Contrary to popular calls for me to be tear gassed I have not been. In fact all is OK in Bahrain.
What has happened is very sad and lots of people I know are involved in one way or another. However with common sense it is not difficult to avoid the trouble spots and keeping safe is not an issue.
Please don’t believe everything on the news these reporters have been in Bahrain for five minutes and most are clearly not well briefed, in fact Sky reporter Alex Crawford is a silly sensationalist cow who will get a swift kick in her arse if I (or a whole bunch of other people) ever meet her.
To be honest most Bahraini’s are not represented by the extreme protestors, there is democracy (not a European democracy but more than any other country in the region), this is an open society where dissent and discussion are allowed, parliament is voted in by the people (67% of the Bahraini population took part in the last election), unlike surrounding countries we have Churches, Mosques and Synagogues in Bahrain.
The same opposition members of parliament voted in are involved in the protests and are generally religious clerics with some pretty extreme views. If they were to be leading this country then foreign investment would die, the F1 would be lost, alcohol sales would be banned (very bad!), tourism would stop, churches and synagogues would be persecuted, women’s rights would be reduced and general religious freedoms and expression of opinions would be curtailed. When questioned as to the damage to Bahrain’s business and tourism that their changes would cause their answer is one of God will find a way....... great! These are not politicians as we know them, they are religious zealots who see the more extreme views of Islam being the way forward. Read Iranian backed hardliners rather than pro-democracy leaders when you hear of the so called leaders of this movement. Yes many who want more freedoms than are currently available have joined the demonstrators, but to balance that the largest demonstration to date has been a Pro King one, surprisingly this was hardly reported in the western press nor were the several other pro government and pro King gatherings involving thousands.
Our western press seems to want to influence rather than report accurately and that is sad. To tar Bahrain’s rulers as a despotic regime is very, very wrong and this country is a million miles different from Egypt or Tunisia in the way it is run.
Bahraini’s enjoy social security, free housing, unemployment benefits, food supplements, free healthcare, no income taxes and an average wage not far off European standards at $24K per head.
Bahrain is on the route to a full democracy that started in 2000 with the national charter but these things need time of adjustment and education. Democracy immediately and with no checks and balances could mean a very detrimental effect on this country. The aim of the rulers is to bring more freedoms and democracy as time went on, easing the transition so that a balanced and political structure matured that could be relied upon to operate in the countries best interests. Not to hand out all the power to political parties that can’t be separated from religious views.
I am proud to say Bahrain is the most truly multi culturally integrated society in the region, it is a true melting pot of differing people, religions and cultures. The Royal Family are the custodians of this and to date I don’t think they have done too bad a job considering Iran’s attempts to destabilise the region and the attempts of such influences to drive a sectarian divide between Shiite and Sunni.
A final point, it is Pearl Roundabout it is not a bloody square, never was never has been, if they can’t get their geography right then what chance of reporters reporting the facts????
So there you have it, my rant of annoyance and trying to tell you all not to believe everything the press says, where have we heard that before?????
) for the fingers he has in the pie of any large project that takes place. There is a democratically elected parliament but it can be (and is) overruled when it pushes an idea which the king doesn't want - the prohibition of alcohol being one example.
. Only real issue was the causeway being shut and stopping them from commuting over to Saudi.