We deserve the parliament we vote for. Here’s to hoping, against all odds, that the people who voted for these dark-ages jokers would learn from their lesson and don’t assume – for a third time – that religiosity = political ability or wisdom for that matter, as this parliament has amply proven.
Welcome to the age of Bahraini Inquisition. Have the cinder ready, and build gallows in sufficient numbers for the exclusive use of the parliamentary inquisitors, the protectors of our faith, the defenders of our morals, the lovers of culture and the appreciators of the arts.
What did you actually expect? That this parliament would diligently work to increase freedoms of speech and expression? That they will open investigations in dire issues they have conveniently forgotten like Bandargate, the housing shortage, the dearth of land, the increasing poverty, retooling education and fixing the constitution?
Fat chance!
We can’t blame the government for this one. We can only blaming ourselves for voting for these morons. Well done. I hope whoever voted for them is happy with their choice now, go on, pat yourself on the back.
Assuming the next elections would happen on 15 Oct, 2010, there are 1,303 days left. Assuming we actually want to wait that long.
Comments
Mahmood, I do believe you’re sounding a bit idealistic. Look at the U.S. – we voted in a Democratic Congress and all they’ve done is piss in their pants when Cheney growls, run around the issues, holding hearings – accomplishing nothing, and of, course, now half of them are running for president, so they have to tip-toe around issues and engage in mudslinging (a priority among politicians.) We not only have a lame-duck president, we have a very lame congress. They seem to have lost their balls and can’t find them.
I just wish that one brave man in this parliament talk about the American base in Bahrain and ask important questions about it . Why they are here ? Do we pay them or they pay us for this location ? Does their present represent social risks ? Can we be prevent our teenagers ? Why we need to see other soldiers in our country ? Do we respect the Bahrain army ? Do we feel proud of our soldiers or not ?
We all like Americans but educated American ,American artist in all fields ,American teachers in school in colleges we all like them but not their soldiers .
I wish people to feel the words one day in place of running behind useless things .
Author
Vagabondblogger, I would accept all of that in our parliament for your constitution and bill of rights.
Ours unfortunately are fighting with each other for the “honour” of curtailing our meager available freedoms and human rights.
Kanoo, that and a multitude of other issues they find the time not to explore.
Way to go Mahmood. Very pessamistic response. I like you!
Our soldiers? what are you talking about kanno the paki ones yemeni, syrian, jordanian? you obviously have no clew regarding the BDF. Social risks go to exibition,adliya manama and see which country is drinking the majority of the boooze and buying the hookers it is not the amerikis, but you know this dont you just spewing more hypocrytical nonsense stop the above mentioned two vices and tell me which two countries will be irate answer this
mr kanoo.
Mahmood, I cannot post under Going for Gold. Tried 7 times now.
Could you transfer this msg there please?
Thanks and best regards,
Vic
This link is from a US paper:
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/index5.htm
I would appreciate some comments to calibrate me on it especially from Ibn. It is pro-Jewish, but I personally (Christian) experienced some of what the article says (about 15-20%).
Please try to give me some good URL references. References that Jewish people at this Web site will not be able to dispute.
Thanks and best regards,
Vic
Hey ‘kanoo’, you’re a moron. After trying to decipher what you’re actually trying to say, I came to the conclusion that you’re still a moron. “Can we be prevent our teenagers ?” That doesn’t even make any sense. Too bad uncle sam didn’t have enough influence to force the proper use of the English language on you . . . and if I’m not mistaken, judging by your name, you’re probably one of those who are better off; the money spent on your education sure was a waste.
Vagabumguy, what are you complaining about? You’ve apparently got it all; freedom, HBO, and some super ability to bypass that flippn’ flag thing that’s supposed to be next to your name. I’d kill to just be able to watch movies in a cinema where people actually came to watch a movie! Can we trade neighbors? We’ll take Canada, and you take Saudi.
Back to ‘kanoo’. You’re still a moron. “I wish people to feel the words one day in place of running behind useless things” What the hell are you saying here? Who’s jogging where?
We’ve got a bunch of tits sitting in ‘parliament’, talking a lot of shit about nothing, and we’ve got people like ‘kanoo’ blaming it on american soldiers. None of this shit makes any sense. . .
Last time an MP came to our Ma’atam, and he took peoples requests, he said that they ddint forget Bandergate, and that theyre trying to increase wages by 15%
Author
That would be a mistake! Anyone can take up any alias they like, it doesn’t make them necessarily the one they claim to be. :face:
Who ever Mr. Kanoo is, he has nonetheless touched however illogically (here we go again blaming the Americans) on an important point. Our “honorable” members just don’t seem to be able to focus on constructive things.
However interesting pointer: anybody who talks about Islamic democracy, an we read more of this in some of the more high brow American journals (Foreign Affairs March-April 07, or the NY Review of Books, February edition – pick it from Jashanmals down at Seef) should come down to earth and examine the premise that if this possible, particulary in light of this current episode in Bahrain or elsewhere like Egypt where Nawal Saadawy (interestingly a secular opponent of the government) is being literally chased out for her views by the same ilk as the “honorable gentlemen.
I shot JR, no, no, no, it’s not the American’s fault, it’s suppose to be Silly Bahraini Girls fault, at least for the month of March.
However I can see why someone would have a problem with American military in their country, I don’t really care for the German and Singapore Air Force in mine.
Does that mean that 91,5% of the population agree with those MP’s?
actually, today, it means that 32 voted for the enquiry, and 5 abstained, and NOBODY VOTED AGAINST IT!!!
?????!!!!
even the most liberal candidate abstained!
what i found ironic was that in one of yesterday’s papers, i think alayam, (cant find it now) an MP says he cant believe MPs are agreeing to give up their rights. isn’t that what his group managed to get the women to do when they marched against legislation regulating women’s and family rights???
personally, i was very happy that they did this, because maybe this will finally shock more people to wake up. i still don’t know how many people though.
it would be nice to know how many individuals would sign a petition against the parliament, rather than a list of societies. maybe individuals should send letters to their MPs (a la U.S.) to protest their vote. maybe someone should write a standard letter and publish it somewhere accessible so that any individual can download it and sign it and send it to their MP to protest the way he voted.
what percentage of the population has actually woken up and IS actually outraged, anyone hazard a guess?
hmmm… i’d say between the ones that actually that can actually think and walk at the same time… it would be 2.5%….
ok ok… maybe a little higher… but not much.
mahmood,
How do you know that the next parliament will be any better?
unless the people stop believing that voting for “non-bearded” people will send you to hell, i dont see how the next parliament will be different !!
http://www.silverbahrain.blogspot.com
josh,
Looks like you don’t have a ‘clew’ either about the BDF. It does employ many foreigners, be it from Yemeni, Pakistani, or Sudanese origins. But it also employs thousands of Bahrainis.
still??? hope springs eternal..
what is the slope of this learning curve? about 2 degrees? when does it pass the threshlold? what will remain by then?
i will not hold my breath. why this insistence on learning through first-hand experience??? maybe that’s an important concept to introduce early into the curriculum. the art and science of forecasting..
and if we didn’t?? yup, we still get the dubious pleasure of having to bear the crosses of the ones who did.. no surprise there.
democracy shmemocracy… say what you like, overall, i still have more faith in the appointed council than in the elected one.
my favourite article on the topic was this one except when he lost the plot a bit in the last line, otherwise very true…
lets go outside parliament and DANCE, see what happens =D
lets go outside parliament and DANCE, see what happens =D
(but in groups of under 5 otherwise you need a permit)
LOL.. sounds like fun! i can just see it
So what’s better, before or after this version of democracy?
I have a feeling that the majority of people in this forum are not in the majority at the polling stations. But, do you feel more people are moving in your direction or have the elections just made the former divisions more visible and created more hardliners?
well actually, I totally agree that “that incident” that happened in the “spring of culture” was wrong and the member of parliments move is right.. well at least my whole neighbourhood says it was a good move!
I dont know about you but i think very left-liberals are 2.5 % of the population..
I will vote for the same person who won in my constituency and so will do the same neighbourhood..
Don’t bother to countdown days.. it’ll come to you as a shock when your same party will lose again and again..
hail freedom of speech 🙂
I hope you’ll excuse me for my ignorance, but what “incident” happened?
An “adult” theatre-play that was performed infront of under-aged children (with no warnings of from the Ministry of Information)and “Vanity Fair-like” photos distributed to the public in a community where the majority are conservitives.
I don’t consider my self a religous person nor a conservitive but for my children to see stuff which contains adult and mature scenes live in front of them is a mistake for those who organized the thing…
I would go out to see and watch the play with my wife and use our minds to imagine the real message of the play if there was a warning before that that children should not be allowed..
We have even worse stuff in the cinemas and in DVDs but no one is making a fuss out of it..
Dont try to make a fuss out of the thing.. there was a mistake and some one should take responsibility for his mistake..
True.. it’s not the main subject that MPs should be discussing right now but a mistake was done by the government and it’s the MPs duty to be investigating it..
Thanks.
Sounds like a bit of a hiccup.
I shot JR, it’s not very smart to pick on someone’s English skills especially if you know that Arabic is most likely their first language. Stick to the actual point he is trying to make, which I find rather valid. I don’t think he is blaming anything on the American soldiers, he is merely trying to explore the reasons behind their presence and what they’re actually doing in Bahrain. We have every right to wonder about that. Sure it shouldn’t be at the top of the list, there are many other important things to think about, but it doesn’t mean we should rule this one out either. It’s far from an anti-American or “blame America” type of response, he specified that in the comment.
In any case, the Spring of Culture is one of the best things to happen to Bahrain. It’s entertaining, educational, and inspirational. There’s always an asshole trying to ruin the experience by claiming it’s immoral or unethical. Shut the hell up and let people enjoy it for once!
You know what they say, though. If you stop whining, that means you gotta start doing some actual work, and we all know that’s not an option for many members of this lousy excuse for a parliament. They are best at one thing, and that’s pissing sane people off.
milter.
i think it was a good thing. it woke some people up. and, now that the religious right have already staked their position, its time for the liberals to define the parameters on the left. so at least, then, we know where the middle is.
Zara, this is where hooters come in. If hooters was the extreme left, then women like us would be identified as being in the middle. i would hazard a guess that most of the women in this blog, are, according to the religious right, on the extreme left.
Time to reshape the landscape methinks.
jasra jedi,
As I haven’t actually seem the show with my own eyes it’s difficult for me to judge. It all sounds very innocent, though, in my ears. My reason for calling it a hiccup was that the organizers probably didn’t quite know what was going to happen.
And I agree with you that it probably was a good thing. The scholars and their followers are fighting for their cause and trying to define the borderline between good and bad. Give that line a push now and then and it will move in the right direction.
And, by the way, liberals are not only found on the left wing of the political spectrum, at least not in my country. In fact some of the most illiberal and doctrinaire people can be found on the far left wing.
Author
CWT
and I would be happy to host said text of petition here. If anyone wants the contact numbers for their MP, the list is available here. Let me know if you have any updated information please.
Author
Someone:
Parliament should not be involved in this one. They will approach the problem from a religious rather than an administrative point of view and will affect every single future performance in Bahrain.
If the Ministry if smart, they will apologise for not advertising the event with an age warning and commit to rating future shows by adopting the movie ratings scheme. That would pull the rug from under the religiously motivated witch-hunting committee and force them not to waste even more time and get back to the more important issues.
Author
JJ:
about time too… it was bound to happen and I am rather happy that it actually happened over such an insignificant matter which shows the mentality they have. Their cover is so completely blown on this one that even blind people could see their motives.
What was is that Saidi said? “If they shut us up in parliament, they won’t be able to shut us up in our mosques!”
Author
Can We Talk, you might also be interested to read the artists’ response, and another excellent column by Radhi Al-Mousawi.
(Arabic links)
jasra jedi – hooters for me is no way extreme left.
i am definitely more leftwing than hooters – hooters is liberal economics, not liberal politically or socially. and i’m happy to b extreme left, not middle.
you know the more they go on about this the more i wish i’d been able to see the show!!
guys shall we really have a protest outside parliament in one of their next sessions? we can hold up banners with REAL issues for them to tackle – HOUSING SHORTAGE? CORRUPTION? EDUCATION SPENDING? DEFENSE SPENDING? the Us base etc. It would be even better if we had drums and stuff =)
Zara,
Hooters is nothing more than girls serving food & drinks wearing orange shorts and tank tops. You’ll find girls walking around Manama or Seef mall with the same amount of clothing.
Hooters can hardly be considered a show.
Sara
thank you zara for clarifying the difference between “liberals” and leftists. something that is often confused in bahrain.
most of the people who call themselves “liberal” in bahrain are not leftist — they are economic liberals, such as the “we have a right (… to sell alcohol)” campaign. im still waiting to see these businessmen take a serious stand on unemployment, housing, or environmental issues.
even those political groups who hail from bahrain’s strong leftist tradition of the past (i.e. wa’ad, menber) don’t look very leftist today. although in their rhetoric they talk about social issues, i havent seen them match their words with actions in any significant way. even on the classic issue of labour rights, they dont seem to be doing very much. (migrant workers, anyone?)
chanad
thank you for being so cool. hahah i’m so frustrated here right now.
but you know it’s not just in Bahrain — tony blair’s party ‘labour’ party is called ‘centre left’?!?!
i’d like to add USELESS trade union federation to your list of groups in bahrain failing their traditions.
Zara,
Thats you. But you arent in Parliament. These eedjit Islamis MP’s are. And, sometimes, I get worried, because although some of their economic viewpoints may very well be justified in terms of accountability and jsutification for spending, etc. I do NOT think that they have ANY right to start determining what is and what is not culturally acceptable for our youth.
This is NOT for the government, whether through the executive or legislative branch to get involved in.
Milter,
The thing is, if you were to turn on any of the satellite TV music programs available locally where music videos are made by arabs, produced by arabs, and sung for arabs, you will find as many, if not more, ‘suggestive’ movements and dances.
If parents don’t like it, turn it off. Dont buy a ticket. Stay home.
And if Saeedi cares enough to bring it up in the Mosques, then who is going to talk about the REAL social problems that we have with incest, domestic abuse, drugs and alcohol addiction??? We dont have one government run and sponsored residential treatment center for ANY of these abused victims in Bahrain. Not one.
The honourable messr khalife has spoken about our not-so-honourable parliamentarians, for those of you who are interested:
نواب إسلاميينبØÂرينيينبأنهم “طيور ظلام وتجار ÙÂتاوى
http://www.alarabiya.net/Articles/2007/03/21/32777.htm
woo!
And I suppose you are the honourable person among us so we should choose you to represent the people of bahrain??
Do you think you are better than those “non-honourable” people if you kept discussing politics this way?? Do you consider yourself “honourble”??
Yea you know what man, in a country where we have problems of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, sexual and physical abuse, violence against women, a seriously lacking public education system coupled with a FAT defence budget, a housing deficit coupled with mansions the size of some villages, HUGE environmental destruction in Tubli bay and other areas… i think it is dishonourable to waste the public’s time and money on committee to investigate whether a cultural event is promoting sex. In fact, dishonourable is a polite word for it.
My honour is not at question because i did not put myself forth and promise to deal with or try and resolve people’s problems, i did not campaign to be paid to sit in parliament for four years as a public servant. The not-so-honourable ones did.
And why is it that sex is so much of a more important ‘sin’ than corruption, thievery, abuse?
You know i live in sanad at there are 2 young sisters under the age of ten who go around begging almost every single day after school. Their mother sends them to do it, apparently because their father died and they have no bread winner. So yea, when we have issues like this is Bahrain, i think the people who instead choose to sit around talking about sex are fucking dishonourable.
Author
well said Zara.
And you think MPs have magic sticks to solve all of the problems you mentioned?
I’ve been hearing this stuff you just mentioned for ages from every single person in Bahrain. All the people want to fix these problems no matter what point of view they represent and still neither one party/person manged to solve a single major problem.
Don’t throw these problems on the MPs. If you have a solution and your honour is so precious that it can’t be touched, then please try solving such issues from the outside. Don’t you represent the street and the citizens?? Why not begin with those people who work and get 250BDs only and have 10 children from one wife which happens to be pregnant once again? Where are you from the idea that 50% of high school graduates stop learning after that stage. 45% of the rest stop after getting another higher degree!? Regarding the non-parliment parties, where are their plans, field work, their ideas and support to the Bahraini voter if they would believe they represent the Bahraini citizen? Where are the youth of the Liberal community and why aren’t they active? Why do you find them hanging around in coffee shops or in parties or streets going around and round or in (….) only? where is their work to make the country a better place to live??
I know I sound like the Anti-Liberal campaign which I used to hear during the last elections and I would like to assure you I am not one of them but I kept really wondering about the truth in all of this!
Let me ask you what is the solution you have in your mind? Dont tell me that the MPs should be discussing more important subjects (which is true by the way) but what do YOU have to offer for the community ?????????????????
Do you think electing someone like YOU will solve such issues?? there are dozens of barriers that are standing between any development, beginning from the government and passing by the extremist ideologies and the diversity of opinions. Not forgetting our bureaucracy system.
please if you think that the issue here is ONLY the elected MPs, then this discussion is a waste of time.. instead of picking on the honour of some one you barely know which happens that you don’t like, why don’t you give your own solution to the problems you just mentioned, build your stance with the help of your friends/party/whatever and enter the battle like a real Liberal party.
Unfortunately, what is happening right now is all part of the Liberals-media-war against Islamists. If liberals were really interested in solving the million problems you mentioned they would’ve come up with solutions and helped the other Parliment-Islamic parties (both pro and opp.) or even the government instead of blaming the current MPs for the lack of acheivments.
If it is about the “spring of culture” then Liberals made their point and so did the Islamists. Why continue attacking the MPs??? it’s not about freedom of expression no more, it’s all about the Liberals vs. Islamic MPs. you can’t see those who elected the MPs (conservative voters which are the majority) writing in the newspapers or in blogs attacking the MPs decision regarding the investigation committee.
The parliment is only 4-month old, we still have another 44 months left!
Save your breath.. the elections are still far away! And although their work is so weak right now I can see them winning 2010.
i wasn’t aware that mahmood or anyone else here was being paid by the government to solve these problems. i wasn’t aware that anybody here made campaign promises to solve these problems. i wasn’t aware that it is part of the job description of anyone here to solve these problems. ???!!
wives don’t HAPPEN to be pregnant, where did you learn your biology?
the people you mention are exactly the kind of people that i personally have no sympathy for whatsoever. i am sick and tired of people whose biggest contribution to this country is to increase its population and then expect this country to take care of them, house them, provide them with education, medical care, social benefits, etc. when they can’t even be bothered to control their basic urges and do some planning. the rest of the world has moved on, get with the program..abstain or visit a pharmacy. it’s a lot cheaper than bringing up another kid. and stop whining..
it is not OUR (the liberal community) youths that are loitering in the streets. why? where are your kids? our kids sometimes do useful things for the community but most of the time, they are living their age, playing, being kids, learning skills that will help them become responsible members of the community when they are adult, they are learning about other cultures so that they will be more tolerant and open-minded when they are adults, they are studying to get an education so they will not be ignorant and will not be leeches on society and will not have more kids than they can afford to, and will not enforce their dark and limited standards on everybody else, they are learning to think for themselves not be told what to think like sheep, they are learning to be decent citizens of the world.
when people get paid for being in parliament, that is when they become accountable to you AND US. until then, noone here is answerable or accountable to anybody.
and
then why the H*** did they run for parliament?
but these people didn’t run for parliament. that’s the difference. that is why there should be economists and other educated people in parliament, not a collection of religious zealots the majority of whom who don’t know much about much else.
a party should have a program and a collection of talented people who can between them address all the issues necessary to manage a country, otherwise they really have no business running.
can we talk
If someone needs to be paid so he can do good for this country, then I rest my case.
I am contributing to the society by helping people and giving advices in some of the society problems and I do not need someone to pay me.
I shouldnt be argueing in this topic with someone who is bragging about his kids and mentioning how much they contributed to the society while calling the kids of others “sheep” who do NOT have a lawyer like you to defend them, you can figure out their contribution by their actions and any other social event, no matter what the event is.
For the record, those “sheep” are educated, decent and have their own time of enjoyment and they do not need to be taught how to be and live decent in this world.
If the parliament is fulled with economists and other educated people then who would represent the conservative and Islamic community???
Ok, so I assume the party you are talking about here is YOU and the gang = the only people in Bahrain who got talent and can address all the issues necessary to mange a country
🙂
Author
Please don’t waste your breath mate, your advice is bad and is unneeded by even those who probably pretend to listen to you. So dinni fash y’sel laddy.
Those very people you scorn do look after the Islamists and conservatives much better than Islamists themselves would. The reason being is that the educated people and economists have a wider and more tolerant view of the world and understand that they represent all the people, rather than a little community who happen to pray behind them in their little mosques and their life and thoughts are blinkered with narrowly interpreted extremist versions of Islam.
So do Bahrain and your community a favour and keep your unneeded advice to yourself.
don’t put words in my mouth. i said WE are not being paid to SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. my job has different responsibilities which I fulfil, they do not include proposing solutions or legislation to sort out the problems of this economy. that is part of the job description of MPs, and part of THEIR campaign promises. if they don’t know how to do it, they shouldn’t be there.
as far as i know, nobody asked you what you do. and you don’t know what i do. both are beside the point.
then don’t
i didn’t brag. i was defending our kids from your ignorant accusations and attacks.
i said: “they are learning to think for themselves not be told what to think like sheep”. I stand by that.
???!!!
since neither you nor i know what or who you are talking about, i can’t answer that. it’s all irrelevant.
1. you cannot be sheep and educated at the same time. contradiction.
2. everybody needs to learn how to be decent. if they didn’t, there would be no crime, no socially delinquent behaviour, nobody having thirty-five kids from four wives, no child abuse or neglect, no rape, no wife abuse, no theft, no government employees clocking in in the morning and going out for the day (effectively cheating and stealing from their country), no litter on the beaches, nobody driving with their kids in cars without a seat-belt or sitting on their laps while they drive, the list goes on.. i don’t know what your definition of decent is but it appears that it might be a lot less demanding than mine.
economists and other educated people come in all shapes and sizes. they are conservative, religious, or liberal, they have educations in international studies, business, law, education, sciences, arts, journalism, engineering and sociology. they can contribute in their own areas of expertise because at the end of the day, the bottom line is what’s best for the country’s economic future and the life of future generations. doesn’t the “conservative and islamic community” want jobs, don’t they want good opportunities for their kids? don’t they want a sustainable economy for future generations? or is their sole purpose to maintain archaic expired ideas for eternity at the expense of the country’s future?
when we have a strong economy everybody benefits, no matter what their religious affiliations.
don’t assume anything and don’t put words in my mouth.
1. there is no GANG
2. i didn’t run for parliament, so i am not accountable to you.
3. i am a registered voter, so i CAN hold parliament accountable and when they waste our money, i can say so. so can you.
مشكل… عزا الله إنه ÙÂÙ„ØÂنا لو اÙÂكاركم وتعصبكم وصل البرلماÙâ€
🙂
Author
والله ÙÂÙ„ØÂنا!
أيعقل الله يهداك.. Ø£ØÂد يرد على هالكلام؟
يعنيبالعربيماÙÂيخرو٠متعلم، يا خرو٠.. يا متعلم. الا اذا انت متلاقيمع خرو٠special
:tongue: