Editing History of Bahrain (section)

===Iranian Revolution and social and political change===
The tide of [[Islamist|political Islam]] that swept the Middle East in the 1970s, culminating in the [[Iranian revolution]] in 1979 was to have profound implications for Bahrain's social and political development.<ref name=":9" />{{Reference page|page=96, 99, 100}}

There were a number of factors that had caused Bahrain to be more liberal than its neighbours, but these were challenged by the rise of Islamic religious fundamentalism. Bahrain's pluralist traditions were to a large extent a result of the complex confessional and demographic makeup of the country, which required [[Shi'a]] Moslems Arabs, [[Sunni]] Moslem Arabs, ethnic Iranians ([[Hola (ethnic group)|Huwala]]), and ([[Ajam of Bahrain|Ajams]]), and a plethora of minority faiths, to live and work together. This tolerance had been buttressed by the prominence of [[Arab nationalism]] and [[Marxism]] as the main modes of dissent, both of which were socially progressive and downplayed religious affiliations. The country's traditional dependence on trade further encouraged openness. It was the political earthquake represented by the Shah's fall that changed the dynamics of Bahrain's politics.

Sectarian conflicts increased following the [[Iranian revolution|Islamic revolution of Iran]],<ref name=":9" />{{rp|96}} Dr. Ali Akbar Bushehri recounts that the "Khomeini Revolution" created a rift between the Ajams of Bahrain.<ref name=":9" />{{rp|96}} Majority of Bahraini Iranians were opposed to the Revolution, but they [[Herd mentality|started supporting it]] over time.<ref name=":9" />{{rp|96}}

In 1981, the [[Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain]] (an alleged Iranian front organisation), [[1981 failed coup in Bahrain|attempted a coup d'état]]. Their goal was the assassination of Bahrain's leadership and installing an Islamist theocracy with a cleric as supreme leader. The attempted coup and the outbreak of the [[Iran–Iraq War]] led to the formation of the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]], which Bahrain joined with [[Kuwait]], [[Oman]], [[Qatar]], [[Saudi Arabia]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]]. The sense of regional uncertainty was further heightened when [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[Iraq]] invaded Kuwait, triggering the 1991 [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]].