I’ve just been interviewed over the phone by the BBC World Service’s The World Today regarding the website registration administrative order by Bahrain’s Ministry of Information. It should air in about 6 or so hours (around 11pm GMT). It should also be available online.
All this publicity is not very good for a country that is pitching itself as the hub of banking, insurance and international commerce. It’s a good time for the Ministry of Information to rescind that order, and allow us all to get on with our lives.
Or, do they have plans for me to be the fall guy for this?
Comments
On the BBC World Service!
Insha’Allah, Mahmood, you’ll be just fine. I look forward to hearing the interview here in the morning. They play that show here in the morning, I believe, on my commute to work.
On the BBC World Service!
Way to go man, goin up the popularity pyramid. Inshalla you won’t be a culprit. I fully agree with you, they better drop this stupid procedure as Bahrain is gettin itself a lot of attention and this might conflict with its ambitions or whatever it’s marketing itself as.
Say, any idea on what program it’ll be on the radio? Outlook maybe. I wanna tune in to that.
[Modified by: Khalid (KhalidSaad) on May 19, 2005 06:58 PM]
On the BBC World Service!
Be careful, Mahmood, that’s all I can say. Even though Bahrain is a much less crazed regime than others, we have seen what can happen if you stick your neck out too far.
On the other hand, if you get a name/face for yourself, it’s much easier to bend international opinion in favor of your cause.
Either way, be safe, stay sane, and we all support you 😀
On the BBC World Service!
even if they’re going to make u the fall guy for all of this, imagine the hell they’re going to have to go thru each day? NEGATIVE PRESS haunting them, it’ll be another human rights case, and how would that look on the fta part of it?
Haven’t any valuable lessons been learnt from the past?
1) a. hadi was arrested, jailed, & then set free
2) bahrainonline.org trio arrested, detained & then set free
[charges not dropped yet, but most proabably will be dropped]
All these actions by them have SCARED AWAY some [b]prosepctive[/b] FOREIGN Investors to Bahrain. Now will Bahain be getting it’s own Ericsson Wireless Content Development Center?
And given the stories that have made it on the WSJ, Other ‘reputable’ news papers, and now the BBC, i seriously doubt that they have u as the fall guy for it all. The ppl they’d probably use as the ‘scapegoats’ are the ones who’ve come up with this wonderful, white-washed website registration administrative order.
Anyways, good luck & don’t forget you’ve got all the bloggers’ support in Bahrain 🙂
cheers,
strav!
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i think its much more simple. they just dont understand the net or how it works. good luck mahmood. you are speaking for bahrain. make us proud. 🙂 in the end, people will only remember that you stood for what you fought for …
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The broadcast has been rescheduled to Sunday or Monday. Same time.
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Thank you all for your support in this matter. I really appreciate it. Hopefully they will realise that this administrative order is a bad idea, and they will show that by cancelling it, they have listened to their people, and there is absolutely no shame in that, in fact quite a lot of honour.
On the BBC World Service!
Words are the “pen-ultimate” weapon against tyrrany. It’s easy and a little hollow to sit here in Arizona and cheer you on, but even here freedom of speech can be tenuous, and may be revoked at any time.
It’s amazing, though how powerful the Court of Public Opinion can be, and I hope this gets resolved in a way that ruffles the fewest feathers. My best to you and yours, Jud
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Mahmood,
Congrats on the BBC interview, I hope that I can find & hear it.
Must agree with Malik, “you’ll be just fine”. You are by far a greater asset to Bahrain’s public image , than a liability. I think/pray/truely hope, that is what they are really concerned about, Liabilities, the down side of progress that effects the public image & the wellfare of the Bahraini public both regionally & internationally.
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Mr. Mahmoud,
From Yemen Felix I say that you a great man and never wither . We support you and wish to hear that interview ! Allah be with you.
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Malik, yes these guys do all have email addresses,… but messages to them always bounce back!!
btw Mahmood, is the interview available online yet? Do put a link when it is. Can’t wait to hear it!!
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Best of luck Mahmood, when is it on so I can sit and listen to it?
GB
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[quote]Thank you all for your support in this matter. I really appreciate it. Hopefully they will realise that this administrative order is a bad idea, and they will show that by cancelling it, they have listened to their people, and there is absolutely no shame in that, in fact quite a lot of honour. [/quote]
Mahmood. I was wondering. here in the US lawmakers have e-mails to which you can send comments and questions. Does such a thing exist in Bahrain? I know it does with Saudi ministries, I have sent hundreds to them.
If such a thing exists, would it be a good idea for comments about the issue to be sent to them? Or would such an action have a negative impact and be seen as outside interference?
Update: On the BBC World Service!
Well, they interviewed me again this afternoon. Aparently the first go didn’t have the good sound quality they were looking for, so they had to send a “stringer” to me at the office to record the interview while they asked the question from London.
Unfortunately I think the “bad” interview was more spontaneous and the interviewer had better questions and better prepared.. still, we’ll see how this one broadcasts tonight, at 11pm GMT. It should also be available on their site referred to above as streaming media.
The stringer liked the interview an the subject so much that he also decided to do another interview for the Arabic BBC World Service! I’m not sure when, or what format that broadcast is going to be. I’ll hopefully find out tomorrow.
One thing is clear though: I *suck* at Arabic interviews!
I need to speak more Arabic not to disgrace myself in the future 🙂
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Mahmood,
When you become a big media star, driving around in your Rolls, are you still gonna talk to us little people?
Steve
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OF COURSE NOT! Are you crazy? I’m only using this illustreous, exceedingly serious blog to reach the very status you’re talking about: stardom, wealth, political punditry and a new luscious wife, who’s at most 10 years older than my youngest daughter!
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Good for You Mahmood. Don’t worry about the MOI, or anybody else for that matter.
What you are doing you do for love of our country and to further the cause of freedom of speech and self expression, the very cornerstones of the Bahraini constitution.
Have you thought of asking them if you could play the interview on your own site, for those who find navigating the BBC Website a bit too tricky?
Live long and prosper
P.T.
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It should be on last night’s 2200GMT broadcast, but I’ve listened to snippets of it and couldn’t hear anything, so they might have rescheduled again or cancelled. I have no idea. I have sent them an email to ask for an mp3 snippet or any other kind of audio file that I can listen to and/or place here to hear. I’ll keep you updated.
Thanks for your support, as ever.
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Mahmood,
I don’t want to be around when your wife reads this. I don’t even want to be within a block when the frying pans start flying.
Steve
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fortunately she KNOWS that I’ve got eyes ONLY for her. well, mostly! 😀
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How about that, just as you’re due to go on , and the BBC goes on strike!
I couldn’t access any of it, finally I get this message
[quote]Due to strike action by some BBC staff we anticipate some considerable disruption to the normal schedule. Our normal programming will resume following the strike.[/quote]
What are you going to do?
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I’m with you all the way Mahmood. I heard you loud and clear on the BBC.
Thank you for your voice.
🙂
My very best,
Liminal
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excellent, so it DID broadcast? Wow. I haven’t heard it yet so I’ll start listening…
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I’m really sorry Mahmood, but I was looking into the matter and it appears as though the World Today is a daily news program so they don’t have an archive for it. You can usually only listen to a daily prgm until it is updated the next day. I wonder if there’s a way you can somehow get a copy, though. The BBC had featured me and two of my Iraqi blogger friends in a segment on Newsnight right after election so I used AudioHijack to record the video. So, anytime you get interviewed again you should look into it. It’s a wonderful program.
I hope you’re doing well.
Lim.
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Thank you for the tip, Lim, I’ll certainly take your advice for the next time (yes, I’m fairly sure of a next time, the way that our government organs are going!).
Mahmood
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Many programs offer transcripts. What about BBC? You could get the transcript and post it here.
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I emailed the coordinator of that program to get a copy in audio media format of the segment, if and when I get it I’ll post it here. It may be my first PodCast! 😉
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Sure did! And you came across eloquently.
I wonder, did you hear it? 🙂
Liminal
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unfortunately not! do you have a direct link? maybe tell me which minute:second the segment is embedded in the stream?