It took two years of continuous struggle and hard work and only a few seconds for the Malkiya beachfront situation to be resolved. The king – yes, himself – intervened and ordered the illegal fish-traps removed. The traps of course were installed to prevent people from “trespassing” in the sea in front of a hardly used estate, and were erected in the first place to compensate for the huge loss of face suffered by the owner of said estate – Shaikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, the king’s cousin – when he was ordered two years ago to remove a separation wall he again illegally built.
The papers have branded the removal of the fish traps a win for Bahrain. I don’t. I regard it more as the full highlighting of the complete disregard that some hold the laws, and an affirmation that laws in this country are applied selectively; more-over, the state itself provides the resources for some people to continue to trample all over these laws.
Why else are there riot police stations within the contravening estate hurling abuse at people and officials without and preventing an official work party from removing the traps? Are those “peace keepers” beholden to the transgressor in any way? Are they in his employ, or are they – as they should – in the employ of the Kingdom of Bahrain sworn to serve its people and protect it from harm?
Why is it that after a week of the responsible authority issuing its order to remove the traps from the area their order goes unheeded and it takes the king to intervene in such a trivial matter?
They say that justice should not only be applied, but seen to be applied. Both situations – as evidenced by this debacle – are very far removed from our shores.
I wonder what trick would be employed next to prevent people from “trespassing” on what should be public property, my guess is that it won’t be too long for the press and people to be made busy once again with another brouhaha that would divert the country’s attention from more pressing issues.
UPDATE 070822: Municipal Councillor Yousif Al-Boori is a liar. Neither Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad communicated with him in regards to the Malkiya fish traps, nor did the King intervene and Shaikh Khalid bin Mohammed, the fish traps owner, was the epitome of cooperation in getting them removed and did not hinder their removal. All this morning’s papers are saying so!
إلى ذلك، Ù†ÙÂت الهيئة العامة Ù„ØÂماية الثروة البØÂرية والبيئة والØÂياة الÙÂطرية تصريØÂات البوريالذيادعى ÙÂيها أنرئيس الهيئة سمو الشيخ عبدالله بنØÂمد آل خليÙÂØ© قام بالاتصال به شخصياً، موضّØÂةً أنمدير مكتب رئيس الهيئة هو الذياتصل، مبلّغاً اهتمام سموه بإزالة جميع الØÂظور «المخالÙÂة» بالمملكة بØÂسب البرنامج المتÙÂÙ‚ عليه.
الوسط – ٢٢ أغسطس ٢٠٠٧
So there!
Comments
“The king – yes, himself – intervened and ordered the illegal fish-traps removed” 😡 What next? Will one require a royal intevention to fix a driving license? When will be blessed by ‘rule of law’? AbuRasool
i think its ridiculous that the king has to intervene to actually fix something. Sure, it’s a grand effort by him, but this just clearly shows you what type of crap our legal system has to go through to reach justice
Mahmood, you hit the nail on the head with your final comment. “people to be made busy once again with another brouhaha that would divert the country’s attention from more pressing issues.”
My friend, this is exactly what “they” want people to do. By deflecting everyone’s attention away from things that matter, the Government can continue doing what it always has done.
Sad, but true…..
Mahmood,
I would be careful what I write about the Royal Family if I were you.
Why don’t we just focus on gardening and mating parrots?
😛
Just kidding mate.. but on a serious note.. Freedom of expression is not guaranteed to everyone and you of all people know that 🙂 I just don’t want to see myself spearheading a Free Mahmood campaign!
free mahmood! free mahmood!!!!
Author
hey quit it, this tickles! 😛
Thanks to the King to intervene to fix a sweage leakage in my town…DIY-kindom
Sometimes i wonder how much more low can we get.. Just for some flavor, my next door neighbout erected a sunshade for his car, trust me the muncipality were all over this guy. Apparently, he refused.. Next thing you know, it got dismantled… Like they say… ØÂكم القويعلى الضعيÙÂ