There is a huge part of me that refuses to believe that we – Bahrainis – are capable of doing what we see on the television news every day; the violence, the killing, the kidnapping, the vicious crime, the beatings, the terrorism, all of these things I would like to believe that they are completely alien to us. We are after all a small nation of under a million people living in a country the size of a small city in the larger world.
Everyone knows each other. If you believe in the six degrees of separation, then Bahrain the factor is really just one degree. If you don’t know a person, then you most probably will know his kin, or a member of your family or a friend is bound to know the person, so the network is really really small. Bahrain is in fact more like a large family.
This closeness gives us a huge comfort zone. You will never hesitate to stop and give an unfortunate person a hand. You see an accident in front of you and suddenly tens of people immediately park and try to help, genuinely. And in most cases – this is from personal experience and it has happened to me several times – you will find that you will know the persons involved or know a member of their family. This is part of what makes Bahrain truly great. I will never – ever – leave this place. It might be just a sand pit in some people’s minds, but it is MY sand pit and I love it.
That’s why it really hurts me to be informed of vicious and seemingly unprovoked and calculated attacks which result in this:
Meet Mr. Abbas Abdali of al-Ekr village in the island of Sitra. He was driving home at an early hour of the morning when he got stopped by unmarked (and dis-plated vehicles) and viciously attacked by masked men. He was left torn, bleeding and unconscious on the pavement for 3 hours before a migrant worker happened to be by and shook him awake. Abbas just had enough energy to drive the short distance home for his wife to immediately take him to the Bahrain Defence Forces hospital to get attended to. He ended up with a list of stitches to various places in his body, particularly his head. According to Abbas, he was surrounded, beaten and kicked by more than 7 persons who came out of unmarked Range Rover vehicles, the men were masked and some of whom wearing the traditional Arab dress.
Why? What possible reason could have warranted this vicious attack?
The circumstantial evidence (until the police investigate and transparently produce a report – which realistically will never happen) is that he happens to be the elder brother of the Unemployment Committee head, who happens to reside in prison at the moment due to his involvement in the “Dana Mall Riots” as that case came to be known, he himself was attacked and sexually assaulted in the very spot that Abbas came to this trouble.
Conspiracy? I don’t know. I certainly am very sceptical when it comes to conspiracy theories, I just find them far too fantastic that only simpletons actually ultimately believe. But the circumstances of this case just does not compute.
Regardless, that does not interest me. What interests me is that this is not my Bahrain. No, I am not being an ultra-romantic, but this is so alien to us as it raises so many questions which we – as a society – demand an answer for. The police must open a full and thorough enquiry and punish all those responsible, regardless of how high they are within the society and if it becomes known that these criminals are even remotely associated with the security apparatus, they should be doubly punished.
Incidents like these are despicable, and it is these incidents – not the Islamists and their shenanigans, not the whores, not the discos, not the drugs and not the booze which destroy our beloved country’s reputation and world standing.
Something must be done about this. Please. For the sake of Bahrain.
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YES!!!! WAY!!!!
Savages and ignorant minds do more than that…
&
More is yet to come as long as people continue judging each and every individual differ from them…
I just can’t believe Bahraini reached that end!!!
Since they did, no dought they would cross the whole nine yards very easily
:'(
the interior ministry are now claiming that Abbas Abda’ali was in fact:
1- taking a phillipina housemaid out to a disco that night (after beginning an affair with her over the telephone)
2- dropped her off home
3- and got beaten up by her employer
4- the villagers then joined in, because his behaviour was SO disgraceful
apparently they even had the housemaid there at a press conference today.
now my mind says:
1- since when does the interior ministry hold press conferences? actually since when does the interior ministry give out ANY information without being asked? (well, apart from when it wants to show the good people in bahrain that it is busy working for our safety and has arrested a bunch of “masked men”)
2- how is that every once in awhile the interior ministry reveals that members of the activist community are having affairs with housemaids?
3- where were the gang of villagers who were SO incensed at the ‘affair’ during the press conference?
4- how has a guy who speaks no english taken up a telephone-affair with a woman who speaks english?? (and tagalog i guess.. although i havent been to ekr, so maybe their schools provide a more multicultural education than i realise – and that’s what language they spoke to each other in)
5- the gdn writes an almost daily report about the way housemaids are abused in this country, so how likely is it that the housemaid’s employer would beat up Abbas – and not the woman herself?
And the ‘villagers’ who joined in to protect her honour? … If only housemaids would elicit such a degree of concern from people in bahrain the gdn might have to look elsewhere to fill its pages!!
6- and we’ve seen the pictures. did an affair with the housemaid REALLY cause such anger and violence?
it also makes me sad to think about the underlying narrative of all this:
The implication in initial reports about his assault was that it was carried out by plainclothes ‘merceneries’, as with the assault on his brother.
If we accept the Ministry story, Abbas is the ‘bad guy’ and not the ministry – and for what? taking a phillipina housemaid to the disco?
are we, the public, then expected to think he is such a depraved character? and by extension, that the horrific assault on him was somehow justifiable? who will be hauled in front of public prosecution for this? him, the poor phillipina woman caught up in all this, or the ‘villagers’ who beat him senseless??
Of course, newspapers in this country (and others) will always second guess when people say things… – “allegedly” “reportedly” “..claimed” but authorities’ statement are taken as fact.
unfortunately, in a country like ours – where word of mouth falls heavier than a judge’s gavel – i only hope that people in bahrain will break the blind acceptance to the truth by authority, and be questioning of and skeptical about POWER not (only) people.
stinks of smear campaign to me.
Actually Mahmood this _is_ our Bahrain. Worst things happen behind close doors. What’s surprising about this is the public dimension and the exposure it has recieved. Usually it’s all brushed under the carpet and what noone sees, noone cares about. I wish it was dfferent.
Shroof
Mahmood I wouldnt have believed what Timothy McVeigh did or the Columinbine killings either a few years ago. Now I just hope for the best and expect the worst.
billT
Arabs will be Arabs as far as Conspiracy Theory goes!!!
GDN described the so called “victim” to be employed by the Ministry of Interior so I doubt its a case of “sarat takil 3yalha”
to the advocate:
i’m not spinning any theories, i’m excercising my right to question unchecked power.
i think we have good reason to be skeptical about interior ministry statements here in bahrain.
I agree with Zara, a more fabricated story wouldn’t be a better nor more imaginative read!
They must think that people are stupid, can be lied to all the time, or both!
Can someone give these people coffee to wake up, or even better smelling salts?
With all do respect Zara and Mahmood. It seems people, who are given the right to excercise, learn to do so for the sake of excercising it and no other.
Wish we’d learn to use our intellectual capabilities to discover unfound scientific theories instead of wasting it over questioning our own.
اذا خليت خربت
It doesn’t sound fabricated to me. This type of thing happens everyday in the villages. Besides, who would benefit from beating him up? He’s just another nobody asking for attention. Damned if I give importance to someone who hits on a poor maid! Her sponsors might be poor enough to strive to send her back and pay money to get another one in her stead. Hope the government forces him to pay the expenses. Not to mention make him work at their house until her replacement arrives. That’ll teach him a lesson or two. I might even send them a request to do so..
This isn’t the first incident of this sort that’s happened. Last year there was something similar with his brother who out of the blue was beaten up and he claimed, raped, by masked assailants. There was an investigation and I seem to remember the interior minister visited his father.
But quite soon it became v. complicated. The guy said that he hadn’t in fact been raped and withdrew the allegation (an easy mistake to make surely?) . Then he stopped cooperating with the investigation into the assault altogether after further inconsistencies developed in his story – according to the US Embassy’s human rights report anyway. Without the guy’s cooperation the investigation ground to a halt.
A very odd episode – which like this one looked v. clear cut at the beginning.
Devils advocate, here’s the problem with what you said: It seems people, who are given the right to excercise, learn to do so for the sake of excercising it and no other.
This mentality is so typical of the Bahraini ruling family, and dictators around the world. No. “Rights” are not given to the people by kings or governments or anyone. By definition, “rights” are inherent to human beings by nature of them human. Rights are to be taken, not to be given.
Bint Ilshah and TAO, what I asked for is a thorough and transparent investigation, I didn’t absolve Abbas or anyone else of guilt or culpability. If an honest investigation is mounted and it concludes that he perjured himself, hid information, or found in any way culpable, then I hope they fry him.
However, if the investigation finds that his story is true and that he was in fact attacked by people even remotely associated with the security apparatus, then, well, hang them up to dry publicly!
There are far too many coincidences in this story, and his brothers’ and Al-Shayeb’s that it does smack like studied (badly mind you) smear campaigns which served nothing but improve their standing in their communities.
According to the ministry he left asker at 1am with maid, went to “disco” (say Exhibition Road) and was back at 3am. Which means it took only 2 hours to drive from asker to manama and back (hell of a long way), had a drink or two with the maid, had *** (as the miniustry implies). Sorry, timing does not add up
So this is what its all about.. a quickie…
Regardless who did it.. security forces.. villagers… or even the seven dwarfs.. it doesnt make a difference.. we still live in the vicinity of thugs
This is the real issue
No, Joker, the issue is unlawful suppression of activism. Disgraceful in ANY country where it happens.
Are we really expecting fairness, transparency and honesty from a government body?! Not least of all, the Ministry of Information? And we want the GDN to grow a journalistic backbone over night? PLEASE!
It’s a nice wishlist, but we’re still in July, still a few months to go before we start writing to Santa.
“If an honest investigation is mounted and it concludes that he perjured himself, hid information, or found in any way culpable, then I hope they fry him.”
he wasn’t under oath so perjury is not applicable.
in fact, i don’t recall any direct quotes from him in the press (probably because he was hospitalised when the story broke).
As far as i saw, the claims about his beating (and the suggestion that it was carried out by security forces) came from other ‘sources’.
And so, “fry” him for what? having an ‘affair’ with the filipina housemaid?
“It doesn’t sound fabricated to me. This type of thing happens everyday in the villages. Besides, who would benefit from beating him up? He’s just another nobody asking for attention. Damned if I give importance to someone who hits on a poor maid!”
Leaving out all your other assertions, if the Ministry story is true then they both decided to “go to the disco” together. I’d be interested to know:
Why is that more deserving of your distaste than the grotesque way in which he was beaten up?
To rephrase your own question, how would he (Abbas) benefit from lying about why he was beaten up?
I am willing to be disappointed if my understanding of the events is wrong – and he was beaten up by villagers incensed by the fact that he took a housemaid to the disco.
but i do “distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful” – and i will be even more disappointed in those ‘villagers’ for acting in such a sickening and violent way.
Did anyone at the press conference say anything about what charges the ministry of interior is going to do to encourage/discourage vigilantism?
Mahmood! I have changed my mind after reading Zara’s post. Let us have a couple of coffees when we meet next time I am in Bahrain. Having a couple of pints could anger some ‘vigilante villagers’ in the vicinity of the CC. AbuRasool
Zara I stand with your suppositions and conclusion. And I wouldn’t choose to fry anyone for any relationship they choose to pursue, that’s completely between them and no one should come in between. It is every human being’s God given right to pursue relationships, and yes, even maids have that right.
So the “frying” part is taken out of context.
My premise is cloaked in a challenge to the authorities who spewed this “press release” and the backboneless press, as Sid suggests, for taking that crap as gospel.
Jaddwilliam, anytime, anyhow and anywhere! It would be a pleasure regardless of choice of refreshments! 😉
It was the man with gum on the grassy knoll!!!
Okay theories and non-theories in the forums aside, I’ll agree with Mahmood on his base point that a full and transparent investigation must happen. Several years ago (prior to Sheikh Hamads rule) I myself was effected by a non-transparent investigation on the death of someone close to me. It still hurts to this day not knowing what happened, and I think that feeling will always stay with me.
If it doesn’t happen I would hate to see Bahrain turn into a 90’s joust of allegation/counter-allegation between the government and the people. If following the investigation there is any doubt that it may have been members of the security apparatus, by all means a public enquiry must be held.
mahmood-
i just meant that beyond perjury (which does not apply) and lying to the media (which i dont think he did), what else is left to punish? i posted on it because there’s an underlying assumption in some of these posts, and also the interior ministry allegations that having a relationship with a housemaid is somehow a punishable offence.
+ in the case of drinks with abdurasool – you boys better be careful that our self-anointed guardian against satanism (mohammad khalid) doesn’t get all vigilante on you, nevermind the villagers .. you know how he feels about boys who get together and what ‘despicable acts’ they are capable of if alcohol is involved 🙂
peace
Coffee it is.
AbuRasool
Zara, he should know the effects of alcohol on people!
Oh my God! Bahrain is turning into a gangsta’s ghetto! What is this country coming to?
Mahmood, you’ve been cited on Gulf New’s Pick of the Week:
http://www.gulf-news.com/tabloid/Society/10052650.html
hey excellent! 😉
Well, to cheer you up I’ll just say that it’s nice that you live in a country where an assault like this is so rare that it makes headlines and still shocks you. I live in a British city and there are multiple assaults as serious as this literally every night of the week (and especially at weekends). The “motive” can be anything – supporting the wrong football team, having the wrong accent, racial, religious, alcohol-fuelled, drug-fuelled, looking at someone in a funny way, etc.
Do you guys even know what the people down there in Askar and Jaw, … There was an effort by ALBA and others to clean up their beach once – and they refused it!!! WHY? because they were afraid it would bring “other” people to their village/community!! …So you think you know but trust me you have no idea!