A nation interrupted
Stuck in revolutionary limbo, Bahrain remains to this day the forgotten child of 2011 uprising, a veritable media black hole the press has learned to stay away from to the tune of Saudi Arabia’s financial largess. Sitting at the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, the kingdom island represents too much of a geopolitical haven for the Wahhabi kingdom to ever consider letting go of – even if it means single-handedly propping and supporting its political institutions and finances. And that Saudi Arabia had to do a lot of over the past four years.
While Bahrain revolutionaries might not have YET brought the regime to its knees, they quite successfully bled Al Khalifa’s coffers dry, forcing the state to almost entirely rely on foreign aid to keep its institutions going. Bank-rolling Al Khalifa’s monarchy has become an expensive task indeed; especially now that foreign investors have all but deserted the island kingdom, keen to seek lucrative investments where streets protests are not a permanent fixture.
In this battle of wills, Bahrain revolutionaries have time and resilience on their side! As far as Al Khalifa dynasty is concerned, it could well be midnight has just rung on the kingdom! From a purely historical standpoint, no autocracies have ever been able to withstand popular will, especially not when motivated by a yearning for social justice. The House of Al Khalifa might want to brush up on history and reads in its pages the signs of its pending collapse.
A foreign importation, Al Khalifa monarchy was never representative of Bahrain, its Royals never spoke for Bahrainis either since they did not share in their traditions, history and cultural patrimoine. Worse still, under the rule of Al Khalifa Bahrain has learned to live in perpetual division: Shia versus Sunnis, rich versus poor, nationals versus foreigners … division criteria run deep for such a tiny island lost in between the Persian Gulf.
There lies Bahrain’s unspoken tragedy.
Speaking on International Day Al Wefaq National Islamic Society stressed: “Today, Bahrain is in most need for comprehensive peace on all levels far from the destructive security approaches.
The achievement of peace in Bahrain entails a real national project through courageous and genuine political and economic solutions that put the benefits of the country and its citizens in core consideration.”
It quickly added, “Peace is a national demand that should be reached by the implementation of justice, balanced representation of all society sides, respect of human rights and democratic principles and equality on the bases of citizenship and law.”
It is because Al Wefaq has lobbied for national equality, beyond matters of faith, social status or even ethnicity that Manama exerted its wrath against its most prominent leader: Sheikh Ali Salman (secretary general)
Sheikh Salman, a pivotal figure of Bahrain’s revolutionary movement has been languishing in jail under trumped up charges on account of his political activism and insistence to call Al Khalifa on their human rights abuses.
But not even cuffs and window bars have weakened Bahrain’s resolve to claim its freedom.
Speaking to his wife from prison, Sheikh Salman told his supporters: “The cuffs and all this only strengthens our determination to demand our rights so that this generation and the coming generation rest reassured about themselves and their futures.” Before such strength and nobility of character one cannot help but feel humbled.
How can the liberation of Bahrain be anything else than a matter of time when such men are in the lead?
Standing in stark contrast to the likes of Sheikh Ali Salman, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Zeynab Al Khawaja, Nabeel Rajab, Hussain Jawad and so many others, King Hamad ibn Issa stand very much the villain of the story.
As Sheikh Salman so beautifully told his beloved daughter Naba: “The sun is a great blessing that Allah created for all people, and not one can monopolize it and deny others from enjoying it. No one has the right to block the sun from anyone by imprisoning him or her. This country is like the sun, it is a blessing from Allah, and a right for everyone, and its resources are bound for everyone, without any monopolization or discrimination.”
There, in between two seas, that of the earth and the skies, Bahrain’s prayers await, filled with hope and unspoken fervor.
Against the rule of a despot it is a nation-state which await to be built. Bahrain was never home to the dreaded “Shia revival”. Bahrain’s revolution was never intended as yet another fracture to an already fragmented society – Bahrainis ambition most of all to proclaim their nation whole and erase those engineered socio-political and religious barriers which Al Khalifa regime worked so hard on perpetuating.
Reducing Bahrain’s struggle to a sectarian movement is exactly what Manama has strived for. The logic behind this rationale is actually simple – By highlighting the so-called Shiite nature of Bahrain uprising, Al Khalifa has been able to hedge western powers’ fear of Iran to its benefits, projecting his own rule as the only alternative worth having to protect the current regional power dynamics.
Western capitals’ eagerness to play war against Bahrainis by opening their military arsenal to Al Khalifa stands testimony to the effectiveness of such strategy. But if guns kill people they can’t kill ideas … and that Bahrain has plenty of.
Whether Royals care to admit it or not Bahrain will fulfill its ambitions … real power ultimately lies in popular legitimacy.
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Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani Calls on OIC to Investigate Hajj Deadly Accidents
Ahlul Bayt News Agency -ABNA- Following of today’s Mina deadly accident, which led to the killing and injuring of more than 1580 pilgrims, Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani released an important message.
The member of the Supreme Council of the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly in his message pointed to the crane crash accident that occurred in Mecca’s Grand Mosque two weeks ago and asked all Muslim scholars and intellectuals: How long should we face with these kinds of disasters and did nothing to solve the problem?
He also called on all the leaders of the Islamic countries and the authorities of OIC to investigate this catastrophic event and said: “It is a must for the Islamic international organizations, especially the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to hold an extraordinary meeting for investigating the deadly accidents that happened during the hajj of this year (2015).”
“We need to make clear and acceptable decisions for the management of the two holy Shrines,” Ayatollah Hadavi added in his message.
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Iran’s Foreign Ministry Summons Saudi Charge d’Affaires over Mina Stampede
Iran’s foreign ministry on Thursday summoned Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires over a recent incident outside Mecca that led to the deaths of over 1000 pilgrims, including 89 Iranians.
More than 1000 pilgrims, including 89 Iranian nationals, were killed and hundreds of others injured in a stampede during Hajj pilgrimage rituals outside the holy city of Mecca on Thursday.
Following the incident, the Saudi envoy was summoned to the Iranian foreign ministry and received Tehran’s official protest at lack of attention leading to the deadly stampede.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian criticized Saudi authorities for their failure to prevent the incident.
“Saudi Arabia’s officials are to blame for the incident,” Amir Abdollahian said Thursday, stressing that their lack of prudence in providing security for pilgrims is “non-negligible”.
The pilgrims were killed in a crush at Mina, outside the holy city, where some two million Muslims are performing the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The accident came nearly two weeks after tens of Hajj pilgrims were killed in another tragic incident in Mecca.
On September 11, a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing at least 107 people and injuring 201 others.
Saudi authorities have been blasted for their failure to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Mecca for Hajj every year.
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Albanian Muslim celebrate Eid al-Adha
Albanian Muslims gathered Today at the boulevard “Martyrs of the Nation” for performing the prayer of Eid al-Adha.
The vice president of Albanian Muslim Community, Bujar Spahiu congratulated all Albanians,stressing that “in this feast hearts get closer, we forget hate, people extend the hand of reconciliation, until every home and family is filled with joy and gladness “.
Muslims in Albania as their counterparts in Muslim States sacrifice sheep or lamb and distribute their meats on poor and those in need.
After performing the prayer of Eid al-Adha, families exchange visits and congratulations as an expression of peace, love and solidarity with each other.
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Saudi Gov’t Responsible for Security of Pilgrims: Iran’s First VP
First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri on Thursday called for immediate investigation into Hajj stampede in Mena.
As soon as the vice-president was informed about the deadly incident that has killed and injured hundreds of pilgrims during Hajj rituals, including dozens of Iranian pilgrims, in telephone conversations with the caretaker of Iranian Hajj pilgrims, the head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization and Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, he called for providing immediate medical services to Iranian pilgrims injured in the disaster.
He took the Saudi government accountable for the catastrophic incident in Mena, saying, ‘Riyadh government is responsible for protecting the lives of Hajj pilgrims.’
Jahangiri ordered immediate setting up a special committee in the Foreign Ministry for accelerating necessary coordination for providing aid to those injured.
The death toll has neared 1,000 so far.
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Israeli forces shot kill Palestinian fully veiled girl in abdomen / Pics
Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Palestinian media sources said on Tuesday Hadeel Hashlamoun, 18, died of her wounds sustained after Israeli forces shot in her abdomen and left her to bleed in al-Khalil.
Hadeel had asked to be searched by a female soldier or be sent back home, but was shot repeatedly by the soldier, according to eyewitnesses.
“You can see her one minute talking to the soldier and the other minute she was on the ground, shot!” said a passer-by.
Hadeel was left to bleed onto the ground for nearly 30 minutes by Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint, the sources added.
The Israeli army shot Hashalmoun in the Martyr Street in al-Khalil City in southern West Bank.
According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers shot the girl, left her to bleed and prevented Palestinian medics from approaching her.
After a while, an ambulance reached the place and transferred Hashlamoun to an Israeli hospital in 1948 Occupied Palestine.
Hadeelvwas heading to her school with the company of her friend before she was shot and injured. Israeli sources claimed that the young woman attempted to stab a soldier, something the pictures can prove wrong.
The Palestinian national unity government has asked the United Nations to form an investigative committee to look into the circumstances that led to the murder of Hadeel Hashlamoun, who was shot dead by the Israeli occupation soldiers in al-Khalil City.
The government said images captured and published by the Youth against Settlements Coalition, revealed that Hashlamoun posed no threat to the soldiers, and that the shooting, unlike military claims, was not justified.
The occupation army claimed the young woman “attempted to stab a soldier,” but the photos revealed she was not even close to any of the soldiers manning the Iron Gate of the Container Roadblock, in al-Khalil.
The Palestinian government added that eyewitness reports revealed that after the teenage girl was shot with several live rounds, the occupation soldiers left her to bleed for over half an hour.
Medics of the Palestinian Red Crescent tried to reach the wounded young woman, but the soldiers prevented them from approaching her.
A video captured after the shooting, shows armed Israeli settlers gathering at the scene, smiling and chatting, before a soldier dragged the body of the woman to pull her from the sidewalk.
The Hamas resistance group mourned the death of 18-year-old Hadeel, vowing that no single drop of her blood shall go for free.
The group called on the national and international human rights organizations to document such Israeli crimes against the innocent Palestinians.
“Hadeel’s murder, among many other crimes committed by the Israeli occupation on a daily basis, leave no doubt that armed resistance is the only key to oust the Israeli occupation and prevent it from committing more crimes against the Palestinian people,” Hamas added.
