If the debacle of the Ministry of DISinformation is anything to go by when they denied bars, restaurants and hotels to serve alcohol during Ramadhan, and then penalised the ones they did allow to serve the good stuff for 7 days after the end of the “holly month”, they might as well cancel Christmas altogether while they’re at it. I’m sure Jesus won’t mind.
However TOURISTS DO MIND and they’re not coming back.
Are you happy now Abdulghaffar?
Comments
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
We are planning to come to Bahrain during the X-mas holidays. Is it time to consider cancelling our booking or shall we wait for the post FoF rules?
AbuRasool 😉
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
I am an American and, once upon a time, I lived with a Palestinian for a few months. Neither one of us practiced a religion.
He had been born on the West Bank and did his elementary school in Saudi Arabia where his dad was a translator for an oil company. His family still lived there and sometimes he would go home for a visit. He said that he hated to do this because they always wanted him to come during “Crazy Time.” That’s what he called Ramadan.
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
Along with cancelling Christamas please remind the parlimentarians that it should be mandatory for all men of every nationality to have beards upto their waistline, all women must cover their eyes and wear tight strap blouses over their abayas and hijabs and all men of every nationality must wear gatra and agal plus non-bearded men cannot enter this holy land. Bna alcohol, cigarets, shisha, beauty (all types of Khamra) from this island that including tight bicycle shortsm bras, thongs, string bikinis etc.
Jesus did not care to celebrate his birthday. His message was of love and compassion, forgiveness and understanding not covering yourselves, and pushing restrictions and religion down someone else’s throat. Calling him a muslim is wrong. He might have done as God asked of him but he did not ask people to restrict their lives but to give up their lives. He did not promote slavery but service with compassion and love to others.
Jesus came on earth to give up his life as an example of sacrifice and compassion for others.
Re: Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
It would have been long forgotten by then thank goodness. So no, you’re more than welcome and the first BBQ is on me.
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
What I believe happened, although its impossible to say with complete accuracy, is that parliament threatened to remove certain government officials from their positions if they did not enforce an alcohol ban.
I reported on the issue for the Gulf Daily News here:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=126587&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28235
Tourists, please come back to Bahrain because I don’t think it will be like this next year. The impression that I got from attending this meeting is that the Information Minister realised that the government had made a grave mistake. The businessmen really hammered him and he had nothing to substantial to say in reply.
Tariq Khonji
Re: Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
What about the 300,000 workers and foreigners a lot of whom are Christians? What about Muslims celebrating the birth of the Prophet Isa (as)? Being prejudiced is not a Muslim thing now is it?
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
Aside from the fact that there may be some parlimentarians who boose and act like hypocrites, it is imperative to understand that alcohol sales is not the issue. People like to act pious and show off that they are good muslims by boycoting this and that and screaming if BMMI or Gulf cellar or the like is close to their house.
In order to develop tourism it is important to follow the example of Turkey. Be a tolerant state and allow people to drink and live and set certain limits by themselves. Suddenly democracy became islamic, let us impose on few othes what the majority wants.
All over the world you will find people like this who like to shove their shit down other peoples throat. I am not advocating that Bahrain should go Nederlands all the way but theri should be a basic understanding of what Democracy is. This is why the government fears putting power in the hands of the brain farts chosen by the people.
I was shocked to learn about the level of discrimination in this country, but perhaps the rulers are scared of this being turned into an islamic revolutions and another irani state.
As a matter of fact look at the homes of ther persians and the desk in the office, they keep pictures of Khamenei or Khatemi or Khomeini. No body is asking them to keep the Kings picture but to show loyalty to another ruler and live in this country and expect to be treated like a true Bahraini is hypocracy.
Muslims themselves have turned against their own people……what can you say about this.
Re: Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
Yes. Some of us come to Bahrain during the X-mas holidays because they cannot stand the summer heat.
BTW it is a human right NOT to celeberate Christmas, Eid, or Holi.
AbuRasool
Re(1): Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
Thanks Mahmood ! Although I was thinking more of a couple of rounds at the CC.
AbuRasool
Re(2): Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
My treat!
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
oh noooooo, and i was planning to spend x-mas in bahrain. NOT! do people actually go to bahrain for christmas? why??
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
of course they cancel christmas
why should we celebrate christams ?
how many christians in bahrain any awy out of the 600 000 to celebrate christams?
as a muslim we have only two “celebrations” actually eid not celebration
and christmas is like “eid” for christians and we ar not supposed to celebrate it
tourist can celebrate christmas in their country
after all isnt christmas about family gatherings?
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
“Muslims themselves have turned against their own people”
Precisely why we’re not quite ready for complete democracy. Our political culture is a lot different from that of the U.S or any other Western country. If we vote for a president, that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone would shut up and live with it because the majority approves of this president. Some people will feel cheated. Some people might believe that it was staged, some people might come up with their own conspiracy theories, etc.
If you want democracy, you need to fix how people deal with political issues first. Democracy would mean that people would have the right to rebel against the government. Give that right to Bahrainis and chaos would ensue on a daily basis. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t critisize, shouldn’t protest when needed, etc, I’m merely saying that this all boils down to how responsible we are as a nation – Actually, no, as individuals. The more the state gives to its people, the higher our expectations become. The state will never meet all of our needs, and it will never know what to do with the nutjobs who critisize everything the state does just because they ‘can.’
Consider what’s going on in Africa right now. The 1st female president in Africa was elected yesterday in Liberia – hundreds were protesting against her on the streets, claiming that she ‘stole’ the vote or that people voted for her merely because she’s a woman, which was a predictable argument in a country where gender inequality remains to be a huge issue. Riots might take place soon there, and this makes me think, wouldn’t think happen to Bahrain after every other election?
Our political culture stinks. Before we continue begging for democracy, we need to prove the fact that we can handle the HUGE burden that tags along to it. If you think democracy is the easy way out, it’s not. With the amount of protests and, as mentioned in Tariq Khonji’s recent GDN article, the number of political parties being established, and also the amount of violence that has taken place in Bahrain for many years due to political and social issues, I don’t think we’re ready for democracy just yet. We need it. It’s useful to have it, but whether or not it will turn Bahrain into the land of milk and honey is arguable. I have a feeling that people will take advantage of it. We need to take a look at our social and religious problems before we consider the changes that need to take place within our political structure.
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
What you say is true habibi and I agree completely. My view was based on the “Using the Forum for the Future to Advance Democracy in Bahrain” article to which you posted a link in Did Condi leave already? post.
I was shocked to learn about some of the deeper facts affecting Bahrain and it is hard for me to understand why some of the things are still going on and I realise the power struggle will always be there as long as the old guard is in place and it is hard for the change to happen in this life time, atleast that is theworst case scenario.
I had hoped that other than declaring Bahrain and Kingdom which actually separates it from the British tag or rather keeps it ranking in terms of protocol with other countries, I had hoped that the people would have a better deal. The Shia-Sunni predjudice problem will last forever it seems. The government has money and can provide houses for the needy within a year. There is enough land for all Bahrainis and then some. If democracy is the answer then why discriminate between Bahrainis who work for the govenment and those who do not.
I can understand why the King allowed for bicameral parliment i.e. to counter the stupidity of the elected representatives. More over with CHARTER (Mithak) fever some people did not read the National Charter and failed to realise that they said yes to the bicameral parliment deal and then screamed later on that they got screwed.
Since the Mithak was approved by the people, this gave the King as guardian of the constitution, the right to make modifications or amendments accordingly.
Criticism at any members of any family is a direct insult to the head of that family and this is naturally taken as an affront.
If injured parties are compensated it will be like saying that yes we did mess up in the past. If the Emperor of japan can say sorry why not other rulers. There is enough money to give to replaced/displaced government officials and others but why not to the poor and needy.
Re: Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
Apart from that, should steps as you describe are ever taken, then that will rekindle the lost goodwill the king was received with in all areas of Bahrain, the most rebellious Sitra island included.
And all for what? Less than the price of a swimming pool in a palace.
Christmas cancelled in Bahrain
Yeah then people would really understand what Christmas is about.
Sharing
Caring
Giving
Forgiving
Loving
Compassionate