I’m back!
Hello my friends! I missed you!
I can’t thank you enough for your generous support over the last couple of days. They have been very difficult for my family and friends. I’m glad to say that I have been handled well enough while incarcerated. The authorities launched an investigation and I answered and defended myself as best I could. I’m happy to relate that they didn’t find anything indictable so they released me. I can’t thank them enough for this.
I must say that the allegations which appeared on Facebook and propagated unnecessarily and unfairly in itechbahrain complicated the situation appreciably. Although I did try to get itechbahrain and the Facebook pages to see their error, they insisted on spreading their malicious and completely unsubstantiated rumours, they were adamant in their beliefs. These might very well have resulted in the destruction of not just my own personal life, but those of my dependents, my family members, my staff and business. I’m glad their efforts have miserably failed.
I do hope; however, that they see the error of their ways now. I don’t want anything from these people, what I do want is what’s good for my country. As such, I offer them peace and ask them to please think before they spread dangerous information. The least they can do, is give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and double check their information before they publish it, especially when that information can have such a devastating effect as this has had.
What this country needs right now is the start of a much needed healing process. I promise you that this process of healing will continue to be my primary concern and I shall continue to contribute to it in any way that I can.
I also hope that as now the premise for my detention has been determined to be false; the responsible authorities will choose to dismiss any investigations, if any, in relation to anyone wrongfully mentioned in those despicable pictures.
Thank you all for your tremendous support. I am truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support I have seen. I’m still shell-shocked. My family is just about bruised and battered, but our own healing has already started very much aided but your love.
Stay safe my friends. We have a lot of work to do. Bahrain deserves all of our concerted efforts to achieve a better future for all.
Delighted to see that you are home and safe.
I’ve been so worried during your absence.Yours is the voice of reason and compassion that needs to be heard across this divided world.
Welcome back Mahmood,
The bloggosphere is a much nicer (and saner) place now that you are back among us. Stay strong friend.
All The Best
Jeffrey Warren
http://worldathon.wordpress.com
Dear Mahmood,
I’m so glad that you’re home again. I used to follow your garden blogs which I loved but now I follow you on another spectrum….. Take care of yourself and your family!
Best regards,
Nadia from Thailand
I am glad that your are OK.
Welcome back.
Hey Mahmood! Hamdella 3al salama. I didn’t know and still unsure of what picture it was. I’ve been away too long, but just glad ur safe and back with ur family. Hope u stay safe and will follow ur issue.
Welcome back !! Great to hear that your alright. =D
Welcom back, Thanks GOD u r allright, may GOD pless u and ur family
Welcome back, Mahmood!
I hope you have had a good group hug with family and friends, a well deserved hot bath, and a fine meal, not to mention a good night’s sleep.
I can’t help but wonder though if the jail food is as bad in Bahrain as it is in here in the United States…LOL.
Again: Welcome back!!
I read where an Bahraini blogger had been arrested and instantly thought of you,
It was you and I was devastated.
Words cannot describe how happy I am to hear that you are home again!
Great to see you back. There is hope!
الحمدلله على السلامه …
Thank God Mahmood you were not hurt and was released soon.
unfortunately, many others, more than 300 to be exact, do not get the same treatment and many others are probably tortured.
WELCOME BACK
Big sigh of relief that you are one of the few released ones. Hope more follow. Welcome back.
Glad to have you back. Did not know that you were detained as I have not been following the papers diligently due to work load. But I am surprised that you would be detained. Perhaps they needed a person of your capacity to show them the voice of reason and the right path. May Allah give you and yuor family the much neede solace and sense or perspective to focus on your healing process and goals. May all of Bahrainis heal well and completely (although I know that is a dream and a long shot and then some) but I have hope and pray to Allah for calm and reason and a sense of what is much needed now, reconcilliation and healing.
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When did I advocate violence against your mother? When did I ask for her to be strung up and hanged, killed or molested? I still strongly disagree with her – as many in this country do – yet never once did I condone violence against her.
Al Wasatnews website blocked… Newspapers were not circulated today…
And again welcome back Mahmood
GDN this morning:
‘Bahrain last night suspended Al Wasat newspaper for publishing “unethical and unprofessional” reports.’
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=303091
Whats the editorial equivalent of the blind reporting on the blind…..???
That’s not what I was referring to. I was referring to your calling for not spreading lies. U werent exposed to violence so why dramatize it? U said u were treated well..
U name called and accused her of things out of pure assumption. U think this did not provoke violence towards her? Think about how many people read your tweets Mahmood
Let’s not act coy. You really should practice what you preach.
And why are you angry? I just gave you the same patronizing advice you gave me
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Fair enough. Touché. I apologize.
For the readers’ benefit, declare who your mother is.
Hi Mahmood,
OK. Keep on keeping on.
Cheers,
Wiilie
Once again,alhamdulilaah ala alsalamah.
I tried and tried but there is no way to see what the government is thinking when it keeps on creating enemies instead of seeking to heal wounds.
cheers Mahmood!
AbuRasool
Many thanks AbuRasool.
I don’t know either. Very weird and contravenes logic to say the very least…
It has struck me that they are for one thing, completely out of their depth and have reacted in the most feral way possible which is very odd and completely counter productive.
The worst point is, the more the authorities carry on in this fashion the more intractable the problem becomes. The room for negotiation of any kind sinks with each arrest and with each person hurt.
Woke up today and realised something: A government waging war on its own people !!
http://www.m5zn.com/uploads/2011/4/3/photo/040311100420d0iuhgue.bmp
http://208.100.39.36/showthread.php?t=265961
Hamdilla 3a salama Mahmood… and God protect us all..
Incarcerated? I didn’t know until this minute. How very depressing to contemplate and environment when honest speech is punished and dishonest speech promoted.
Actually some dishonest speech has been punished
@Robert Examples?
Al Waset?
What relevance do the accusations against Al Wasat have to the arrests of non-violent bloggers and tweeps like Mahmood and @emoodz?
(If you disagree that either are non-violent, please link to your proof?)
None! @Annony just wanted examples of dishonest speech (written or verbal) being punished – which was in response to the @stevetheamerican accusation that only honest speech was being punished.
As a general comment though it appears that the last thing anyone seems to be considering at the moment is the truth.
Ah now I understand. Thank you.
Not being able to read Arabic, I can’t come to a conclusion about the allegations against Al Wasat. But I remain very suspicious that the chief publicist was openly-sectarian, hate-promoting, BTV.
Woke up today and realised a government waging war on its own people, we are on the urge of a sectarian “apartheid”. Why?
Hundreds being fired from their jobs “you know who they might be”, even those who did not take part in the strike or do not have to do anything with politics
Hospitals not permitted to treat the injured, infact hospitals are hijacked.
Villages daily raided with innocent people especially women and children being assaulted.
Mosques and other houses of worship (matams) are daily being saboutaged, which is a sign that the freedom of belief is opressed.
Freedom of speech hijacked.
Maybe even members of the National football team would be threatened.
With all this happening, the Govt. is giving people a strong justification why to refuse dialogue, and had helped in building up a feeling of anger amongst the people, and infact strengthening the justification of the people who refused the dialogue since “17th February” even before the CP’s efforts and assurances to initiate talks.
And this looks ugly:
http://www.m5zn.com/uploads/2011/4/3/photo/040311100420d0iuhgue.bmp
Hi Robert,
Sorry I didn’t mean who was being punished. I should have been more clear. What wrong information did AlWasat publish?
I do agree with you that truth seems to be in short supply at the moment, wherever one may turn.
http://www.dailybahrain.com/news/newsfull.php?newid=488859
Has anyone found any independent investigations of the allegations against Al Wasat published yet?
You’re asking too much… is there any thing independent?
Hahaha!
Okay, what about a ‘differently biased’ investigation that doesn’t just repeat BTV, government or royal family claims?
Well there is no specific story adopted yet… And there had been rumours that Chief in Editor Mansoor Al Jamri was suspecting that his workforce had been penetrated, but all those rumours are from talks in some dialogue forums on the net.
May be the best answer is this:
“في فمي ماء”
http://www.alwasatnews.com/data/2011/3132/images/main_car-d2.jpg
2 Al Wasat journalists deported to Ieaq yesterday I believe
Twitters abound that BBC not being allowed back to Bahrain – anyone able to confirm this? Or is it just that bloody woman?
http://comment.rsablogs.org.uk/2011/03/17/rsa-animate-internet-society-empowering-censoring-citizen/
Great look at the power of cyberspace
Look at BBC website Middle East page and the report titled “Kingdom Divided” written by Frank Gardner who has been in Bahrain for BBC during recent days
Welcome back, Mahmood! Glad to hear you’re safe.
many thanks my friend.
welcome of new
Mahmood,
I thank God for your release. I was born in Bahrain and now live in the United States. However I am not an Arab. I appreciate your comments and your feedback on the situation. I am concerned about Human Rights in Bahrain. I am deeply concerned about the way migrant workers are treated in Bahain. I have seen housemaids who are raped, expatriate workers who are beaten. Please start writing about the plight of these workers. I want justice for them. They leave their families and move to countries like Bahrain? Can God’s representative step in and do something about it. I pray for your safety!
Mahmood,
We communicated a few years ago when you used one of my photos and I have followed your blog now and then since.
I was shocked (but not surprised) to see that you had been arrested and very pleased that you are now free.
In an odd way I even see the action the Bahraini state took against you as a sign that they don’t know what they are doing.
To act against someone like you who is always a paragon of even-handed reasonableness shows that they really don’t care how large is the number of Bahrainis they annoy.
Whether that shows an amateurishness about their strategy or is am ominous warning that they will be as harsh as they desire, I’m not sure – maybe both.
Mahmood its been a while. I’m very sad you got locked up for loving your country and very glad your out. Hang in there my friend.
Frank comments on migrant worker reflects the way most Arabs think. Expatriates in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are treated like slaves. My father is Bahraini and I admit that we have to learn to respect people. The Indians, the Filipinos, the Sri Lankans, the Ethopians work extremely hard. We have this notion that we are superior to other races. Arabs are ethnocentric. The real human rights issues are the way some of thes housemaids are treated. The labor camps in places like Sitra are filthy and lack the hygiene. But as Bahrainis we are not concerned about people who work for us. We need need to take some responsibility and some some gratitude to our expatraites.
Welcome back.