Ethics and Credits and the potential loss of a good project

Reading the papers this morning there seems to be a fight about “who started this thing” with everyone coming on the line trying to take credit for this movement before it even taking hold.

Alwasat for instance did not even name this blog nor Ahmed Alaradi who wrote the code in the first place based on my discussion with him and handing him over the original code of ethics on whose idea he based the current code against sectarianism. This happened during the Alwaqt seminar and in the presence of Dr. Abdulla Yateem, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information, who was sitting next to me at the time. In Alwatan I see that others are now taking some sort of initiative to write a completely new code in order for them to attribute it to themselves.

Ethics demand, especially for journalists, to at least attribute the source.

I am also rather dismayed that most Bahraini blogs have not taken up the issue and at least discussed it. Is this not an important issue to all of you? Or are you too waiting for credits and a pat of the back?

Where does all of this leave the crux of the matter? No where. It will once again be diluted and nothing will happen. Another noble project lost.

I don’t give a damn who takes credit for this code, if you want to remove my name from it I personally don’t care. I’m not looking for any compensation nor recognition. What I am looking for is for this country to least to be at peace with itself and stop the stupidity of using one crisis to cover another; one scandal to counter another, and the spread of the sectarian and discriminatory poison which is killing opportunities which should be enjoyed by the people of this country.

All of them.

So quit your bickering, abide by professional and personal ethics and let’s get this show on the road.

Comments

  1. Ali

    I appreciate yours and Alaradi’s sincere efforts. However, I think that the proposed CoE is less significant compared to a electronic publications law based on the International standards. In the proposed CoE I do not see any reference to the authorities who always have the upper hand in blocking sites whenever they feel doing it and without referring the matter to court. I strongly beleive that the authorities managed to convert the issue to an inter-bloggers issue rather than an issue between the authorities and the bloggers.

  2. mahmood

    That’s a fair point Ali. Would you like to write a paragraph or a sentence that would address this issue?

  3. Elly

    Dear Mahmood,

    I am not from Bahrain but i am proud to say i was brought up in your lovely country.
    I started reading your blags a while ago and just want to say keep going!

    Bahrain is a fantastic country, its young, its fresh and most of its people have a can do approach to life. I was lucky enough to know a good cross section of people both Sunni and Shia and i perhaps comprehend the internal issues more than more expat brats.

    You are a young country and its just growing pains but I do think you are guiding the country on the right lines.
    Keep strong.
    E

  4. NewMe

    Mahmood, i would very much appreciate it if u could provide me with the logo image to upload it on my blog?
    thanx u and Al Araddi for your great efforts…
    our country is in greet need for forward thinkers and ppl would would take initiatives…
    with lotsa Love…
    cheers!

  5. Butterfly

    Mahmood,

    There is another ethical issue. I uploaded the image in my blog but then discovered that the this logo is already used by many saudi website/blogs. Can we use this logo without taking any permssion and why can’t we have one of our own?

    Please check this site:

    http://www.rasid.com/artc.php?id=17037

  6. mahmood

    Thank you Butterfly! I’ve been re-searching for it for the last half hour now!

    I’ll email them now and ask for permission.

  7. mahmood

    I received authority to use this graphic and anything else on Alrasid site without qualification. I thanked them for this authority and trust:

    بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
    الأخ الكريم محمود اليوسف المحترم
    السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته،،
    بدايةً نشكرك على تواصلك واهتمامك بشبكة راصد الإخبارية.
    لا مانع لدينا من استخدامكم لهذا الشعار أو غيره من الشعارات الخاصة بالشبكة.
    موفقين لكل خير
    والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
    شبكة راصد الإخبارية
    http://www.rasid.com
    editor@rasid.com
  8. Sam the Great

    Ggood post – I heard ego dentures are difficult for those with ever expanding egos.

  9. Muhurraqi

    “My sister wants to marry a shia.”

    Before biting my head off please listen to what I have to say. I’ve met him. He’s a very nice bloke. Very well mannered, very respectable. But marriage is a very difficult arrangement. Its not only his manners that have to be taken into consideration. It’s everythings else. I am not against him because he is different. Don’t get me wrong. I am just worried. I am worried about many things, about their future. Their kids future. The social situation currently doesn’t leave much for hope. What happens later? Both sects are at each others throats and the situation might worsen. My parents will be shunned within their circles. The rest of my sisters will have a problem getting married to people within the same community. And then if this marriage does come through, what happens with the kids? How difficult is it going to be for them, to be brought up in a society that might not accept them as being of mixed beleifs? Is it the beleifs that matter any more or is it just people being pig headed? I am worried, I don’t want anyone to hold this against me, I am writing here cause I want people to discuss this with me. I hope you don’t mind Mahmood, I don’t mean offence to anybody, but we are all part of the same society and we need to come to terms with what is happening. I need advice and am willing to listen to everybody.

  10. mahmood

    Talk to people who have actually taken this step and listen to their advice. I know several couples who are in this situation and have been married for many years, I am sure that you can find a few that you personally know.

    Marriage is a difficult enterprise to say the least, mixed marriages have their own extra challenges, but from first hand experience I can tell you that it works, and my marriage of 21 years is probably a testament to that.

    As for the community thing, they will get to accept the situation eventually.

  11. konfuzed

    [Muhurraqi]
    “My sister wants to marry a shia.”

    *Cracks knuckles*
    Can you please answer me a set of questions Muharraqi?

    1- Is your sister, and your whole family committed practicing Muslims?
    2- Is the guy in question, a committed practicing Muslim?
    3- Do you agree with the saying that I have just came up with, which goes, a Shia might treat your sister better than 1000 Sunnis, and in return, you as a Sunni, might treat a Shia female better than a 1000 Shia?
    4- When two people that have put aside their sectarian differences and decided to join in marriage, don’t you think that they took the first step in actually being tolerant and bridging the gaps between the two sects? (I’m not a very committed practicing Muslim and I don’t understand what huge of a difference is there between Shias and Sunnis, sure there are differences but here comes my next point)
    5- There are differences between Shia and Sunnis yes, but are these differences enough to call a Shia or a Sunni a non-Muslim?
    6- If the answer to 5 is yes, I rest my case and sit back calmly in my chair pondering if I should commit more to my religion which in core teaches tolerance. (Sometimes I try to make a comparison between what the Prophet (PBUH) used to do to the enemies of Islam upon capture and what we are doing to each other as Shia and Sunnis)
    7- If the answer to 6 is No, then, in Islam, isn’t it Haram to fight another Muslim? (I see Muslims killing each other because of differences in sects, hell, I see Muslims from the same sect killing each other)
    8- Society will outcast them (Reading the intensity of what they will face I started thinking they will be stoned). I am sorry, but if citizens of one country who are sharing the same country with each other, don’t start facing these issues, who will? I don’t know what will happen to them facing the society, but if no one dares to make the change, then all I can do is quote my buddy Gibran “Pity the nation ….”

    In conclusion, all I can say is that people should really look into themselves, and re-discover their faith for before judging others (which are of the same religion but different sect created merely for political reasons), that they should complete their religion, that they should be true Muslims.

    And one last question to ALL Bahrainis reading this…

    “What is the fate or society’s outlook on a Bahraini marrying a Christian, or any other religion for that matter.”

    Last but not least, here is what my buddy Gibran had to say looking at the Muslim and Arab world today:

    “Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.”

    I am not sorry if I offended anyone, actually I would be pleased, for people who will be offended by anything I wrote need to wake up, stop submersing themselves in petty meaningless differences and start dealing with the real issues such as hmmmm economy, education, and if you want to get religious on me, well the establishment of the state of Israel that is threatening our Arab identity and will in time root us out from the land where the Prophet lived in and loved…

    Still Konfuzed by your tough words Mahmood 😛
    Hats off to you man, people like you make me feel there is hope still…

  12. Robin Mills

    Hi Mahmood,

    thanks for letting my picture be part of an anti-sectarian gesture. I support it and I am honored that you chose this picture. Feel free using it anytime.

    regards, Robin Mills

  13. أني بحرانية

    I know someone from Al-Waqt newspaper, a well known figure in the field.

    Anyhow, I was talking to him earlier during this month about his topic and he was so upset about Alwasat. Saying that they deserve to treat themselves better and credit you and alaradi for the codes of ethics.

    Because I know this person too well, I know he had nothing against Al-Wasat as a newspaper, but was upset that they chose to overlook a very important matter.

    The worst part, as you said – people are not caring. Because it’s alwasat.

    I love alwasat, it’s one of two of my favorite newspapers. But I have to admit, this is something upsetting.

    What a shame.

    I hope M. Al-Jamri stops to CONSIDER this matter…

Comments are closed.