Thanks to an anonymous donor, we received BD2,323 to make up the shortfall of our target of BD8,500 fund-raising efforts for the first phase of the Just Bahraini campaign!
Thank you very much!
I’ve got a lot of ideas that we can use creatively in order to propagate the message of unity in Bahrain and try to fight the sectarian monster. I don’t think that any amount of money alone is going to solve these problems, but the last donation most certainly will help in allowing us to go up to the next level.
If you have ideas on programs that we could enact, or if you can lend some of your time and talents to this campaign, please let me know.
Comments
Ashoora is coming up. Thats a good chance to spread the word.
There’s an irony in your suggestion, Salman.
Was it deliberate? 🙂
It’s a good idea though/ I try to raise this subject whenever I feel it’s useful to do so.
To comment poster No. 2, I am sorry, but I was being very serious about my suggestion.
The slogan of Ashoora is “Hussain unites us”. And he unites us all, regardless of sect, race or religion.
Does it not amaze you when you see thousands of people, regardless of their differences, coming together as brothers and sisters? United hand in hand? We should learn from it to be united throughout our lives, and work together for a better future for us all. Ashoora shows the sectarian minded people that their ideoligy is not welcomed in our society, or in any society for that matter.
Ashoora teaches us that to succeed, we must first be united. United against opression, tyrannt, and work hard hand in hand to live in harmony and provide justice for all.
We should use Ashoora to spread love.
Mahmood, what about vinyl stickers for people to put on their cars? Once it gains populatiry, the message will be sent out to those who are trying to divide us that we are united against them.
Congrats Mahmood! I am really thrilled.
I beg you to treat this idea carefully. I got all sorts of comments when I had the pin on my chest. Sticking it on my car would probably get it vandalized at this point in time.
I’m sorry Salman, it was not my intention to make light of your suggestion and you’ve explained it very well. Thank you.
Congrats Mahmood…and inshallah we can soon say congrats to Bahrain and maybe even the world..(why not?)
just a thought.. a problem with the philosophy of the slogan is that it starts by excluding one’s religious beliefs,(no shi’i no sunni). in a country where the majority are naturally religious and with strong convictions a slogan like this will seem alien to most bahrainis as their beliefs are an inseparable part of their identity not just their nationality and culture.
to ask people to delete part of who they are (whether religion, ethnicity, culture ..etc) will most certainly hit a wall and fail, and history has an abundance of examples.
rather the slogan should be (shi’i AND sunni ALL are Bahraini!) it should promote that a big PART of our identity is DIVERSITY.
(remember that political and sectarian turmoil has created the illusion between shi’is and sunnis that the “other” is “less” bahraini! sad!)
Bahrain was diverse and peaceful from the start. can the campaign make people proud and patriotic about their identity which encompasses ALL? can it promote the strong, peace loving, kind hearted, witty and humorous bahraini character and give it back the spot light?
i know that a change in slogan maybe a bit of a long shot but what i am aiming for is a subtle paradigm shift that i hope the organizers of the campaign will understand and discuss what things they can do in its regard.
it is most important to know WHAT you are trying to change, WHO are you trying to change and HOW are you trying to change… common sens but not always obvious!
a final note..all this talk about being careful and sensitive should not put people off..esp Mahmood.. i think anyhting you do a lot of people will support it if they know the intention and the cause..keep those clear and things will be fine..there is certainly room for mistakes as long as their rectified and not left standing (loving failure remember)..bottom line is keep marching and dont stop..you got so far..and we’re with YOU!
dear Mahmood, i am proud that we bahrainis can do this and i think it can be done right here, right now and only in BAHRAIN..so go ahead and may God and all people be with you.. MAKE US PROUD AND MORE PROUD TO BE BAHRAINI!!
I am with Salman, Ashora is a good place to start, how about printing T-shirts with the Slogan, it will be nice to see the blogers that are covering Ahsora wearing them, and giving them out.
Salman, this is your first post that can be helpful, thank you, and I hope you keep this attitude.
So when do I get my button?
Congrats and I hope this campaign continues to raise awareness and eradicate sectarianism in our teeny weeny kingdom
Salman
Absolutely, I’ve got thousands of buttons saved just for this occasion. It was a hit last year and I hope it will be again this year.
Bahraini
Yes I agree, on the face of it, the slogan can be interpreted as contradictory to the message it proclaims, but it is this shock tactic that made people ask the question when first faced with it.
It’s been a year since we started it, it is now time to shift into another gear. I don’t have definite plans yet, but I can tell you that the slogan will now evolve to “Just Bahraini” without the distinction. The campaign’s “brand” is now set in stone, so that anyone hearing the phrase “Just Bahraini” will automatically consider the implications of sectarianism and its effect on this peaceful society.
Eyad’s idea is a great one. White or Black T-shirts with the Just Bahraini slogan printed on them.
Mahmood, here is another idea. Organize a march, with people wearing the shirts, buttons and wrist bands. Ask people to join in, spread the word, and it will help display the unity of the peace loving Bahraini people. It does not have to be organized on a special day. With so many thousands present, it can be turned into a massive march, it could be a good and strong start for the campaign for 2008.
I would rather prefer to say “let’s celebrate our differences” or “strength from diversity”
Anonymous donor? i never said you should label me as anon! i want my name out in lights, please!
as for the whole ashoora idea, it is a great idea. i know many sects that come to the whole ashoora event; its not strictly an event that the shiaa go to, and its perfect to promote the unity concept.
Your signature is starting to be marked as spam, I would be careful with using it. It appears that it is doing the opposite of what you intend.
As to the donation thing, it isn’t you who contributed of course, I should probably change the wording to “a donor who wishes to remain anonymous” which is less ambiguous. That’s for the record.
But, we still need some more, so do crack open your wallet and let the cobwebs fall while extracting a few dineros to contribute! No amount is too small because contributing nothing is smaller still.
In in for helping with anything Mahmood. Put my name down and contact me if you need any voluntary work.
Just for the record I think using Ashoora is a good idea, but at the same time will and could have a negative impact.. Imagine some of the narrow-minded turbaned will come out with the nonsense that Ashoora is only for the Shia, and nothing to do with the others, hence no unity..
Man.. I wish I could give them cement shoes, and send them swimming with the fish.
Last year the buttons were very well received. The booths ran out of them very quickly. We distributed 5,000 on the 8th, 10,000 on the 9th and 20,000 on the tenth (if memory serves) and everyone was proudly wearing them, especially the turbanned lot!
That made me very very happy.
Does anyone have any outlets we could distribute them in Muharraq, Riffa and Hidd? I think I’ve got Isa Town and Manama covered for this year.
we can Brand one of our cars and drive around one of the crowded places distributing them every Friday, and after Friday prayer, in souq waqif, and so forth.
Congratulations – this will be brilliant, flood the country with this message of unity and silence those who brew trouble…
Didn’t know that the campaign received such a good response last year during Muharram. Excellent news… 🙂
I stand corrected…
Would it be possible to get those transparent films which they stick on the rear-windows of cars. If you could email me a high quality image, I would be more than happy to be the first to try it, and pay to get it done.
Congrats Mahmood and thank you generous donor. If you have a task group in place, please add me to it and hopefully we could move from a stage where we are giving the Just Bahraini campaign lip service to actually embracing its ideals in our thoughts and actions!
what a waste of money…
What would you rather do ut33?
what a waste…..
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ut335… Every heard the saying.. Empty vessels make the most noise.. Apparently the small box embedded somewhere in your tiny head is empty, your flapping gums are causing a commotion, yet useless. Don’t waste our time (pleeeze), I would have respected you in you had an argument. Opps.. I forgot, you are empty. 😯
Congratulations
I have one message for both sides of the sectarian divide, you are fighting over the wrong religion.
There never was a God, so it doenst matter if you are sunni or shia, christian or jew, we are the religion – men and women, we don’t have the luxury to blame some one in the sky. We are responsible for all our own suffering and have to take responsiblity for our own actions.
Last month a new meaasenger came to Bahrain and gave us a new message. Next month he will be in UAE, I suggest you go and hear it. God has abdicated and left this earth to us.
So, sunni and shia are just quaint little cultural customs which melt into the fabric of human history. It is time to take responisbilty for what we we do and look after our fellow companions.
Happy Muharram
Ali,
What a great comment. Yes it is high time that people all over the world (not only in Bahrain) looked at other people as fellow human beings who should all be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their faiths, race or color. But it seems that is a dream that you and me are dreaming but then I would say to any skeptic;
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
Am visitin this website for the first time and this blog caught my attention. Though I think its a great idea I do agree with the comments made by bahraini (reply no. 7?).. i too feel shi’ii and sunni, all r bahrainis.. or all proud to be bahrainis would sound better and wudn offend any (if some chose to b offended by no shi’ii no sunni slogan i mean..)
I’ve read Mr. Mahmood’s reply too and am really happy that it went well last year during muharram. Am a resident of Muharraq, but i do not have any outlets here. But there’s a mall here by name emax. can some arrangement be made with the owners or somethin so that we could collect our buttons from here?
i think T-shirts too is a great idea as mentioned in one of the comments, and i have one more way of getting the MESSAGE to everyone in Bahrain. yes, its in the previous sentence itself.. Y not do sms advertising (bulk) of the slogan thru batelco n zain? m sure some of the funds collected cud b used for this purpose??
Ali,
Happy Muharram? For a while I thought you were ill informed. It was like saying happy 9/11!!
However, I had a change of heart. No one will admit it but Muharram (apart from it being a month of mourning) is a time of great joy too; staying out late, meeting with folks you have not seen for ages, kids in black dresses and of course, endless supplies of free food. Not the mention the days off!
Perhaps it is time that we should all say Happy Muharam. Just like Happy Easter. After all there are many similarities between Jesus and Husain; both were men of great virtue, both embarked on a mission to save humanity from its sins, both new of the dangers and both died slow and painful death. Both live on.
So Happy Muharram too.
wonderful news!!!!
So, how did it go?
It’s going pretty good. The last few thousand buttons have been distributed and we’re thinking of other things to do to raise awareness.
Want to help?
You asked too late! I left Bahrain on Saturday night and I’m back in the UK.
Any Ashoora pictures this year? Would love some pictures of the Haidar if you took any.