A long weekend and a lot to do in the garden with a new growing season, the bloggers gathering and the sending up of political test balloons.
Episode links:
World Press Freedom Day • My gardening escapades • Yacoub’s Dome • Bahrain set to name Jewish woman envoy • Looking for employees is harder than I expected.
May 3rd of every year coincides with the World Press Freedom day, today is the 18th occurrence of this celebration. On this occasion, I wish to recognise hardworking journalists everywhere and pay them the respect that a lot of them deserve. I would also like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those brave journalists who paid with their very lives to get us the stories we read in our newspapers.
Bahrain has a long way to go before we can be considered to have free press; though the situation is infinitely better than it was even 10 years ago, there are still some things which must be done to remove the restrictions that this very noble profession suffers from.
The king has always been for more press freedoms and today’s reports solidify his position. He recognises that in the press is a good partner for progress and promises that more restrictions will be removed by the formation of modern laws which prohibit the imprisonment of journalists for their published articles and opinions. It is hoped then that our parliament will enact his majesty’s wishes promptly and adopts a law which encompasses his vision.
I wish to also congratulate the Bahrain Journalists Association for adopting a very worthwhile cause to celebrate this day; they have launched a code of ethics emphacising their opposition to inflaming sectarian hatred and invited all journalists in Bahrain to affirm that goal by participating in it by signing on the code of ethics document in their society’s headquarters in Juffair today.
In spite of the “severe” objections from Islamist MPs, Hayfa sang last night at the Gulf Hotel and thrilled the audience who filled the hall with all tickets sold!
What does this demonstrate? Does it demonstrate that the MPs have no authority whatsoever, or is it that the government chose – in its wisdom – to simply stall and ignore them completely and do nothing to let the concert go on?
To me, I think it clearly demonstrate the at the very least the MPs did not choose their battle wisely, they rushed things, polarised opinions, stepped on multiple toes and in the end, the lady sang despite all their objections, resolutely poking her fingers in their wandering eyes while thanking them, even subliminally, for making her show a memorable sellout concert.
Hang on, maybe it was that in the first place, both Hayfa and the MPs were in cahoots. It was a planned PR and marketing exercise to ensure that the tickets – even the expensive ones – sell out completely!
Smart! Those MPs are very very smart!