Event of the Week (Saturday, September 19, 2026): Can the “Grand Isa” Medal Conceal His Crimes of Murder and Rape?
On Wednesday, September 16, the tyrant Hamad issued a decree-law establishing the “Grand Isa Medal,” which is to be awarded by his order to heads of state and government, senior members of the Al Khalifa family, and military officers.
At the beginning of this year, the tyrant ordered that 2026 be named the “Year of Grand Isa,” as part of a wide-ranging campaign carrying an official slogan and design under the name “Isa (the Grandfather)” and featuring his image. The campaign was accompanied by a series of activities aimed at establishing the official, falsified narrative surrounding the deposed Al Khalifa ruler, Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa (1869–1932), and portraying his rule as the beginning of the construction of the modern state. At the same time, it sought to conceal the role played by social forces in protesting for the establishment of a modern state and in ending the crimes committed by him and his sons.
Documents confirm Isa bin Ali’s association with a dark period of abuses against the indigenous population (the Baharna), including financial feudalism, land seizures, forced labor, and the rape of women, as well as killings and the terrorizing of villages through the Fidawiya forces. In contrast, his rule witnessed a renewed rise in popular protest movements, culminating in his removal from power in 1923 through a British-engineered process that sought to preserve the Al Khalifa family’s rule.
The Tyrant Hamad and the Whitewashing of a Dark History: The Pursuit of Lies
Analysts believe that establishing the “Grand Isa Medal” is not merely a ceremonial or protocol measure. In addition to its indirect role in promoting the Al Khalifa narrative of Bahrain’s modern history, it is seen as a symbolic means of conferring honorary status on this figure and immortalizing him in the collective memory under coercion. This effectively turns Isa bin Ali—and the falsehoods constructed around him—into a national and historical symbol, in the way that the highest state honors commonly serve in countries around the world.
On the other hand, the identity war being waged by the current tyrant is driving the production of a falsified history of the Al Khalifa sheikhs who were involved in crimes, particularly Isa bin Ali, whose reputation remains deeply tarnished.
Although the repercussions of the war imposed on Iran have caused the “Grand Isa” campaign to falter, the tyrant Hamad sees it as an opportunity to force everyone to adopt his selectively constructed narrative, amid the pressure of the war of ethnic cleansing and terrorism that he is waging today against the descendants of the men who protested against his grandfather Isa, confronted his crimes, and forced the British to remove him from power.
