Riffa is the seat of power. It is the chosen home of the monarchy. It is one of those areas reserved for the chosen ones and part of the population are barred ownership for some unknown reason. One would be forgiven to think that it should be safe, don’t you think?
But no. Most, if not all armed robberies happen in Riffa!
Here’s the latest iteration. A gun slinger calmly walks into a money exchangers (it being owned by the wrongly beleaguered Jawad Business Group might, might, be a coincidence) points the gun at the cashier and demands (calmly) money, then some more, walks backwards and walks away with BD5,000 (about US$13,260) for his trouble. And all in the full view of security cameras recording all of his moves, his clothes and other identifying details. So it should be easy for the police to nab him, right? Especially if you consider their alacrity in catching de uddar crims.
But will this criminal ever be caught do you think?
Highly unlikely.
Bahrain has certainly become a haven for them, and only those who are actually law abiding, or demanding of their rights, live in perpetual fear.
Criminals? They have nothing to be concerned about.
He might. I and hundreds of thousands of Bahrainis certainly feel anything but.
And no, this is not a feeling that actually is due to the following video, in which police are seen aiding, abetting and participating in the wanton destruction, thieving and ransacking of a Bahraini business. We’ve actually felt that for quite some time, but people, bless them, always thought that we were just being dramatic! The events of the last fourteen months, the death of some 88 fellow Bahrainis due to police and state action, have certainly augmented that reality for us, and we’re now officially fed up!
Here’s the close-circuit camera security video of the Jawad Business Group owned 24-hour Market near the village of Nuwaidrat by the ALBA roundabout recorded on April 10th, 2012:
Will there now be an honest investigation and will there be any consequences to the culprits this time? Considering that this is apparently the 58th (yes, fifty-eightth) attack on Jawad’s enterprises since March last year. And if there is an investigation, what will be the outcome? Well, I’m willing to bet that the police officers involved in this will not be penalized. The thieving policeman who helped himself to water will not even be asked to pay its price. The vandals will be let go, or maybe suffer the indignity of a slapped wrist. But the real penalty will land – once again – on the victim. Jawad Business Group will be made to suffer even more for having the temerity of making such a video available to the public by allowing it to be released.
Really!
How dare Jawad do that? Don’t they know that by their action they will have deepened the schism of social hatred? Don’t they know that they have now contributed to the complete breakdown of social cohesion? Didn’t they think that they would have broken down the national unity? And above all else, they have intentionally besmirched the honor and dignity of our illustrious bawasil!
The police and the officers involved there need to be rewarded for their admirable self constraint. And as far as the thugs, thieves and vandals – sorry, the honorable Bahraini citizens who are only doing their duty – well, they’ll probably sleep off their exertions in their barracks for a while, before they’re goaded once again to do God’s work.
I’m just disenchanted with the whole stupid situation in this country. I’m not that interested in the internal politics any more because the version of politics we currently have is built on a win-lose strategy rather than exercising the art of mediation and arriving at a common ground to resolve this country’s problems. What we have now is not only posturing from both sides, but a ratcheting up of the useless rhetoric which got an already polarized population be even further entrenched in diametrically opposing camps.
The result?
Is a real danger of violence and absence of safety and security for all. This is just a sample of what happened last night near the village of Nuwaidrat, at the ALBA roundabout, were a group of Sunni vigilantes armed with planks of wood, swords and other assorted weapons in full sight of the security forces, taking the law into their own hands and attacking peaceful people who happen to be in the area… and who happen to be determined as Shia.
The film is entitled “اشاوس الرفاع عند مدخل قرية النويدرات الشيعيه” – “The Riffa braves at the entrance of the Shia Nuwaidrat village” and starts with one of the thugs calling “وينكم يا عيال المتعة؟” “Where are you o children of pleasure” while another shouts “وينكم يا جبناء” “where are you, you cowards” and yet another calls out “وينكم يالروافظ” “where are you o ‘rawafudh’” a derogatory term used against Shia Muslims, and it goes on the same ilk. All in the presence of security forces who seem to have been quite contained and exercised excellent self-restraint. Both qualities appear to be completely dispensed with when they put down any demonstration in any Shia environs.
It didn’t stop there. They went further and once again attacked the 24 Hour Market, an enterprise owned by Jawad Business Group, simply because its owners are Shia. This is not the first – and the in the absence of measures to stop the very much known and recorded perpetrators of those attacks – it won’t be the last either. Targeting Jawad as well as other Shi’a merchants is the norm now.
Why is this happening?
Good question.
The immediate explanation on last night’s incident seemed to have been prompted with an attack on the police around Al-Ekr village near Sitra in which a homemade pipe-bomb was used against the police. Official reports confirm seven policemen injured, three of them seriously. According to the press this morning, four suspects have been apprehended so far. While the escalation of violence and the first time usage of such lethal devices are extremely concerning and in no way condoned, it is as equally worrying having vigilantes and mobs taking the law in their own hands and wreaking havoc across the land.
How do they hope to reconcile violence with violence? How can they tie the attempted murder of policemen with overturning two cars for just the suspicion of its occupants being from the other sect? How do they equate their actions with demonstrating support to the ruling regime and the police? If anything, they immeasurably weaken the whole country, and give fuel to the rising voices wanting to cancel the Bahrain F1, an event which has the potential of doing good and bringing even temporary joy to this country.
Now, the other side is going to retaliate. There is no question of that. This weekend, we’ll see pyres of smoke across the horizon by the further burning of tyres, blocking highways, the nightly skirmishes with the police will intensify and goodness knows how many will fall injured and how many will succumb to those injuries.
The solution, once again, is quite simple. Nothing is going to fix this situation other than a comprehensive and honest dialogue in which the opposition is truly represented and attended by decision makers from the regime. Face-to-face.
Thrash the issues out for the sake of the country and its people. We’re quite sick and tired of your childish and utterly naive politicking. You both know what the bones of contention are, so get them resolved and take a position in which Bahrain is considered first, rather than your own myopic and completely unwarranted vision.
Otherwise, the situation will be as that thug who shouted at the end of the clip will happen. His invitation was: “Now let’s go to Ma’ameer and Sitra”. The sad truth is that it won’t stop there… the strife will definitely spread, but its spread will be like a wild fire in dry brush. Nothing will stop it until the whole country is burnt to a crisp, and no one – regardless of orientation – will have survive it.
Lessons in practical marketing: on the left are warm colours, bright but warn environment, hi end tv running a high end looping advert, ‘welcome’ used at the ticket machine, services clearly shown with simple icons and a nice well maintained plant inside and a quick service machine outside.
On the right, dark, dingy and old. Mismatched lights, scored desks, claustrophobic blacks, mismatched ad boards, two old tv screens with static content, empty feedback form stand and a pretense at living the environment by having a phone recycling box but no plant in sight, negating the caring message.
We‘re in Moscow at the moment on a production job. We made our way to Red Square and spent most of the day there. It is astounding to say the very least. Really enjoyed it, and we’re going back again tonight and probably tomorrow to get some pick-ups.
