Happy Friday!
Again, sorry for not posting something “fresh” as my camera is still in the shop. Which is really frustrating me.
Thank you your Majesty! We finally know that (a) the march toward democracy is continuing, which is a relief, and (b) we can finally get rid of the bozos who took the last elections boycotting move by the opposition to slip between the cracks and get themselves a cushy job.
Regarding the boycotting, I’m actually happy that that happened as I tend to look at the previous parliament – in technogeek parlance – as a pre-Alpha version. We now at least know what to expect.
The challenges for those forming the next parliament are of course huge, and as people know now what to expect from this democracy thing, they will be monitored a lot more closely, and they will be held accountable for their brainfarts.
The next parliament should be concerned with re-establishing unity within Bahrain, this sectarian thing is really tiring, and removes the spotlights from the real issues which should be discussed.
As far as I’m concerned, the new parliament should have the following priorities, amongst many I am sure, but here’s my list:
I’m sure we all can add to this list, so if you have something that you think should be tackled by the next parliament, please list them in a comment, maybe we can create a document that we can actually send to each and every candidate to include in their electioneering campaign and then hold them to their promises.
Why is there a lump in my throat?
Why do I feel as if I have lost my mother, or my father again, a sibling or a dear friend? The feeling overcoming me since I heard of her death and started reading about her are very similar to those when my own father passed away.
But why?
I didn’t even know Layla!
Yet I find myself sad and despondent.
I find that at a time when my country has been thrown to the wolves, God decides to take the very people who have fought tooth and nail to save it.
At a time when so called “representatives of the people” have sold their conscience, honour and dignity for a handful of dinars, I read that Layla eschewed the surrounds of available wealth to raise the cloak of illiteracy from desperate people.
At a time when the country throws open its door to foreign mercenaries, I learnt that Layla picked up a weapon and went to fight in another Arab land against a foreign oppressor.
At a time when an important arm of our government diligently works to expel the majority of its own people from its institutions and side-lining them based on their religious affiliation, I heard that Layla has never allowed others’ personal beliefs or race to stand in the way of her extended hands of help and friendship.
At a time when the bastardisation of our democracy continues apace and the elected representatives applaud the further restrictions to our freedoms, I read that Layla has opened doors to thousands of our own citizens as well as our Omani brothers and sisters to reach for the sky.
At a time when we trade our ideals for our own selfish comforts, I learnt that Layla has lived the majority of her life in exile fighting for and defending hers.
At a time when our national university is more concerned with its students’ dress code and mannerisms rather than their educational development and giving them the necessary tools to think critically, I read that Layla virtually established the modern educational system in Oman in the 60s.
At a time when our society were more concerned with limiting the role of women, I learnt that Layla established the first women’s society in 1968 and led them to demand and get their rights.
At a time when the ranks of our unemployed and poor are increasing in the midst of untold oil wealth, I read that while Layla was an exile she donated whatever she got from her family in funds and clothes to help those less fortunate.
At a time when illness was slowly eating her away, Layla re-established Bahraini women’s institutions and led them to excel.
And then it came to me:
We were living in the shadow of a giant; and that comforting shade is no longer there.
We were living in the aura of a legend; but we have not yet satiated our thirst from her spirit.
We were living in the surrounds of a hero; yet only her comrades knew her true value.
How can we repay an eternal debt of gratitudes to these legends?
Would naming streets after them suffice? Erect statues in squares? Write books? A series of articles? Build libraries and halls in their honour?
All of these are good, but are never enough.
What Layla Fakhro and her likes struggled to give us is much more than we can ever repay them for; they gave us our dignity back, and recognised each and every one of us as worthy human beings, equal in rights and duties.
How can we ever repay that?
Layla Fakhro, Huda Salem, mama Huda, rest in peace now.
Your lungs have not given up on you as much as your own country has.
I love you Layla. And I’m sorry for not having the pleasure of ever meeting you and kissing your hand.
Goodbye Layla.
You will not be forgotten.
You are the doyen of the pantheon of legends.
>> wiki
I love this guy, Shaikh Salman bin Sager writes a daily column (arabic) in Al-Wasat and is normally hilarious, but cuts to the point and says things that other journalists won’t dare tackle. And maybe because he is part of the royal family he can criticise without having his loyalty continuously questioned. We need more like him, and fast.
Today, he once again ripped the embattled Shaikh Ahmed another hole, if you would pardon the course expression, and in no uncertain terms demanded his resignation from both his official positions. He rightly attributes this demand to save the untold damage that his continued occupation of those offices will do to the propriety of the forthcoming municipal and parliamentary elections in light of Bandargate, let alone the much contentious electronic voting they’re still trying to ram down our throats.
والصراحة التي هي فوق الصراحة هي أن من أعطاه وظيفة مستشار (استرا… تيجي) مازال في موقعه وكاتماً على أنفاسنا في عملية التصويت الإلكتروني للاستحقاقات القادمة، وهو المتمكن والمتحكم في عملية التصويت للمجلس النيابي والمجلس البلدي القادمين… والسؤال المطروح الآن هو كيف نثق في سير عملية الانتخابات القادمة ونزاهة التصويت والذي جاء لنا بهذا (البندر) من الممكن أن يأتي لنا بعدد أكبر من البنادر… وإذا استمر هذا المسئول موجوداً لإدارة عملية التصويت فنحن حينها سنصوت في خرابة.
أنا أقولها من الآن… إذا لم يصدر الأمر بعزل من كان سبباً في غليان الشارع البحريني، واستمر في وظيفتيه (وليس وظيفته) الحساستين، واللتان فيهما مصالح العباد ويشرفان على عملية التصويت القادم فستكون الانتخابات القادمة في خبر كان… وسنستبدل المثل القائل نؤذن في خرابة إلى نصوت في خرابة…
Shaikh Salman rightly says that this fiasco has not been handled properly at all, and it has already damaged the credibility of the government. He further says that in reality if those implicated are not removed (not allowed step aside mind you, but removed, and I fully agree, as this decisive action will – might – get the forthcoming elections regain their credibility, such is the damage done) then we might as well forget about the elections altogether. No one would believe in their outcome.
Therefore, I demand that all political societies declare their unequivocal position now, stop this shy nonsense and demand their removal. They have been given enough chances to do the honourable thing and none of them have, so it is high time that they are removed from those positions immediately.
Nothing else would actually do; none of those implicated even came forward to clear his name and they knew about this report for weeks, which leads me to believe what Dr. Al-Bandar said is the truth! But regardless, truth or lies, it is far too late for any of those named to get out of their holes all squeaky clean, they were avaricious, unpatriotic, sectarian, traitorous morons to the community that nurtured them, and being fired from their positions is the very least they should get.
If they are not immediately removed, then I would fully support an elections boycott, and rightly so.
Can you imagine the implications of this action? The 90s will be a picnic in a peaceful field in comparison to what would come up…
After their expulsion from their positions, the king himself or at least the crown prince should head a panel of inquiry whose findings should be completely transparent and if the panel finds that those people were rightly implicated, they should be tried for the crimes they have committed and pay for them dearly.
Those implicated don’t seem to care however, or maybe they do know that they are above the law, for not only were they not ashamed enough and human enough to do the honourable thing and resign their positions, they allegedly released a doctored report trying to shift (not enlarge!) the blame and implications to known opposition figures.
The temerity of some people!
So do us all a favour and resign for God’s YOUR sakes!
And if you’re a (soon to be or are an) out of work bum and have been implicated like the various so called MPs still defending Shaikh Ahmed to the death, then take heed of what his cousin, another member of the royal family, is doing: standing with what is RIGHT is always the honourable thing to do, and you would be much more loyal to your country by doing so, rather than continuing to bleat like paid-for sheep defending the indefensible.
Traditionally, if something happens in Bahrain that even touches on perceived loyalties to the ruling family, or lack thereof, we get full- or at least half-page adverts crying foul and heavily beating chests in demonstration of the advertiser’s eternal love and loyalty to the royal family, or person, or both, at the cost of “those others” whose loyalty is forever in question.
Strange, as Sawsan Al-Shaer noted[1], that none of these “traditional” paid adverts and chest beatings didn’t appear in any of our newspapers! Not once. But I know why, it’s because the well is firmly shut at the moment and the guy is very hesitant to sign any cheques. For now at least. In the absence of a clear denunciation of those tactics employed which Bandargate brought to light, especially by so called religious men, and as there is apparently no intention whatsoever to do the right thing and announce the formation of a fact finding committee, those funds might soon find their ways to the begging hands of bought and paid for men and women.
What we do have however, is this (arabic), from the bought and paid-for “news”paper; an article that (allegedly) bought and paid-for people mentioned in Dr. Bandar’s report queuing up in support of Shaikh Ahmed Attiyatallah rather than doing the right thing and at least asking him to step aside until an investigation clears his name. Can you smell it yet?
Rock on baby…
Just for those who couldn’t be bothered to read the link above, let me save you the trouble and display the pictures of those (allegedly) bought and paid-for gentlemen, either directly implicated in the report, or they think they’ve done themselves a favour and are running to support Shaikh Ahmed maybe in the hope that he will include them in his largess too at some point in the future?:
[1] hat tip: Hussain Marhoon