Sometimes I am actually quite happy that in Bahrain only three types of people get guns: members of the ruling family, the police and the military. Everyone else, you just don’t get it.
So when you hear of gun crimes in Bahrain, you know with a good amount of certainty who the perpetrator might be, or at least it doesn’t tax the brain too much to narrow the circle of suspicion. I wouldn’t be too surprised either, owing to the controlling nature of the government regarding guns, that even bullets have serial numbers. There is virtually no chance that you would just brush such a crime aside and say it’s drug or gang related. It just doesn’t happen like that here.
Then I can categorically say that the first thought that went through my head as I browsed Al-Waqt newspaper this morning was: the police or the military did it. End of story.
Once I started reading the short article printed with the image, that certainty became even more certain. It’s an inside job.
According to information I heard from one of Mahdi Abdulrahman Mohammed’s colleagues is that he had an argument with a some policemen earlier in the day. He left the scene of the argument and drove away in his car, as he was driving he became aware of two unmarked police cars following him. Fearing for his safety, he headed to a crowded area of Muharraq, but the two cars obstructed his path, he stopped and got out of his car. Assailants then assaulted him and riddled him with bullets and left him to die. Mahdi was unarmed.
According to the report in the paper, he actually was able to stagger a little bit toward his home, which was in close proximity of the crime’s location, but passers-by picked him up and took him to the local health centre in Muharraq where he died on arrival.
I know from some sources that police have already identified the assailants, and have cordoned off the main perpetrator’s house, who is a policeman.
May Mahdi rest in peace.
The question now must be: what is the screening process does the Ministry of Information or the Ministry of Defence for that matter adopt to actually hire their personnel who are allowed to carry arms? Do they actually conduct psychological tests on those people? Or does it suffice that the “officer” has no real affinity and affiliation to Bahrain? To be absolutely plain here: do these ministries reserve their trust only to foreigners brought in to “protect” us? A bunch of mercenaries who have been brought up in completely foreign environments and cultures?
Look for instance at all incidents of armed crimes over the last few years; every single one of them was perpetrated by “new” Bahrainis who have been brought in to be inducted into the police and military forces!
If this is the case, and for the last 30 years of my life this is what I believed to be true, then I demand from the government to immediately loosen the gun ownership laws so that I can go out and immediately buy a gun to protect myself and my family from harm. After all, in this lawless state we have arrived at, what prevents anyone who carries a gun and has a grudge against me or any other member of my family, friends, or community to just come over and empty his revolver in one of us for the sake of appeasing his slighted feelings the only way he knows how?
The government here MUST be extremely transparent in investigating this crime, their findings must be made public and perpetrators put behind bars for the rest of their miserable lives.
Moreover, the Ministry of Interior MUST re-look at its employment policies. No one looks after their country better than a countryman, as no matter how much mercenaries get paid or no matter how much you try to integrate them into the community by force by granting them haphazzard citizenship that they do not value, at the end of the day they will just say “to hell with it” and they’re on the first place back to where they came from.
And we’re left to pick up the pieces.
Who is now going to take care of Mahdi’s 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter and wife?
Comments
the Ministry of Interior MUST re-look at its employment policies ?
Hell Take them back home we dont want them overHERE !
WTF mate ? crimes increasing aboiut wha ? 85 % ? using Guns ?
this type of people do not have any kind of logic , brought down to kill , living in the deserts for thousands of years meaning their brain size is as big as a peanut .
u want a gun moo ? i want an Ozzi , an m29 , hell i’ll get a sidewinder …
but this isn’t the solution …
this without ny doubts will increase crimes evenmore …
” a kid steals his fathers gun and shoots the housemade in the head ”
the solution is to take em guns of stupid brainless ppl …
Don’t know about the perpatrator being a policeman, but sources on the inside tell me that the shooter was a drug addict, and he’s been apprehended already. No sign of the gun though.
Crime is definitely on the increase – this is the 6th murder / violence case of this month?
Sheesh.
cought already ha ? or they just dragged some drug addict and threw him in jail … U know they are good at this …
Whoever it was … must be punished … !! or people will act by em selves ..
That’s exactly why they have to be transparent in this investigation. Using “old” methods as you implied MooDy just don’t work now.
This killing reminded me of mid 90s violence when the so called Bahraini Hezbollah group was arrested and interviewed, they had guns, it’s pretty easy for some people in Bahrain to smuggle arms from there “real homeland†Iran. I think instead of asking for countrymen to be employed in the ministry of interior, I would rather prefer a more strict customs in Bahraini ports, more stringent coastguard forces and better judicial system. And I don’t think if countrymen were employed in these sensitive position will do any good for the country, these positions need people who follow their commanders orders not some turban headed Iranian’s orders
Mr. A, you raise some interesting points. I wonder if the Bahrain Centre of Studies and Research should be commissioned on doing a survey and then analysing it really thoroughly to find out of the Shi’a of Bahrain – the people you are referring to in your post – do actually feel more affinity to Iran, Hizballah, or any other turbanned person outside of Bahrain, and whether they will actually follow orders given by their commanders if they are given the chance to serve their country in the various security apparatus here.
Speaking as a Shi’a myself, I would happily follow reasonable orders if I had been in the police or military. I would not, for instance, follow any order which tells me to torture a fellow Bahraini citizen, regardless of what religious or ethnic background that person hails from.
I suspect that the majority of Shi’a would feel and do the same.
But then would you respect and carry out the orders given to you by a superior in the police or army if that superior officer is a Shi’a? Or would you continue to call us all traitors to this country regardless of position and proven facts that we do and will always hold Bahrain at the top of our loyalties?
What happened to your affiliation to the “Sushi Sect” Mahmood? or does it take 1 silly e-mail from Mr. A to turn your emotions?
I don’t know why Bahrainis, even those that are educated, always turn such social crimes into an issue of loyalties or, better put, disloyalties.
If anything we should be worrying about the state of our nation, the increasing rate of crime and what we can do to overcome them, instead of questioning investigations and the release of information.
If it were up to me, you ask, I’d be demanding an increase in police patrols and give more authourity to men in uniform.
The freedom to sleep 1 night knowing that my family and I are safe in our home is more important to me than the freedom to have my voice heard.
This will add to more pressure to reintroduce capital punishment in practise in Bahrain rather than just have it on the statute books. Shit. I’m concerned, dudes.
I don’t think a research will be necessary to know more about the political ambitions of a large percentage of Shiites of Bahrain. It’s clear from their frequent Hezbollah flagged rallies (pre and post Lebanon-Israel war) who do they follow, and by their loyalty to foreign political-cum-religious leaders.
The duty of the lower ranked policemen or personnel’s of the public security forces is obey the orders of the higher ranks, they are not in a position to make any sort of judgment for their duty, which as far as these foreign employees are doing good job in.
As for me, “even though I’m not a policemen or a BDF personnel†If I’m in a position of receiving orders from a higher ranked “Shiites†I don’t have problem respecting and obeying it.
I never said that all Shiites are traitors to Bahrain, but there are number of them who have some ill ambitions against the economy and stability of the country.
Here we go again…when one person questions the motives of a state who imports mercenary forces from yemen, beluchistan, jordan and god-knows where and asks what detrimental long-term effects this has on the social cohesion of a nation where sectarian feelings are already inflamed… the response is an automatic brush-stroking of the Shia as blind followers of the ayatullahs…. the balance of the argument is that whereas, the first is an overtly implemented state policy….the latter is based on misguided suspicion and twisted information (firstly, most indiginous Shia native are Arab in bahrain with no ethnic iranian connections e.g. Mahmood, and secondly I didnt see Nasrallah particularly give a shit about his Bahraini militia group).
so Mr. A quit the bullshit
Lets not jump the gun here. (no pun intended.)
We don’t know who did it yet.. a uniform? a junkie? We’ll know by tonight or tomorrow
And Mr. A, its interesting when you point out that turning to other countries as treason, and failed to make the connection when the government goes elsewhere to bring in people and gives them guns.
Mr. A, I suspect that a lot of our Sunni compatriots feel that same as you do. We have seen that polarised view in Parliament for instance and it is a problem which must be addressed, if for nothing but achieving social cohesion in this little rock.
I understand your concern when you say that a lot of the demonstrations are headed by Shias. That is true. You also say that their carrying foreign flags is akin to treason, which is not true.
I have seen demonstrators in Bahrain carrying the Iraqi, Palestinian and Lebanese flags in their demonstrations as well as those of Hizballah. Does that also make them traitors? Taking this particular criticism, the political societies in Bahrain, particularly Al-Wefaq have all but banned the use of Hizballah flags in marches and demonstrations, and to tell you the truth I have not seen a Hizballah flag for over a year or more now. All have accepted the Al-Wefaq request and it shows in all the pictures in the papers.
Recently however they have carried Hizballah flags, but that they have done next to the Lebanese flag, thus showing their dedication and concern not only for Hizballah, but also for the Lebanese whom they empathised with.
So, as far as I’m concerned, yes, carrying flags of another nation does disturb me as it clouds the issue, but it does not necessarily mean that those people are traitors to their country by doing so, just showing sympathy for the cause de jour.
Now as far as the numbers are concerned in that most demonstrations in Bahrain are Shia instigated; knowing what they are demonstrating about would help in understanding the why of the matter: unemployment, political sidelining, housing, etc. All of which the Shia suffer from, or at least they feel that they have been prejudiced against by the government when compared to their Sunni compatriots. Remove the cause, and you will remove their discontent.
I am sure you will agree with me regarding the prejudice issue in education, housing, employment etc. It is a glaring fact which must be corrected.
Loyalty. You cannot judge loyalty generally by the colour of the flag carried, or the marji’ the Shia person chooses to follow. Citizenship and loyalty and religious affiliations are different things. Following a marji’ regardless of where that marji’ resides is something completely different from being loyal or disloyal to your nation. You need to read up a little bit more on how a Shia interprets that particular relationship, as it too is clouded with shrouds of untruths.
I am glad however that you do not find a problem of following orders from a Shia superior. That’s a good sign. Howover, I again do not agree with you when you say that the rank and file are not responsible for their actions!
Mr A,
Do you distinguish between Arab Shia and Persian Shia? Or do you think that all Shia blindly follow Iran?
And by the same token, do you think that all Persian Sunni follow Iran as well?
And what about the Arab Sunni? Who do they follow? Saudi Arabia?
If so, who the hell are the Bahraini’s?
And what do you do with the mixed kids? If the mother is English and the father is Bahraini (of Persian descent), are the kids loyal to England or Iran?
How about the kids whose mother is Bahraini and the father is American? Is the child loyal to Bahrain or American?
Ooops. Stupid question. The child in question doesnt have the right to a Bahraini passport. So, no issue of disloyalty there at all since they arent considered to be Bahraini in the eyes of the state ..
Mr. A, while you bring forth a good point about ports control, you totally discredit and sabotage yourself by flaming the Shi’ites.
Others in this comment thread have voiced more than I can add to. All I would say is that it’s quite disconcerting when people continue to stress sects in this country. Shi’ite, Sunni, Whatnotti. What gives?
Frankly, this sort of social reductionism does not bode well for us.
Hisham, I concur.
I find it interesting that although you say the flags of Hizbullah have disappeared, they are shown in great prolifieration in your “post ” 33 days.” When I saw that picture I assumed that Hizbullah was very popular in Bahrain. I think it is a very bad idea for idealogical movements or political parties to have flags just like nations. Nations generally have a system of responsibility imposed on them, from without and usually from within. Idealogical movements and political parties offer no such safeguards.
Publia, Hizballah is hugely popular in Bahrain, as they are all over the Muslim world at the moment. The Shias of Bahrain have a lot of empathy and respect for that movement and its leader Nasrallah and their spiritual guide Fadhlallah. That doesn’t automatically mean that Bahraini Shia have suddenly foresaken their nationality in favour of Lebanon or Iran. That’s the point of my argument.
Publia,
If you talk to alot of Lebanese, the Sunni and even some of the Maronite Lebanese have some begrudging respect for Hizbollah. Go to Palestine, and you will see plenty of Hizbollah flags there too. Thats doesnt mean that Palestinians in Gaza are loyal to Iran, it means they respect what Nasrallah has been able to do in the last month. And they respect what he stands for.
“Remove the cause, and you will remove their discontent. ”
Maybe, but it didn’t work that way in Iran 20 plus years ago; and it is not working that way in Iraq. It seems as though you remove the cause, and another bunch of power hungry thugs take over is all. Good thing the Lebanese are in awe of Nasrallah, cause they are stuck with him and have nothing to complain about down the road.
M.
The cause in Iran was not 1979. It may have been Mossadeq in the 50’s.
And, removing Saddam was the right thing to do. The problem lies in the fact that the US (and their allies) seriously neglected to put some security into place after they took out Saddam.
The key is to find out what these ‘crazy power hungry thugs’ provide that the alternative didn’t …
coming back to the story:
القصة الكاملة لجريمة قتل المرØÂوم مهديعبدالرØÂمنرمضانÙÂيالمØÂرق ÙÂجر اليوم20/08/2006
لقد كانمهديشابا طيبا خلوقا Ù…ØÂبوبا لدى الجميع ÙÂيمنطقة المØÂرق وخارجها، وكنت كثيرا ما ألتقيبه ØÂيث كانضØÂوكا لا تÙÂارق الابتسامة وجهه ØŒ وكانغيورا جدا على الدينØÂيث لا يطرؠأيموضوع يمس الدينأو المذهب بسوء إلا ووق٠بالمرصاد يداÙÂع دÙÂاعا شديدا مستميتا عنالØÂÙ‚. ولكنجاءت ساعة النهاية ØŒ نهاية القتل الغادر المتربص الØÂاقد على كل شيء وخصوصا شيء اسمه انتصار ØŒ وأنا شخصيا أعتبر هذه النهاية هيالبداية الطيبة ØŒ نعم إنها الشهادة ØŒ لربما تستغربون“الشهادة”؟؟!! ØŒ نعم إنها الشهادة، أنا أعتبره شهيدا، شهيد الوطن، شهيد لبنان، شهيد الإسلام، كما كانÙÂيالسابق الشهيد Ù…ØÂمد جمعة ( شهيدا للوطنولÙÂلسطين) ØŒ نعم لقد أخذت رايات النصر ترÙÂر٠ÙÂيكل بقاع العالم ØŒ إنه نصر نصر الله ØŒ نصر ØÂزب الله ØŒ نصر لبنان، نصر الإسلام ØŒ نصر الأمة العربية ØŒ نصر المستضعÙÂينÙÂيبقاع العالم ØŒ نعم لقد خرجت المسيرة ØŒ مسيرة النصرة والÙÂرØÂØ© بنشوة النصر ÙÂيشوارع وأزقة البØÂرينكما هو ÙÂيباقيالدول الØÂرة بشعوبها لا بØÂكوماتها ØŒ نعم لقد خرجوا بالسيارات ÙÂيشوارع المØÂرق ÙˆÙÂرØÂوا وزغردوا ورÙÂعوا رايات النصر ورÙÂعوا أعلام ØÂزب الله وكذلك صور نصر الله ØŒ نعم رÙÂعوها عاليا ليلا وهيتعانق النجوم ØŒ ÙÂرØÂا واستبشارا بمستقبل جديد للأمة الإسلامية والعربية ØŒ ولكن… ولكنهناك منتضيق صدورهم لما يرونمننصر مؤزر Ù…ØÂقق ÙÂلا يستطيعونكبت Ø£ØÂقادهم ØŒ ÙÂملأت الشوارع بقوات مكاÙÂØÂØ© الشغب وبالمخابرات وبرجال المرور وكذلك بقوات الكوماندوز ØŒ منهم منأصروا على أنلا تستمر المسير ØŒ ومنهم منيØÂرر المخالÙÂات المرورية ØŒ ومنهم ÙŠØÂرر Ø£ØÂضاريات استدعاء للمشاركينبسبب رÙÂع أعلام ØÂزب الله وصور نصر الله ØŒ وبعد إصرار على تÙÂكيك المسيرة ØŒ اتÙÂÙ‚ المشاركينعلى التراجع ØŒ وخلال ذلك وقعت مشادة ØÂادة بينالشهيد مهديوأØÂد عناصر قوات الكوماندوز كما روى ليأØÂد المشاركينÙÂيالمسيرة وتم بعدها اØÂتواء الموق٠، ولكنهذا العنصر توعد الشهيد بالانتقام منه وهدده بأنيÙÂعل به ÙÂعلة لا تخطر على باله ØŒ وجاءت ليلة البارØÂØ© وكانت ÙˆÙÂاة الإمام الكاظم (ع) وبعد مراسم العزاء وبعد رجوع الشهيد إلى مأتم السيد Ù…ØÂمود وبعد مكوثه مع الØÂاضرينÙÂترة منالوقت ØÂتى خروجه ØŒ وبعدها بقليل جاء نبأ إصابة الشهيد ØŒ ØÂيث كمنله هذا اللعينوترصد تØÂركاته ØŒ ØÂيث كانمستقلا سيارة أجرة مننوع كيا ومعه ثلاثة معاونين( أيالمجرم ) ØŒ ÙÂالتقوا بالشهيد عند خباز أربعة وعشرينساعة قرب مدرسة المعريودار بينهم ØÂوار ØÂاد وصل إلى ØÂد الشباك بالأيديØÂيث تدخلت بعض الأطرا٠لÙÂض النزاع ØŒ واستمروا ÙÂيملاØÂقته إلى مكانآخر قرب مكتب سماØÂØ© آية الله الشيخ ØÂسينالنجاتي، ولكنه أيالشهيد طلب منهم الذهاب إلى مركز الشرطة إذا كانلديهم أياستØÂقاق تجاهه ØŒ ولكنه ما إنأتم هذه الكلمات ØÂتى صوب تجاهه المجرمينسلاؠالغدر وأطلقوا عليه ثلاث رصاصات واØÂدة ÙÂيالرقبة والثانية ÙÂيالصدر والثالثة ÙÂيالهواء توÙÂيعلى إثرها ÙÂيالØÂال ( كما رأى الموق٠أØÂد الشهود العيان– والذيهددوه هو كذلك بنÙÂس المصير إذا أخبر عنهم ما شاهده ). هذا ويجريالبØÂØ« ÙÂيتÙÂاصيل الجريمة. والشهيد مهديÙÂيبداية الثلاثينات منالعمر متزوج وأب لثلاثة أبناء
Don’t forget the Venezuelan flag!!! The shia are loyal to Chavez now 🙂
Allah yir7ama o isakna fasee7 jannata….such a barbaric crime can seriously shock a small country like Bahrain
I’m really sorry if I flamed the article somehow, I was just amazed by the amount of certainty by a lot of people that there is a conspiracy in this killing and it had to be done by one of the licensed holders of the arms in Bahrain. that’s why I recalled the mid 90s terrorism and how they got guns… I might went to far with it… but now its just getting ridicules and very off topic I guess..
Do you beleive what Rayyash is saying? most blogs I visited say it was a drug addict. Any new news?
JJ,
Maybe; but not all that important anymore.
What is important is the hat people, aka mad mullahs, have been running the show for a very long time; so that if there is any cause for discontent, they need to look in the mirror. Unlike Hezbollah who feels compelled to win the hearts and minds because they don’t have total control…yet, the Iranian’s don’t have to play that game anymore because they have owned the farm for a very long time. In fact, it sounds like it has worked so well that they have been franchising it to other countries in the area; or maybe they are just closet CIA agents.
“ The key is to find out what these ‘crazy power hungry thugs’ provide that the alternative didn’t …â€Â
The alternative they provide is not worth the price to some; others are willing to give it freely as is their right.
Who’s history Scott? Haven’t you heard of the US for want of a better example? A country built on freedoms of expression and speech? Crime rate? Hmmm,,,, over a 100% I should think..
When you start giving freedoms to those who choose to abuse it, I think the nation as a whole is better off when it is taken away..
As for Mr. A, being a sunni myself, I too take offence in what you said. Sunnis and Shiites have lived together harmoniously for hundreds of years, we are intermarried and we all fall under the creed.
It is improper ethically, if not socially, to question each others loyalties. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, I remember a few months ago, made a statement about this and condemned this approach to politics.
If we start secregating amongst ourselves according to both colours of the flag, we will never have a united whole.
As for everybody else who responded to Mr. A’s remark in one just as wicked, well all I can say is “Khalik ilakbar”.
As usual, the topic has gone off way, WAY off topic…the comments above befit a discussion on Shia, or Lebanon or something. I am surprised that the henious (sp?) murder of a father and husband and son has detracted into a discussion on sectarian loyalties.
Can we get the discussion back on track? I want to know how much “truth” there is to what the GDN published today. So far I have only heard rumors about the cause of the murder.
Umm, history is a venerable old guy with a long beard,
a quill pen and a huge book in which he is constantly
writing about human achievements and our slow climb
up the hill closer and closer to heaven … either that or
history is this huge fat roaring drunkard of a midwife
wearing bloodied robes and supervising the birth of
every bouncing baby war or disaster that afflicts us
poor little risen apes. You choose.
Regarding America. I don’t think it was built on freedom.
I think it was built on slaughter, land-grabbing and
slavery. Emancipation and democracy came later, after
the aforementioned foundations were laid and after
we usurping westerners were secure there. Freedom
of expression in America is a myth. There is a sign an
English author saw over there in an airport that says
“Innapropriate comments are illegal.” Americans may
value freedom of expression, but they certainly haven’t
built their society upon it.
Can you elucidate on this implied connection between
free speech and crime? I’m not sure how this works,
Grace. Freedom to not appear in court? OK. Freedom
to carry guns? Yes. Freedom to beat and abuse and
whatever else and only suffer a few months imprisonment?
Definitely. Freedom of speech? No, I’m sorry Grace, I don’t
get it. I don’t see it as being part of the problem. I see it
as being part of the solution. And if it’s only criminals who
are talking, then the police need more than ever to open
their mouths and tell us what is what and what should be
done.
Regarding crime rates, well, America has this bad image…
Murder rates in Kingston, Jamaica are six times those of
the worst cities in America. Violent crime in London is
much higher than in New York (- apart from murder, but
in New York most murders are between people who
know each other and are close to each other, not strangers).
There are many parts of America where people still happily
leave their doors unlocked at night without any worries.
In many countries, a huge amount of crimes go unreported.
In some countries, horrors are committed that are not even
considered to be criminal. Can we really be sure that
America is so dangerous a place compared to other places
in the world? If we find it is that dangerous, can we trace
the causes back to free speech? Probably not. More than
likely there’s too much left _un_said.
No offence intended to anyone, but I don’t think
censorship will help when we are faced with such
terrible events as what happened to Mahdi Abdulrahman
Mohammed. I, for one, would prefer to be informed…
Respectfully,
Scott
Grace,
Regarding your comments on – admittedly irrelevant –
sectarian issues, my Ingleezi father married a Bahraini
lady and my Ingleezieh sister married a Bahraini man.
In our family, the whole unity thing is working a treat!
Bless this tolerant society and may it stay that way.
Scott
Scott, with respect, you’d have to be born and bred in Bahrain to understand my references.
Your just as much a Bahraini as I am “Ingilainzia” :)))) The Muhurraqi version of “Ingleezieh”.
As for your last phrase “Bless this tolerant society and may it stay that way”, I concur.
Cheers to all,
http://www.buammar.com/2/tshyyea_200806/tshyeea_200806_3.JPG
😥
Oh man, that breaks my heart. God be with them.
Nah, but anyway, what is obvious that a message must
be promulgated quickly. Justice must be done, must be
seen to be done and be done quickly while the iron is
still hot, so to speak. These men must be tried and punished
to the full extend of the law quickly.
Ameen.
Scott
I remember reading about this yesterday.
The Bahrain Tribune had a front page note about the killing which I can’t link to (but is in 21 Aug archives). It said
So it sounds as though at least some of the details you heard are corroborated.
Gulf Daily has a small update here.
I don’t know if his employment for Reuters is related.
It’s very sad to think of what his family is going through.
you know i have come back to this post again and again, re-read the comments again and again. i feel sad that this gentle faced man has been killed, and about the weary confusion and upset you can see on his son’s face.
and i feel angry, and surprised.
i feel angry at mahmood’s reaction. it surprises me to see him take this position. and it surprises me even more that people posting have not commented on it.
to start with:
The question now must be: what is the screening process does the Ministry of Information or the Ministry of Defence for that matter adopt to actually hire their personnel who are allowed to carry arms?
Do they actually conduct psychological tests on those people?
Or does it suffice that the “officer†has no real affinity and affiliation to Bahrain?
To be absolutely plain here: do these ministries reserve their trust only to foreigners brought in to “protect†us? A bunch of mercenaries who have been brought up in completely foreign environments and cultures?
i just don’t understand the logic. are we asking for psychological tests to see if they are mentally stable enough to be carrying a gun? or to test their loyalties and affinity??
the mind boggles.
are you really suggesting that the reason this crime was committed was because of treason, or disloyalty? and if so, why?
secondly, i have to point out that the mercenaries cultures’, and in fact even other, seemingly ‘opposite’ cultures are not ‘completely foreign’.
i think it would be fair and rational to argue that different cultures have had profound impact on each other and particularly in this region are not so alien to each other as you are suggesting.
(polyculturalism anyone? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyculturalism)
And you say:
“Look for instance at all incidents of armed crimes over the last few years; every single one of them was perpetrated by “new†Bahrainis who have been brought in to be inducted into the police and military forces!”
Do you really think the facts that these crimes are committed are because these ‘new bahrainis’ are from foreign cultures and therefore disloyal?
Doesn’t it make more sense that these crimes (and others, such as their attacks on protestors) stem from the military and police culture of violence and unquestioning obedience to authority? And even more the lack of transparency and justice in dealing with cases related to the interior ministry/ army? That people can just get away with these things?
Again, i’m not entirely sure what you are suggesting but I feel uncomfortable with what you’ve said.
And then there was this:
“Moreover, the Ministry of Interior MUST re-look at its employment policies. No one looks after their country better than a countryman, as no matter how much mercenaries get paid or no matter how much you try to integrate them into the community by force by granting them haphazzard citizenship that they do not value, at the end of the day they will just say “to hell with it†and they’re on the first place back to where they came from.”
I think that’s a little unfair. I agree with your critique of the government policy to naturalise large numbers of sunnis to protect their own interests, i just think your post is a slightly skewed way of looking at it.
I mean if it’s all about a question of loyalty then how different are you really from the sunnis who think shia’s are all loyal to ‘foreigners’. Because in essence are you not saying the same thing – these ‘foreigners’ are disloyal?
I think your anger is misdirected at a large population, who in rank and file have basically come here to work and earn a better standard of living than they would at home. Higher up the ranks, i’m sure they have it all worked out in their policies of population control and oppression but from my own experience I wouldnt care to characterise all of them that way at all.
And at the end of the day, isn’t that what any army does? Protect the state’s monopoly and power of the resources of the country?
Finally, i really take issue with your whole ‘loyalty’ question.
I don’t know if the horrible incident aroused some fatherly/patriarchal feelings in you but my question is:
shouldn’t people be loyal to the other PEOPLE they are living in community and society with, rather than some “national” concept of being loyal to the geographical boundaries (which we did not draw up) and we are confined to, or the flag it has been given to wear?
Because unless its about loyalty to the people you’re living with then its just partiotism based on a very selective and exclusive idea of nationality – ie that you can only be bahraini if you are an arab, or a muslim etcetc…
Some of these recent naturalized Bahrainis, (specially those of Bedouin like (Jordan?) descent) live by different social beleifs. Things like honor killing and the like. If you go to some of the hospitals, and ask some of the doctors about the abuse cases that come in from this specific subset, they will tell you that there are certain social beleifs that they abide by that are alien to the original Bahraini values of openmindedness and tolerance.
I cant comment on whether they are loyal politically. But I will tell you that no country can withstand the amount of immigration that we have had without having to deal with the problem of subcultures.
I am not sure why the post above has not received many comments. Perhaps people are still in shock? Over the past month, we have read about gay murders, the brother killing his sister, and the cook murdering the employer. We have heard about drugs, violence and we are coming to grips with the realization that the Bahrain of old, the tolerant, safe, open minded Bahrain is not what it was. When the village goes to the city, the city takes over.
So, we will need to rethink what our police forces can and can not do given these new threats that we are facing from a society that is becoming ‘globalzied’. Crime, violence, rape are all part of the ills that every society faces.
Our Ministry of Interior needs to do a better job patrolling the areas and controling guns.
Our Ministry of Health needs to do much more Aids and Drugs awareness. Perhaps even push for it to start in public schools. (Maybe even with the involvement of Ministry of Education?)
Our Ministry of Justice needs to look at our crminal courts and amend it for the crimes that are being committed today. Public hearrings, witnessess, and public awareness.
And our beloved religious figureheads should stop yelling in the mosques every Friday about god knows what and should focus on spiritual leadership in our own comunities and address the hard core social issues that we face but no-one wants to talk about like rape, incest, abuse (both sexual and age abuse), and safe sex ..
So was the murder carried out by a member of the security forces as everyone first said?
Zara – couldn’t agree with you more.
I knew Mahdi. My brother was also very close to him, them having worked together at Reuters. I have sold and bought cars from him in the past and he was a regular here at the Bank in his reuters technician hat, installing software and hardware for our treasury. I can say with absolute certainty, that he wa one of the gentlest fellows I have met in my life. He was generous, accomodating and never too busy to help. He had absolutely no hang ups whatsoever in respect of Sunni/Shia/Jordanian/Yemeni or any of that bollocks. He was what all Bahrainis should aspire to be, Bahraini and proud of it.
We have lost out big time. If you did not know him, it really is your loss, you guys on here would have loved him.
The Murderer should have the rest of his miserable life in a cage to think about it. I recommend a picture of Mahdi be painted on the 4 walls of his cage, with another of Mahdis children and wife on the ceiling. these faces should stare at him for the rest of his life.
Mahdi is at peace now, but the hell is just begining for his family. May God bless them with peace, everywhere they go and in everything they do or try to do. They have paid the ultimate price.
Nader and Omar Shaheen
Pingback: Mahmood’s Den · Reflections on Patriotism
Scott
“There is a sign anEnglish author saw over there in an airport that says Innapropriate comments are illegal.†Americans may value freedom of expression, but they certainly haven’t built their society upon it.â€Â
He didn’t have his glasses on. Making jokes about bombs will get the joker booted out of the terminal. Signs warning people not to make bomb jokes have good reasons behind them and have nothing to do with the curtailment of free expression. People may use their freedom of expresson to make bomb jokes someplace else.
“Anonymous”
I was saying that the sign was there, whether he had his glasses
on or not. I was saying that Americans have not built their society
upon freedom of speech and in that I’m quite correct. I could have
cited a better example, perhaps. Perhaps I should make it clear
that there are times when you shouldn’t be able to say just
anything. I was concentrating on the idea of freedom of
expression not being a foundation of American society but a
varnish :^)
[petulant griping mode on]
I’m well aware that freedom brings responsibility, and that it’s not
OK to cry “Fire!” in a crowded theatre when there isn’t a fire, for
example. Nonetheless, the sign shows a mindset. E.g, we’ve
managed in Heathrow for years without a sign like that. I’m
writing this without knowing if such signs are up in UK airports
by now. Maybe I’m behind the times. Oh, and if the sign is informing
us of a legal issue, a civilised legal system should at least ensure
that a definition of “innapropriate” in context is properly explicated.
Otherwise people can be detained on the flimsiest pretexts. And
that just ain’t right.
[petulant griping mode off]
Anyway, thank you for keeping me on my toes. Time to be
a little more rigorous in my posting …
Scott
There’s less than six degrees of separation in this small
town and this is one of the times when I’m feeling it.
Jeez, I hope his family manage ok in the future. Gentlemen,
please accept the condolences of myself and many others
who didn’t know Mahdi. I wish I could say something less
weak.
Scott
شكرا لكم الرجاء ارسال صور الشهيد مهديعبدالرØÂمناجباري=( :grinnod: