iranian embassy in Manama has denied that it was seeking to buy property in Muharraq. Shi'ite politicians said the new government policy was discriminatory.

"The government has allowed non-Bahrainis to own property in Bahrain, but Bahrainis are denied such rights," Abdul Nabi Al Ekri, a prominent Shi'ite opposition member, said. "Such a policy is totally wrong and would have grave implications for national unity."
Shi'ite groups said they would protest the new policy to international human rights organizations. They said the policy violated international law as well as Bahrain's constitution.
"The decision violates fundamental rights and we might take up the case with the competent international human rights commissions," Bahrain Human Rights Society leader Abdullah Al Durazi said.