Archive | November, 2009

“Bahraini Views” interview in Khaleejesque

Bahraini Views is in the news again. I’ve been interviewed by the lifestyle and popular culture online eZine Khaleejesque to shed some light on the Bahraini Views initiative.

A celebration of Bahrainis who inspire generations with their experiences and efforts, Bahraini Views is a pioneering project featuring Bahrainis in various fields talking about their experiences and work mottos. Those 2-minute short videos aim to document how those respective Bahraini role models from all walks of life rose above their circumstances and made something of themselves, their lives, and their communities. Produced and brought about by Mahmood Al-Yousif, these short videos have been a hit online and on Bahrain’s National TV Channels alike. Khaleejesque got in touch with this pioneering producer and discussed Bahraini Views, the need to share experiences, and inspire others.

read the full article here

It’s interesting to note that Khaleejesque got to know about Bahraini Views via Twitter and requested the interview via a connection with me there. Interesting this social media thing isn’t it?

Pigs Flu Jabs Inaugurated in Bahrain with Minister

The Minister of Health was the first to receive the H1N1 vaccine in Bahrain yesterday

As the caption says, our Minister of Health Dr. Faisal Al-Hamer together with top “influencers” including businessman Farouq Al-Moayyed, ex-MoH undersecretary Abdulaziz Hamza and a bevy of other personages too were the first to be given the H1N1 vaccine in Bahrain. About 200 according to this piece from Al-Wasat this morning:

دشّن وزير الصحة فيصل الحمر أمس لقاح انفلونزا الخنازير في مركز حمد كانو الصحي بحضور وكلاء الوزارة تحت شعار «التزامك بلقاح H1N1 يحمي أسرتك».

وكان أول المطعمين خلال التدشين كل من الوزير ووكيل الوزارة السابق عبدالعزيز حمزة ومسئولي وزارة الصحة ووكلاء الوزارات الأخرى وصاحب الأعمال فاروق المؤيد وعالم الفلك وهيب الناصر، وبلغ إجمالي المطعمين خلال التدشين أكثر من 200 شخص من بينهم عدد من الأطفال.

وقال الوزير الحمر في كلمته «بلغ مجموع حالات الإصابة بانفلونزا الخنازير المثبتة مختبريا في البحرين 888 إصابة حتى الرابع من نوفمبر/ تشرين الثاني الجاري من أصل 3074 حالة تم اختبارها، وبلغ مجموع الحالات ذات الأعراض الشبيهة بالانفلونزا 15 ألف حالة، وسجلت البحرين ثمان وفيات من جراء المرض من بينها أربع حالات لمواطنين، وحرصا من الوزارة على سلامة المجتمع كافة تم التعاقد مع كبار الشركات المصنعة لاستيراد مليون جرعة من لقاح انفلونزا الخنازير ستصل على دفعات».
Al-Wasat – 8 Nov 09

GDN version here (English)

The minister also confirmed that we have 888 cases of proven H1N1 cases in Bahrain resulting in 8 deaths out of a suspected pool of 15,000 cases out of which his ministry tested 3,074 in the lab. The common lore suggests multiples of that actual figure of course, but who’s counting? They want to jab-happy the whole population.

Our friend Alia Al-Moayed – a known nutritionist and health expert – doesn’t support this jab-happy approach. She was actually reprimanded (and threatened to have her license revoked) by the same ministry for “spreading untruths and panic” to her suggestion to the adoption of the healthier lifestyle as a natural antidote to this Swine flu malarky. I’ll call them somehow getting one of her uncles to be jabbed right after the minister a simple coincidence.

Regardless though, I’m not really interested in either point of view. I’ve heard enough now to be completely confused. For the moment; however, I’ll defer to the side of Alia than I would with Faisal.

Now, with that, I shall declare a little Mtv-style competition open and that is for the best caption on the picture above – not sure what I’ll offer as a present though, maybe to try to get the winner to the top of the queue for a jab?

Have at it guys!

Pulling out, and it’s about time

I applaud the Indonesian government for doing something concrete to protect their citizens, even resorting to a ban against some Middle Eastern countries form employing them owing to the various abuses they suffered from.

I wonder if other labour exporters will do likewise. And if they do, I think we will be in the centre of an economic implosion that will undoubtedly rival and surpass the one which the world is attempting to climb out of.

Indonesia hits Arab states with worker ban

Indonesia is to repatriate around 1,750 nationals working in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan and place a ban on its citizens working in these countries due to mistreatment, its manpower minister said in remarks published on Tuesday.

“At least 1,750 migrant workers employed in the Middle East will be repatriated and for this purpose the government will send aircraft to the Middle East starting on November 9,” Muhaimin Iskandar was quoted as saying by the Indonesian News Agency (Antara).

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Iskandar said there were numerous instances of workers were not being paid and suffering physical abuse.

“Indonesians in these countries are working in appalling conditions because they are not being treated justly. Many of them become victims of violence and live in conditions below minimum welfare standards,” he said.

“In some of the Middle Eastern countries, the rate of violations by employers against migrant workers is quite high,” he added.

Iskandar said the government plans to strengthen its recruitment procedures for citizens going abroad, including the protection of workers’ rights.

“Improvements will in the first place have to be made in the recruitment and training systems, provision of health services, transportation to airports and eventually in the workers` protection in destination countries to prevent the recurrence of abuses,” he said.
Maktoob

American Soldier

Some people say that you can’t tell a story with just pictures. I say if done properly, you can tell multiple stories and evoke so many emotions with a few good pictures. The mark of a good photographer is his or her ability to encapsulate that emotion in a photograph.

I think the series of “An American Soldier” which follows a young American man for 27 months of his life really encompasses that.

Brilliantly told. Brilliantly photographed.

This is how an American soldier is made.

For 27 months, Ian Fisher, his parents and friends, and the U.S. Army allowed Denver Post reporters and a photographer to watch and chronicle his recruitment, induction, training, deployment, and, finally, his return from combat.

Follow the pictorial of Collected Photos at the Denver Post.