A long weekend and a lot to do in the garden with a new growing season, the bloggers gathering and the sending up of political test balloons.
Episode links:
World Press Freedom Day • My gardening escapades • Yacoub’s Dome • Bahrain set to name Jewish woman envoy • Looking for employees is harder than I expected.
Comments
I personally think it is a good idea to have a jewish envoy. Looking at her experience and background I can’t see how she will be any worse then any other envoy. Instead of leaving the issue dangling you should have proposed some possible alternative candidates.
Author
You must be confused.
The nomenclature after my name sometimes read “Bahraini citizen”, “businessman” or even “blogger” but never have I seen it as “foreign minister”.
Another option would be Jawad al Raiyedh the current deputy prime minister. This would enable him to gain the confidence of washington in case he is being lined up to becoming a prime minister in the future. Also another option would be having a qualified Al-Khalifa with Huda Ibrahim Nono as an assistant ambassador.
Mahmmod, I agree with you discrimination is discrimination. But when you say positive discrimination do you mean affirmative action? Can you say that positive discrimination is affirmative action? Do you believe in affirmative action? Where I’m from we need affirmative action, because some groups were so heavily discriminated that they need a push up. Honestly, my knowledge of Bahrain is limited to my parents and although they grew up in Bahrain, times have changed since they left, a long long time ago. What I’m asking you (since you are the local) have Jews been so discriminated that they need affirmative action (has Huda faced discrimination, *obstacles* because she is a Jew). I personally thought she would face more obstacles because she is a woman?
I know you said that position should be given to someone who has demonstrated to be a good politician ( I personally agree with you), but how many people will be given a chance to demonstrate how good they are? Then again I don’t like handouts, lol (but I have a soft spot for those who truly* need them.)
Here we give preferential treatment to minority groups because of various reasons; I won’t go into too much detail, like (historical/current abuse, economic, or simply women who were denied). I believe in affirmative action not for ethnicity but economic reasons such as those in the lower classes (poverty) but then again those in poverty are most likely minorities. (It’s like asking what came first the chicken or the egg.)
P.S. sometimes we wonder where Obama would have been, had he not been given that leg up.
AnywhoPlease, enlighten us foreigners of what the minority situation in Bahrain is, such as Jews? ❓ And do Bahrainis think minorities should be given this advantage or not? ❓
Author
Heraish, do you just speak to hear yourself, or to show people how informed you are? You’re failing in both. To me, following that last few emissions from you, you seem to me nothing more than a troll.
My advice to you is to just disappear before you completely and utterly discredit yourself irreparably.
If, on the other hand you want to engage and understand, I suggest you start your own blog, I’ll even direct free traffic to you to get you started.
G’night.
I know I have mentioned it before and I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but a majority somewhere is a minority elsewhere. For example, my fellow Arabs in France face so, so, so, much discrimination. Does anybody remember the 2005 riots, it’s not surprising! In France, if you’re a minority especially Arab nobody wants to hire you, and there were no affirmative action programs for people to help get them jobs, despite your education. Basically you have to fend for yourselves.
Lol, lol, it’s also called the “French Intifada†lol. What’s also funny, the French government reaction to fight this bad perception of discrimination used the method of appointing the first Arab (high positon), the Justice Minister Rachida Dati. They were trying to show the world and they immigrants that they love there Arabs and blacks. Did the world buy it? lol
Can we say it’s the same method being considered in Bahrain, what a small world?
Is it the same in Bahrain? ??? Do the Bahranis buy it? lol
Dear brother Mahmood. I am just trying to get you to think more out of the box. Yes the government has mistakes, yes the parliament does not have its priorities right. However the recent events do show that Bahrain is moving in a direction that is different from its neighbors. These are unchartered waters.
This needs to be applauded and encouraged not continously slammed for the sake of slamming. Criticism should be solution oriented. Also you are touching very sensitive topics related to religion and politics. When someone does that, particularly in a predominantly religious society he should not get offended, or surprised when there is a reaction.
Also for you to effect positive change, which I believe you want to, you should not provoke peoples religious sentiments and instead seek to use arguments that they can relate to. Which are going to be religion based. For example instead of saying you want to give free alcohol you should say that stealing peoples money should have priority since it is a communal sin and effects everybody in the sense of lack of services etc. Wheras alcohol is in an individual sin. I am just using this as an example to illustrate.
Imposing liberal ideas that are current in the West is not going to be effective. Nor is discussing issues related to local politics in a language most locals don’t understand. However that is your choice and business. It may get you invited to western universities though. Which is not a bad thing in itself, if it is used to the benefit of the people you are trying help.
This is your blog and you are free to say what you wish. But I will be involved as the world is a small place and the stakes are high if we don’t try to rectify and improve things. Why start a fresh blog when you are taking a very good lead and providing us with a forum to express our views?
Concerning the ambassador. Is having a Jewish person representing Bahrain’s interests usefull? It could be. The reason is that Jewish people in the United States are very effective and hold many influential positions in the media, finance, industry and government. She may be able to network among them better then a Muslim. Also if she is able to get Bahrain’s viewpoint across, and if she is able to influence policy such that, for example, she prevents a war against Iran she would be doing humanity a huge service. A contrary scenario would be disastrous to Bahrain the Gulf and the world (oil prices, inflation etc.).
The suggestion I gave for her being vice ambassador was that you can have the more expereinced locally influential person in charge and she could still play an effective role.
But whatever our differences I applaud you for taking a lead in encouraging more freedom of expression in a region that severly lacks it.
God knows best!
Author
1. I’m not your brother.
2.
I will not allow you or anyone else to hijack this blog to achieve your own purposes. I won’t stop you from starting your own which you are more welcome to.
So consider this the second warning to you: if you enter a comment that is at a tangent to the discussion, or if you start preaching, or if I simply find objectionable, I shall remove it.
I encourage you, once again, to read the published terms and conditions of the blog, particularly those concerned with comments.