What rule of law? It seems now that every issue we have in Bahrain is politicised and invariably turn to violence. Why? Do we not have any culture of discussion and dialogue to resolve issues?
It certainly didn’t look like it last night; a mob rioted at the airport, terrorising other users of the airport and destroying some fixtures in the concourse because public security detained a leading cleric (Shaikh Mohammed Sanad) arriving from Iran.
While I totally respect the right of the individual and groups to demonstrate as a final resort to highlight their issues and get their messages heard if all other avenues fail, I strongly object and do not condone acts of violence. Even in this case. If a dissident is apprehended, then legal channels must be utilised to gain his release rather than resort to violence and various unwarranted civil disobedience acts.
What’s all this about anyway and who is Shaikh Mohammed Sanad?
Shaikh Mohammed Sanad’s Office Communique:[arabic]بيانمكتب سماØÂÂØ© آية الله الشيخ Ù…ØÂÂمد سند
( ØÂÂول ØÂÂادث الإعتقال لسماØÂÂته )
بسم الله الرØÂÂمنالرØÂÂيموبعد …
Ù?اشكر عواطÙ? جميع المؤمنينوما ابدوه منعناء ومشقة ØŒ وأرجوانتزال كل أشكال الطائÙ?ية الإبادية العنيÙ?Ø© منهذا البلد ومنها تكÙ?ير الشيعة Ù?يالمنهج الدراسيالمقرر لمادة الدين، وسأ ظل صامداً أمام الإبادة الطائÙ?ية ولوكلÙ?نيأغلى ما عندي، وأما التهمة االتيأطلقوا عليَ Ù?هيتØÂÂريض الجماهير على النظام ØŒ Ù?طالبتهم بإثبات ذلك ولوبكلمة Ù?يهذا المجال ØŒ Ù?لم يدلوا بشئ !!! وأما الإستÙ?تاء الذيدعوت له تØÂÂت إشراÙ? الأمم المتØÂÂدة والمنظمات الØÂÂقوقية والدولية Ù?هوأمر تقره الشرعية الدولية مندونإدخال المجنسينبتجنيس غير شرعي. أرجومنالله العزيز أنيشاÙ?يالمجروØÂÂينÙ?ÙŠØÂÂادثة المطار كما وأطالب بإطلاق سراؠجميع المعتقلينÙ?يهذه الØÂÂادثةمØÂÂمد سند[/arabic]
My translation of the salient points of the communique:
Shaikh Mohammed Sanad thanks those who stood with him last night for their trouble. He also hopes that all violent sectarian discrimination to cease to exist in Bahrain, including the States propagation of hate against the Shi’as as demonstrated in their approved school religious education caricula which calls for the apostasy of Shi’as.
He also confirmed that the State Security charged him with incitement of hate against the ruling regime which he comprehensively denied and asked them to provide him with proof which they failed to produce. He also confirmed that he did indeed ask for a new national referendum under the auspices of the United Nations and other international rights organisations to ask the Bahraini people to approve or refuse the continuation of the Al-Khalifa rule.
This is my translation of the salient points of the communique and if there are any errors they are purely mine. The gist of it is as far as I can ascertain is correct.
There are two important points he raises here: (1) the religious education in Bahrain is completely one-sided where it comprehensively ignores the existence of an ancient and valid Muslim sect, the Shi’a, and that this particular curriculum is overseen by non-Shi’as, he suggests that it is overseen and set by Wahabis who regard the Shi’as as apostates (the intermediate religious education books for instance calls “those who visit graves apostate” in clear reference to the Shi’a custom of visiting the dead out of respect to the dead and ancestors,) and (2) he calls the legitimacy of Al-Khalifas in question and demands that the UN and other organisation mount a public referendum to determine their legitimacy by the Bahraini people.
It is worth noting that the UN has conducted a referendum in 1970 when Bahrain applied for UN membership to determine whether Bahrainis wanted to be part of Iran or become an independent country. Needless to say that Bahrainis chose to be independent.
It is not the first time Shaikh Mohammed Sanad actually went on a rampage against the rulers of Bahrain, the carricula and society. In a speech he delivered in the Sanabis Ma’atem on November 6th, 2005 he amplified these points sufficiently to make that speech the benchmark of dissent. It is no surprise to know that Shaikh Sanad is affiliated with the “Shirazi” movement and is joined by various Bahraini dissidents including Hassan Mushaimi (who resigned from Al-Wefaq in protest on the society’s determination to re-register under the new Political Societies Law) and long time dissident Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja amongst others.
So Shaikh Mohammed Sanad’s agenda is quite clear: the removal of Al-Khalifas from rule, and is quite vociferous in his demands.
To me, as long as his demands for these changes are conducted in democratic and non-violent methods, I have no problem with him or his demands. It is democracy and he has his right to voice his concerns. These demands to my mind does not make him a traitor. A dissident to the status quo to be sure, but not a traitor to the country.
Others around the world have the same agenda and are even much more vociferous in their demands, most notably in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and I think other countries as well, yet no one in those countries would dare call them traitors, hinder their political gatherings, websites, or detain them on arrival in their countries. The rule is engage in non-violent debate and reach a consensus.
In Bahrain we continue to flounder to find our political footing, but that is becoming increasingly difficult by the intransigence of both sides, and we, the people, are held hostage in the middle just going from one disaster to the next, becoming perpetual headless chicken.
My conclusions regarding this incident is that there are hard fissures that must be recognised first in order for them to be mended. Continuing this game of chicken is very tiring and disenchanting.
Comments
Rule of law?
This is becoming the topic of the moment, as it should. Read more reactions to this from the excellent Manama Republic, Dreamer and an almost first-hand account from Haitham Sabbah.
Rule of law?
Why is it that when people are given the opportunity to protest peacefully they have to riot? Its saying “I have been given freedom, so now I must abuse it”.
Re: Rule of law?
I think the Interior Ministry’s acted with restraint at the airport given the provocation. Imagine what the response of the police in the US would be if hundreds rampaged through JFK after a cleric was arrested? Or what would happen under their beloved Ahmadinejad?
Re(1): Rule of law?
Yes, the airport, just like any other public utility is not a place to hold a demonstration of any kind. If it was outside the concourse I would have understood even, but not like this. This is getting ridiculous and I am sure soon tempers at the top of the pyramid at the Ministry will fray completely…
It’s okay to push the envelope, but this is completely unwarranted.
Re: Rule of law?
Very unfortunate but demonstrative of the disconnect experienced by both ruled and rulers. Someone should send a memo to both camps that WE WANT PEACE AND COEXISTANCE for God’s sake! Even Palestineans and Israelies know their limits as atrocious as they are, it seems in Bahrain it’s a free for all, or as the beloved Ghawar el-Toshe said: “Harat kil min eido illo.”
Rule of law?
What pathetic points!
Maybe if you were there you’d know that the reports in Al-watan and Al-alayam are nothing short of laughable. We were waiting to welcome the Ayatollah when he was taken in by the authorities. Everyone was then ordered to sit in peacefully until the Ayatollah was released by some older men. It was the security forces who entered the airport and started beating the demonstrators when all hell broke loose.
The Bahraini people should be commended for resorting to peaceful demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes to make their points. This is a huge shift from the 90’s.
>> I think the Interior Ministry’s acted with restraint at the airport given the provocation
Restraint my a**! They initiated the provacation when they started firing tear-gas and beating the demonstrators.
Ayatollah Sanad is an academic and nothing short of a genius. Perhaps you should read his writings to understand why he has such a great stature among the people.
Kashif
Rule of law?
I find their actions disgusting. By resorting to violence and destruction they have absolutely lost all credibility in their cause. What fools in their right mind would demonstrate within the confines of an international airport (which as we all know is a very sensitive area) ? Someone please publish ‘Peaceful Demonstrations for Dummies 101’ ! I walk through those airport doors every other day, and to see them damaged like that makes my blood boil!
Rule of law?
It makes you wonder where Bahrain is heading to! scary!
Did they just call on their friends to help with starting a protest? [i]Allah yastr mn eljaaai![/i]
-silveroo
Re: Rule of law?
so you obviously didn’t receive the SMS messages to “come and stand against oppression and force the authorities to release the ayatollah” then?
What piffle. For God’s sake, demonstrate at an international airport? And you lump this as “peaceful” demonstration?
If the so called ayatollah is on his way to his annual pilgrimage coming from Qum, what the hell is he doing landing in Bahrain? Don’t Iran Air fly direct to Jeddah? And if he goes on an annual pilgrimage wouldn’t you think that he knows the route by heart by now? And if he lives in Qum and is one of the youngest Marji’s and he is a fully naturlised Irani citizen on their Constitutional Court no less, why is he in Bahrain every other month raising hell (as he did in Ma’atem Sanabis) only last month?
Kashif, you can take all of his writings and shove them where the sun don’t shine. Once the “ayatollah” understands where he wants to be and where his loyalties lie, then come and talk to me.
Until then, don’t assume that everyone understands and wants to be on your, or his, side. What’s hapened last night is nothing short of childish.
Rule of law? yeah dude
Ok we know it now,
they beating us up its our fault we shouldnt demonstrate in the airport WHY NOT Mahmood i didnt get it? one of my friends was there and that was his statement ” we didnt behave like morans we didnt break anything the security forces started to beat us ” WHY! ordered ohhh yeah obviously from whom! you know it i know it.
this country is going downhill back in the 90’s the security forces entered university of bahrain (only happened in bahrain) as far as i know.
anyways thanks god shaikh sanad at home now, inshalla the guys in the hospital will be home as well.
bless you all .. peace
anon-4 ever
Rule of law?
Your comments are flawed on so many levels that I’ll not even bother replying to them. Perhaps the reader can spot them for him or herself! Consider me defeated if you want.
It’s clear that this blog is by and for people who fit your ‘Alice in Wonderland’ world. You’re free to say what you want, but please don’t speak on behalf of the people of Bahrain. You live in an ivory tower, while everyone else walks the earth.
The day you actually sit in the places you talk about in your posts and listen or see things first-hand is the day you can report on them. Right now, you’re no better than the biased reporters of Fox or Aljazeera.
Kashif
Rule of law?
its not good
why they are doing like this
they dont have brain
Rule of law?
Hmmm….
I dont have enough information on the “incident” to pass judgement on this as of yet… But I can comment on past precedent however:
In all fairness, the police might have instigated the incident. Now normally, under police brutality, the demonstrators would have taken pictures, video clips of the incident, provided eye witness accounts and taken the whole thing to court, and the police officers punished.
BUT, when was the last time Bahrain prosecuted a police officer for brutality, and abuse of power? Knowing this, what avenue would the demonstrators have had besides defending themselves WITH violence?
Here is my reasoning:
From videos I have seen, what I have read, and from my own experience, police from a variety of Arab countries tend to act as judge, jury and excecutioner. In fact I have a feeling almost every cop in Arab countries is forced to watch “Judge Dread” as part of their training. I have seen Iraqi police videos of how they apprehend a “suspect”. They take him out of his house with his underwear, wave their hands at him while mouthing something off. The “suspect” then proceeds to wave his hands and talk back, at which point the officer proceeds to kick the “suspect”, maybe take a potshot at him to the back, shove him here and there as he leads him to the car, and talk to him some more as he arrives to the car. Then he opens the door for him and kicks him some more. The happy couple then drives off.
Bear in mind, this is simply a “suspect”.
Like I said earlier, normally people would provide evidence to police brutality to the courts, and have the officers or their commander punished. But if this is not an option, then the demonstrators can only resort to violence themselves – what other choice do they have?
I am sure there are many reasons why our [i]political[/i] culture has not reached the point of dialogue, historical, and other. But I will also add the lack of accountability in Arab countries (lack of being able to hold people in power to the law), does NOT help, and instead people cannot channel their angst through the courts, and do it instead through airport glass doors.
—————————————————-
On a separate note, I would add the following:
(P.S. This paragraph is a rant:)
Notice I havent even brought up WHO this rally was all about – a sheikh, an Imam, a political leader, etc etc. I just want to add, that I wish such a rally would occurr everytime we had a secular political leader come to town, and that people’s support is not limited to religious clerics, (whom I am pretty sure have no intention of keeping the state out of religion).
Ahh, oh well.
Re: Rule of law?
[quote]In fact I have a feeling almost every cop in Arab countries is forced to watch “Judge Dread” as part of their training. [/quote]
Always the evil Americans fault isn’t it????!!!!!!
Rule of law?
[quote]Always the evil Americans fault isn’t it????!!!!!![/quote]
Naw, not always, just most of the time. 😀
Re: Rule of law?
Wait a second, dont throw me in the pot I dont boil so well. 🙂
billT
Re: Rule of law?
Judging by some of the things happening in Bahrain lately the plan is to call Bahrain Bah”Iran”.
billT
Rule of law?
Stupid idiots, so uncivilized. They need to get brains before gettin their rights. This is just bs, riot anytime anyday wherever you want, who gives.
Khalid
Rule of law?
It’s in the papers now.
Khalid
THUGS scattered women and children as they ran riot at Bahrain International Airport, hurling furniture and smashing windows.
Officials had to shepherd passengers through side doors to avoid the melee in the arrivals lounge, they revealed as they counted the cost of the riot yesterday.
Passengers leaving Bahrain or families travelling to the airport to welcome relatives had to be screened by police who cordoned off the area.
The incident disrupted operations for several hours, said Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) assistant under-secretary for airport services Nabeel Taqi.
More than 300 protesters gathered at the airport and staged a sit-in for more than three hours, following the arrest of Khalid Hameed Mansour Sanad, 46, as he returned from Iran.
The Interior Ministry said he was arrested on suspicion of harming national security.
Violence erupted as police moved in on demonstrators, who ripped out and hurled tables and chairs and smashed glass panels in the arrivals area.
Civil Aviation Affairs Under Secretary Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud, Mr Taqi and other senior CAA officials rushed to the airport to try to calm the situation.
“We appealed to them to remain clam but they refused to listen,” Mr Taqi told the GDN.
“Despite our plea, those people created unruly scenes and started behaving in an uncivilised manner.
“They damaged public property, thereby affecting the reputation of our peace-loving country.”
Mr Taqi said many people, including women and children, were waiting to welcome relatives when the violence erupted.
“We diverted arriving passengers to the side doors, where the relatives received them,” he revealed.
“The demonstrators also caused inconvenience to genuine passengers and their relatives visiting the airport.
“Police had to stop them at the nearby roundabout and check points to ensure that they were genuine passengers. This caused some delay in their arrival at the airport.”
The CAA considered the safety and security of passengers extremely important, said Mr Taqi.
“The situation is now back to normal and work has already started on repairing or replacing the damaged window panes and other equipment,” he said.
Re: Rule of law?
That’s hardly fair and you’re (again) interpretting what you want in the direction that you want. Shame really.
How does the above qualify for your categorisation of
Or do I have to physically jump up and down and curse the Al-Khalifas day and night to qualify for your “ballanced” views?
We’re not perfect and the views expressed on this thread show a real concern and fear and frustration with the quick ignition points which seem to be engineered and managed and no one has called Shaikh Sanad any derogatory terms, quite the opposite if you re-read the above. To me (and a lot of other people whom you disagree with) he is a Bahraini just like you and me and he is more than welcome to voice his own concerns in any peaceful way he wishes to.
Re(1): Rule of law?
But you did start off with this statememt:
[quote]It certainly didn’t look like it last night; a mob rioted at the airport, terrorising other users of the airport and destroying some fixtures in the concourse because public security detained a leading cleric (Shaikh Mohammed Sanad) arriving from Iran.[/quote]
‘Mob
Re(2): Rule of law?
And it is simply not fair to call ppl the people in the photos above, ‘brainless
Rule of law?
We’ll never know – I’m very doubtful the Airport’s Arrivals/Departure areas have CCTV cameras as I’ve never seen them! What really pisses me off is that the authorities will act forcefully at the time of the incidents but will never follow through with proceedings to make sure those who caused destruction and damage are taken to court or fined.
Because this has to do with a “religious” figure the authorities go soft and let everyone off! – why do these f**ks have so much solidarity towards these religious figures? Don’t they have other things to do with their time? Family? Friends? Work? Making a living? Anyhow that’s none of my business but how dare they terrorise innocent passengers and destroy PUBLIC property! I’m furious and feel like going on a rampage of my own to protest the protests! lol
Hmm, no glass to smash at Mina Salman sea port 🙂
Re(3): Rule of law?
Yet you were conspicuously silent on these transgressions.
I’m not alone on this site and I cannot act as a sentry to people’s voices and words. If you object to something that you see printed here from me or anyone else, you are more than welcome to take me/them to task. Your assumption in that I am culpable because I “allow” such transgressions is faulty and does anything but give the benefit of the doubt.
But then, you already have your mind set and have me completely sussed out. I would hate to disabuse you of that notion. I hope you feel comfortable enough in this position.
Re(3): Rule of law?
If Sheikh Sanad feels so passionately about democracy and human rights as claimed why doesn’t he voice his concerns also about what’s going on in his home, Iran? After all the denial of democracy and the torture chambers, death squads, religious police etc is being done in the name of religion for the benefit of clerics like him in Qom.
Like his friends Khawaja and Mushaime, Sheikh Sanad’s another Islamist inspired by Iran’s revolution whos cynically trying to pass himself off as ‘human rights activist’. That’s a very square peg which isn’t going into any round hole.
Re(2): Rule of law?
Excuse me a minute while I pick my jaw off the floor which was the result of the amazement at your (a) naivety, or (b) reading what you want off a situation, or both.
Neither YOU nor I were at that particular location last night, yet you are very quick to jump to the conclusion that the “system” must be at fault not waiting for a single minute in trying to ascertain the facts before jumping to your preformed conclusion. While I clearly gave the benefit of the doubt, called Shaikh Sanad’s actions as democratic while others clearly would have called them traitorous, and seeked calm in interpreting the situation and amplified the point that the Airport, like any other public high-traffic utility is NOT a place to hold demonstration.
But thank you for confirming my worst fears though by providing the link which conclusively shows the usual suspects in instigating the majority of dissent over the last couple of years. Now I am fairly – though I grant you not totally – sure that all that ‘those three’ had to do in such a charged atmosphere is shout ALLAH AKBAR a couple of times and the “mob” responded to their war cries. Not much is needed because of the charged atmosphere. I haven’t looked at the movies on that link yet, but I am again fairly sure that if they weren’t already edited, you would see and hear that war cry.
Regardless, just imaging this scene in Heathrow, JFK, Bombay, Tokyo or any other city you wish, do you not think that (1) crowd control would have immediately be put in place to remove (even forcibly if required) the reception committee to somewhere outside of the airport? Of course they would. The fact that “the system” allowed the crowd to continue to be present for such a long time, even allowing them to mount a sit-in, AND clearly challenging the riot police by some bright-spark sitting right in front of them holding a placard of denunciation and he was unmolested clearly trashes your argument of “zero tolerance.” My dear friend our problems so far in these situations is the absence of a zero-tolerance policy.
Go have a look at your pictures again.
So quit with the injured dove “they can do no wrong because they are subjugated for so long” mentality and look at facts.
There were/are better ways to show displeasure and dissent than having a managed riot at the only international airport we have.
What is missing in Bahrain, what is REALLY missing in Bahrain is REAL opposition figures, rather than these freelance puppets who’s only trick so far is demonstrate, riot and destroy their own property.
Re(2): Rule of law?
[As for the violence, severe clampdown by the police force in a public
place such as this is bound to terrorise passers by, and is clearly part
of a zero tolerance policy.]
Can you name any international airport that wouldn’t have a zero-tolerance
policy? _Do_ try this in somewhere like Iran – or any other country, for
that matter. I’d be interested in knowing how it turns out.
For goodness’s sake – an _International_ _Airport_. Can you please get a
clue? Please?
Bloody Hell. On one side you’ve got itchy police just dying for a chance to
put the boot in. And on the other you’ve got some very small minded
people who think that a guy is a “genius” just because he’s one of their
sect who’s done some studying in Iran. It’s the clash of the dumbass
extremists yet again! No, I don’t think he should have been detained,
but yes, I do think that he is anti-government and hiding behind all
of this “UN” talk. If he’s a real Shiite cleric, he isn’t going to fully accept
the legitimacy of the UN. Hence the government paranoia. Hence
episode 999 of “Bahrainistan’s Extremist Hwash-Fest” that we saw in
the airport yesterday.
I can’t bear this. There must be a way for Bahrainis of all flavours to
find a language of unanimity and unity. And I’m damned sure you
won’t find it in Saudi, Iran or America. Please sort it out. I have pre-
teen nephews and pre-teen brothers and a sister who are Bahraini
and I’d like to see them grow up somewhere where the populace
conduct themselves sensibly. Somewhere like Bahrain, not Bahrainistan.
I think most Bahrainis would like to see that too.
It isn’t fair. Last year on the 26th December we had the tsunami that
almost swallowed a friend of mine, this year on the 26th I get news
of a melee in Muharraq. This is no way for the world to treat me on
my birthday!
Anyway, how is Mr … oh, sorry, Shaikh Sanad? What else does he have
to say about the whole silly affair?
Scott
Re: Rule of law?
Time for a reality check. The police obviously acted with serious restraint – it looked like a Hezbollah rally with hundreds of chanting fanatics followed by a riot in the middle of the airport. Anywhere else in the Middle East world and these people would have been put out of their misery there and then. Its clear that these people view the police’s restraint not as a sign of mutual respect, but as a sign of weakness and its encouraged them to go on the rampage to see how far they can go.
Re(3): Rule of law?
[But thank you for confirming my worst fears though by providing the link which conclusively shows the usual suspects in instigating the majority of dissent over the last couple of years. ]
Ah yes, zahra-net. They hosted the video of those thugs blowing up a cylinder
in a big skip-bucket a couple of years ago, and then all cheering their damn
fool heads off. Is this where our poor little wounded dove is coming from?
There goes your credibility, madam!
Scott
Re: Rule of law?
NEWSFLASH: This is NOT a news outlet, newspaper, television station, or news bureau. This is a personal web log where it owner shares his own particular thoughts and feelings. I think you probably are looking for another type of website which cater to actual news reporting. If you want to read my own opinions and take on the subjects I choose to highlight, you are more than welcome to do so here.
I shall. I am a Bahraini and although generally I speak on my own behalf, you will see that my opinion is supported by other Bahrainis, hence, I do speak on behalf of Bahrainis, some if not all.
As to the ivory tower bit, you don’t know me, but if you feel better about yourself attacking me and my ideas then please go ahead. No skin off my nose. But if you want to engage in proper discussion, then do that with respect rather than the demeaning manner you think substitutes for intellectual discussion. If you disagree with any of the points I raised then please give me the justification and if I find that your point of view is more correct than mine, I would happily concur and if wrong I shall say so and change my position as I have done a few times here. Other than that, you can stay in your own tower and continue to hurl epithets at people who only want the best for their fellow Bahrainis and Bahrain.
Re: Rule of law? yeah dude
Demonstrating at an airport is like demonstrating at a hospital emergency room. Both are public places catering to you and other members of the public, why would you want to disrupt either? Wouldn’t the demonstration have been better in front of the public prosecutor’s office? Wouldn’t the message be better sent and met there?
The only thing returning us back to the 90s is the stupidity of both the government and the permanent demonstrators, and we’re caught in the middle. If someone farts a bit more loudly than usual then 300 people go out on a rampage, and then the government just shyly slaps them on the wrist for burning cars, throwing rocks and impeding daily routine, bringing terror into the hearts and minds of people disconnected from whatever they’re demonstrating about.
There are better times and places to demosntrate, and demonstrations should be done when all other DISCUSSION avenues fail. NOT used as a method to force the hand of the government.
But the government gives in. Every single time so far.
Yes, you have the right to demonstrate, yes it is your human right to do so, but is it your human right to transgress on others’?
Re(3): Rule of law?
[quote]There must be a way for Bahrainis of all flavours to
find a language of unanimity and unity. And I’m damned sure you
won’t find it in Saudi, Iran or America[/quote]
Just what the $%^& does America have to do with Bahraini unity? Why would you even mention a Western nation in this context? This is a Bahraini/Muslim problem and it would do you good to leave America out of it. Bahrain and Bahraini’s must clean this mess up.
Rule of law?
It seems like anytime something happenes that these people dont like, they go around breaking things !!
Makes me wish the police would start cracking skulls instead of being so soft with them.
Rule of law?
ya akhi do they have to go to break everything at the airport? for crying out loud it’s a gateway to Bahrain, what if a foreigner came for the first time ever to see this bullshit? I wouldn’t see him returning to Bahrain EVER!
you want to change the rule? wtf? turn us into another Iran? they promised people the world before the ’79 revolution and now they’re even worse than before. Don’t turn Bahrain into this state. In Iran they killed everyone who opposed them and they said that the Shah was killing people, they did worse when they took over. This is what will happen here but inshallah it won’t. What was the benefit of smashing down the airport other than damaging our already damaged reputation, grow up! damn!
I know people say enough is enough, but there are other ways of doing it. Not hiding behind so-called “peaceful sit-ins” then someone provokes someone else and it all starts, just like a spark.
But in the end, even with reasoning and logic these people will never understand. I hope that they fall into their own work of evil.
we’re going downhill all the way 🙁
-Jhmk
Rule of law?
so much for development. first eid gets hijacked. then the airport. then the desire to close for prayers. we aint going down the iran route – we are going down the saudi wahabbi route ..
jj
Rule of law?
Its always the same faces in any of these rampages. If things aren’t to get worse its time the silent majority stood up to these thugs and voiced its disapproval of these riots. The press has got a role to play here: journalists should put people like Ali Salman and Isa Qassim on the spot asking them to back or condemn the riots.
Re(1): Rule of law?
Well, not all Americans, just Stallone for that awful, awful movie… Hollywood owes me 2 hours of my life! 😉
For the record, Judge Dredd is actually a bit of British fiction… Some police (a very few)in America only wish they had Dredd’s power…
Re(4): Rule of law?
Go away Hugh
Rule of law?
That is it!!!! – Today I officially distance myself from the Muslim Shia I once was! Here’s to a new way of violence free living! Bottoms up chaps!
Re(5): Rule of law?
Wrong number. Scott is genuine. Hugh doesn’t have Bahraini brothers and sisters as far as I know.
Rule of law?
The way I see it, it’s a very straightforward issue:
I am going to the airport to pick up my friend. I find that the reception hall is filled with people. They are not rioting, they are trying to be peaceful–yet they are loud, smelly, annoying, pushy, disrubtive, arrogant, waiting for a spart, and generally getting in everyone’s way.
I am a Bahraini citizen, the airport is a public Bahraini facility create for ME to pick up my wife. If a group of people does ANYTHING such as the above to get between me enjoying the benefits offered by the facility and picking up my friend then I wish them hell and suffering and being beaten up with batons, engulfed in tear gas, and shot with rubber bullets.
Any sympathy that I have had is now gone. First they demonstrate on a major highway and I’m stuck for 5 hours on the same road. Now they go to the airport. WE DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU–I AM HAPPY IN THIS COUNTRY whether it’s a democracy or a dictatorship, whether everyone is rich or poor, whether things go right or wrong… I wish you all a peaceful death so that we can continue living our life in ignorance. As long as I can get back home on time and pick up people from the airport, I DON’T CARE who’s ruling us… DON’T DRAG ME INTO THIS… can I say that again? DON’T DRAG ME INTO THIS.. I don’t even want to waste my time reading about what you do in the newspapers… the government sucks.. this country sucks.. I DON’T CARE–DON’T DRAG ME INTO THIS.
Thank you 🙂
e.
Peaceful demonstration?
[img]http://sabbah.biz/mt/wp-content/bahrain_airport_clash.jpg[/img]
Peaceful demonstration? What’s the cleric doing throwing a table round the airport lounge and leading the thugs on the rampage? Or is that a stupid question?
Re: Peaceful demonstration?
I would like to think that he’s trying to restrain them from throwing the table rather than helping. It’s a bit difficult to tell from the picture.
Re: Peaceful demonstration?
Better yet, I love how they claim they were defending themselves.. Then I look at the picture of the shattered glass doors… did they shatter the doors in self defense? Were the doors attacking them? Yeah right…
e.
Re(6): Rule of law?
Who are Scott and Hugh?
Rule of law?
did someone forget to mention somewhere amidst all of these rants that an INNOCENT MAN was detained for several hours on totally fabricated charges at the airport? Whether you like it or not this man is highly eminent among Bahrainis. As usual from the debates on this blog, everyone is quick to condemn the people and slow to acknowledge causes and instigating factors. Never mind, the thoughtless authorities who know perfectly well the reaction to provocative politicised arrests such as this. Although, Manama Republic and Ibn hits the nail on the head. All other arguments are totally fallacious in the face of lack of evidence. I seriously don’t think a few snapshots from biased angles really serve to prove any point.
Re(7): Rule of law?
Well, I’m Scott, I don’t know who Hugh is, and who are _you_?
:^)
Scott
Re(4): Rule of law?
[Just what the $%^& does America have to do with Bahraini unity? Why would you even mention a Western nation in this context?]
Because at times like this, I dare to say/type something and then
some nationalist firebrand often says something like, “What, you
expect us to listen to you? Keep your British/American/Western
nose/ass out of it!” … etc. I’d just thought I’d get it in first as a
kind of disclaimer.
[This is a Bahraini/Muslim problem and it would do you good to leave America out of it. Bahrain and Bahraini’s must clean this mess up.]
That’s what I wrote. Mahmood lets foreigners write their comments
on his blog too, you know. I hope you don’t mind.
Scott
Re: Rule of law?
Thank you for that erudite argument Kashif. Taking the easy road and shouting “Allah Akbar” is more resonant than studied arguments isn’t it?
Re: Rule of law?
that ‘minority’ is getting bigger and bigger … we dont want no iran. we dont want no saudi arabia. we want the bahrain that used to be tolerant and open and where women had the first school when we were leading the gulf both from a governmental and cultural standpoint.
Rule of law?
What a load of crap. Thank God guys like you are in the minority.
Trackback :: Riot in Bahrain
TrackBack from Isaac Schrödinger
Mahmood posts about the violence that took place in the Bahraini airport after the authorities detained an Iranian cleric. The
Rule of law?
I arrived last night back in Bahrain – had no idea of what had happened – congrats to the people who did the clearing up.
A system may be unjust but I choosse how to react, what to say, how to voice my concerns. If I just react against violence with violence then I am not expressing any sort oif freedom – on the converse, I am merely a puppet.
But i will add that this had got foreign investors worried. Does bahrain want to pay that price? There’s precious little keeping international banks in Bahrain as it is – moving 100 or so offices to Dubai would be straightforward.
Johnster
Rule of law?
Hi,
I just want to make a few remarks.
-I think that people do have the right to demonstrate if they feel that they are treated like second-hand citizens.
-But if they start acting violently, the protests are not ligitimate.
– It’s impossible to say without having actually been there, but the evidence does seem to suggest that the protestors provoked the violence this time.
– I think the authorities were very wrong to arrest Mr Sanad, especially since they appeared to have let him go without any charge. This implies that they either they didn’t have anything concrete against him or that they were intimdated by the riots and the possibility of future riots. This seems to send the message that there is anarchy in Bahrain. I think the authorities should realise that they can no longer do this sort of thing. If they have something genuine on a preson, they should arrest them…if it’s something iffy then they should let it go because it can backfire on them very badly. The recent riots by the ‘unemployment committee’ is proof of this. They played right into the hands of the trouble makers when they attacked demonstrators unprovoked near Al Fateh Mosque. Ironically, that demonstration could have easily been exposed as being illigimate because the rioters were planning on throwing tomatos at a public building, which is something that even the most tolerent and liberal of societies would not tolerate. But what the authorities did was much worse and this probably sparked the subsequent riots by the committee.
-I think it’s important to note which authority is responsible for arresting Mr Sanad. I believe in this case it was the public prosecutor, not the Interior Ministry (which is now changing and generally improving the way that it behaves, although it still has some way to go).
-I’m not sure if the airport should be out of bounds for protests. Perhaps the inside of the airport should be out of bounds, but outside should be OK. I also don’t think that blocking traffic is a reason to call a protest illigimate, because that happens all over the world and is too easy an excuse to condemn every protest as illigitimate. I do think, however, that if protesters fail to move to allow an ambulane through or something like that, what they are doing is illigitmate and they should be punished for it.
Tariq Khonji
http://www.tariqkhonji.com
Rule of law?
Let’s just make one thing clear. Airport or customs and immigration security officials from every airport across the world have the right to detain anyone they may have suspicions over. Many of us know of someone who has been questioned or temporarily detained at an airport, be it in the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Bahrain, etc. I have gone through this ordeal a few times myself.
So why is it that this rag tag bearded dumb ass thinks he should get VIP treatment and not be approached by any kind of security anywhere he goes? Does he get more privileges than any of us? I know of many people who have at times been detained and questioned for more than eight hours at airports in the US and UK by immigration staff and security for routine issues. Certainly they complain because they don’t like being inconvenienced but nobody instigates a riot on their behalf. They realize that this is something that they and most other people have to go through at some point when they travel for the security benefit of everyone, and some more than others. Yet this guy who gets detained for half that amount feels that he should get a revolution for being questioned?
Airport security is part of routine life now and that’s what we have to go through in a world of terrorists and people who seek to inflict harm on innocent people in society. I categorize those uneducated small minded numbskulls that can’t even read or write the slogans they parade around with those terrorists who seek nothing more than to obstruct, destroy, and rampage through any issue they may deem important at the expense of everyone else.
I would love to have protestors and rioters on the ready every time I get caught with a parking ticket or if I had to wait in a queue longer than others. Wouldn’t that be nice? No, because I know that everybody has to go through these things.
Who does this dumb ass think he is living in Iran thinking he is above the law? Given this guy’s radical agenda including his put-in-to-action rhetoric of violence at the airport I now think he should be questioned every single time he enters a post office let alone an airport! Especially given his extremely suspiciously close relations with the Iranian clerical government since what gives this jack ass the right to call for a referendum on Bahrain when he doesn’t even live here?
I would love to hold a referendum in Iran calling for the overthrow of their government but that is not my right because I don’t even live there. I am a Bahraini and I will try and better the lives of Bahrainis when ever possible, but these two bit cockroaches including the head cockroach Khawaja and his best buddy Sanad are only interested in their own narrow minded Iran style social agendas. I am a Bahraini too and they do not speak for me and I know that they don’t speak for the majority, just for a few illiterate easily manipulated sheep minded people.
I know Zainab Khawaja is now going to lecture me and everybody through a posted comment as to how we don’t know the plight of other Bahraini’s when she is only talking about the plight of her national embarrassment called Abdulhadi Khawaja.
It is really no surprise that these few characters are behind every act of violence and controversy, why is that? Khawaja’s daughter: “National conspiracy!”
I’m amazed at how Zainab Khawaja so easily tries to turn everything into a life and death national struggle of supreme importance to all humanity. Now she is staying:
“After the airport incident, and the tragic breaking of the glass of course, 4 people were arrested. More protesters went to protest the arrest and beating of these detainees. This time not in the airport. More people were beaten up and arrested. Making them alltogether 15 detianees now. One of the datainees is Mohammed Abdulla Alsingais.”
Are we keeping count of how many idiots your village has? Its nice to see you trying to make a Guantanamo Bay style count of those poor victims who were arrested for simply destroying the interior of the arrivals hall of the airport, harmlessly attacking police with tables, and of course jokingly smashing windows. It was all meant in a peaceful way I guess, haven’t we all wanted to destroy an airport one day? But GASP! they were arrested?!!?? What intolerance!
It’s also nice that Zainab has selectively chosen to profile the plight of another trouble making Singece, a.k.a. the guy who thought it was a genius idea to punch a police officer at their ‘peaceful’ protest to release those incomplete monkey cloning experiments at the police station.
I’m very glad to see that the perpetrators of the rampage at the INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT! are now being arrested and being held accountable to the law that applies to everyone, but yet am extremely amazed at the stupidity of their cyclical notion of never ending protests. Now they are protesting to get their rampaging buddies out of jail? No charges? And even during that they resort to violence? Give me a ^%&%$ing break. These dimwits are even dumber than they look.
No surprise, now they want to instigate another ‘peaceful’ riot on New Years! Who needs fireworks lets bring in the new year with a nice joyful riot I always say!
If these guys think that breaking property, cheering at every radical monkey with a beard, putting peoples safety at risk, and mindlessly protesting every time someone farts in their direction then maybe they should stop claiming they are unemployed because that’s all they seem to enjoy doing rather than finding a real job which would help themselves and their families a lot more. Just look in the classifieds! there are job opening all over the place! take some time to train your self with ‘real life work’ skills that will help enlighten you and fulfill your obligation as an honest working Muslim.
Of course I know that these idiots, Khawaja, his daughter, Sanad, the Singeces, and every other riot instigating, socially useless, excuse maker of vigilantes are never going to understand or bother to appreciate the views, lives, dreams, and ambitions of anyone but themselves so they are never going to learn. A note to Khawaja: I am going to be thinking about your hunger strike not to be thrown out of UN buildings by enjoying my nice juicy steak today after a hard day of fruitful work at the office!
WAKE UP! the majority of us don’t live in your hatred infested world that has nothing but despair simply because your coffee was too cold, the silent majority is happy with the progress Bahrain is making, hence that is why they are the silent satisfied and content majority! Stopping bringing your wives and kids to the circus parades you call a peaceful rally just to increase your head count and stop dragging your kids out of school to sit on a highway in the middle of summer at noon for hours on end!
No matter how you put it stop trying to paint your agenda on the rest of Bahrain. You need to go live in the real world and realize what true despair is. Try making your anti-government rants and rampaging riot in Iran or Egypt then if you’re still alive we can talk about changing my views.
Re(4): Rule of law?
Offcourse foreign countries should be mentioned in this situation, let me elaborate: hundreds of arabs, asians, europeans etc. are continuosly held up for questioning at airports throughout the world, as it is only a security measure.. Now do you see hundreds of hooligans losing their minds at the arrivals lounge just because someone got taken in by officers of the law for questioning, I DONT BELIEVE SO! this has just been an embarrassment to the country and its ppl. if the guy was innocent and an angel and had no relations with governmental issues then why take him in? But he did! so why defend him where as he could be a threat to the country…. and as far as HUMAN RIGHTS,, ha this has nothing to do with that…. just a standard procedure!
Rule of law?
“Airport or customs and immigration security officials from every airport across the world have the right to detain anyone they may have suspicions over.”
Agreed…but I’m just wondering was it the immigration authorities who took this decision or the public prosecutor or someone else? The details are sketchy and its very difficult to know for sure…
Tariq