tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87976771150566666202025-12-15T07:05:43.931+03:00Political diaries of a pearl diverLuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-32249873993128454232008-04-03T22:53:00.010+03:002008-04-03T23:13:37.453+03:00

LuLu: Ok, setting aside the Washington Institute's history of advocating super insane policies of the neo-conservative right wing in the US, this is rather interesting [someone is watching closely, I suppose]:By Simon HendersonMarch 24, 2008Tomorrow, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain visits the White House for talks and a working lunch with President Bush. The meeting promises to cover

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com216tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-56689776782285549362008-01-24T18:24:00.000+03:002008-01-24T18:32:03.576+03:00

مرارة التجنيس محمد العثمانالمبدأ: «الجنسية البحرينية لمن يستحقها وفقاً للقانون، لا أحد ينازع في ذلك، سواء أكان الحاصل على الجنسية البحرينية عربياً أم أجنبياً، أم خليجياً أم شامياً أم يمنياً أم آسيوياً... إلخ». هذا مقتطف من مقال منشور سابقاً لكاتب السطور. وها هي الأيام تترى تحمل من أنباء القوم الذين تم تجنيسهم وإدخالهم عنوة على النسيج الاجتماعي في البحرين... أنباء يندى لها الجبين، أفعال شائنة ليس

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-86179744737564196082008-01-16T18:00:00.000+03:002008-01-17T06:33:33.134+03:00

One of our biggest problem in Bahrain is the lack of a unified leadership with a unified vision for the country. The internal fragmentation within our country's high ranks, especially in the past 6 years, has lead us on a path of disarray, confused accountabilities, and random- often contradictory- policies.Four years after the first labor reform workshop, the second labor reform workshop, the

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-36489210527318298662008-01-13T23:02:00.000+03:002008-01-14T00:01:32.050+03:00

Good times..Knowing me though, put your spoiler alert on:Click here for the opposition's open letter to Bush on the progress of reform, democracy, and human rights in Bahrain (don't ask me why it's in Arabic... maybe they saw the dance and assumed just a bitttt too much).

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-58969845047106162272008-01-10T21:31:00.002+03:002008-01-14T19:45:10.069+03:00

There is plenty to be said for our country's historical lack of economic direction, rational thinking, and abundance of corruption and mismanagement. There is also something to be said for the value of sound financial management on the individual level.. I know, your salary is crap (and so is mine). Until the government wakes up and does something to save the economy (not just subsidize inflation

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-50066826088289504232007-12-29T23:23:00.000+03:002007-12-30T00:47:04.428+03:00

أكد الشيخ علي سلمان في خطبته بجامع الإمام الصادق في الدراز أمس، أن «الانفلات الأمني لا يخدم المصلحين، بل يخدم من لا يؤمن بمنهج الإصلاح، ويخدم طبقة لاتزال قوية ومتنفذة وسيزيد نفوذها بالانفلات الأمني، وسيحقق لها مكاسب استراتيجية عاشت عليها عقوداً وستكون سعيدة بأن يعود» It's official: times have changed. Far from the days when Al-Wefaq was commanding the Shia street, their latest reactions to the

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-6127444192453847742007-12-20T20:16:00.000+03:002008-01-16T21:23:21.184+03:00

I have to say that I tried my best to stay away from this issue, simply because as everyone else, I don't know all the facts. I don't know if tear gas can kill a person, and I don't really know if it was police brutality that killed Ali Jassim Makki.But responsibility extends beyond the direct act of murder. Ali Jassim and hundreds with him were out there because it was their way of demonstrating

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-7334742048437044682007-12-18T05:01:00.000+03:002007-12-18T19:11:24.701+03:00

So recently the government made an interesting non-announcement in parliament. Apparently, according to a statement by the Central [dis]Informatics Organization (CIO) to parliament, Bahrain's population finally reached a million. Hurrah!Now, setting aside the question as to why we remain in the dark when it comes to official statistical figures of the CIO, something just doesn't add up...If we go

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-37904073723373713382007-12-18T00:35:00.000+03:002007-12-18T08:40:20.028+03:00

Happy National DayHappy Coronation DayCondolences on Martyrs DayTHIRTY-SIX Years later, I turn to the TV to watch our leaders give the same old speech, I wait a bit longer to watch the same old national dance, I get on youtube to watch the same old protest video, then I turn to our good old online discussion forums to read the same arguments over and over. It then hits me that, as part of the

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-81494556778761068002007-08-09T21:00:00.000+03:002007-08-09T21:06:54.014+03:00

Well, I suppose August is just not the time to worry about politics **we're going down anyway**See you in September & be good and safe!

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-64013871094590397582007-07-26T23:19:00.000+03:002007-07-26T23:28:38.890+03:00

These are taken from a "debate" on Al-Jazeera's Al-Ettijah Al-Mu'akis, between an "Islamist thinker and activist" and a secular "thinker and activist":الديمقراطية في الشرق الأوسطمقدم الحلقة: فيصل القاسمضيفا الحلقة: - سيد القمني/ مفكر علماني- هاني السباعي/ مدير مركز المقريزي للدراسات التاريخيةتاريخ الحلقة: 10/7/2007سيد القمني: ولد خليك محترم يا ولد..هاني السباعي: توب إلى الله اجري اعلن ما أنت

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-83685650458123449652007-07-26T17:47:00.000+03:002007-07-26T22:52:46.690+03:00

I stand by my initial position and hope that Bahraini bloggers can contribute to supporting a movement for justice to all victims of abuse in Bahrain*.I think the concept of forgiving and forgetting has been repeatedly used and abused as a slogan to shelter violators of human rights in Bahrain such as Mr. Henderson So, while this may seem like a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, the

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-12497144947686636422007-07-20T17:20:00.001+03:002007-07-20T17:22:31.888+03:00

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-61261104689338106562007-07-15T23:56:00.000+03:002007-07-16T04:08:06.295+03:00

So this has been the new "big thing "in Bahrain for the past couple of weeks. Shaikh Essa Qasem, head of the "Olama" Islamic Council , had given a Friday sermon at Al-Sadiq mosque in Duraz 2 weeks ago in which he deamonized "seculars" and "secularism" as enemies of Islam and of the people of Bahrain. "Down with the seculars!", the crowds shouted..As usual, a religious message had a political

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-79346631805547589342007-07-12T17:14:00.000+03:002007-07-12T22:35:43.049+03:00

اليوم بكتب بالعامية و اعذروني لأن موضوعنا بحريني 100% و ما يستحمل انجليزي: قبل شوي قريت خبرين في جريدة الوسط و الصراحة تعبت نفسياً و حبيت أنقل اللى قريتهأول خبر: بعد تلكؤ ادارة الثروة السمكية في تطبيق القانون على متنفذ المالكية و ازالة حظور الصيد المخالفة، صيادين المالكية يعبرون عن استعدادهم لازالة الحظور بأنفسهم بالتنسيق مع المالك -- يعني باختصار احنا مستعدين نروح لفلان بن فلان و نشوف يمكن

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-72624914525602139432007-07-07T22:49:00.000+03:002007-07-07T22:57:09.588+03:00

After CNN, the Los Angeles times takes a more intelligent look at Bahrain:Strategic rift in Bahrain's royal courtSome members of the ruling family reportedly back hard-line Sunni groups; others advise helping disenfranchised Shiites.By Borzou Daragahi, Times Staff Writer, July 7, 2007MANAMA, BAHRAIN — Leading members of Bahrain's royal family have thrown their weight behind hard-line Sunni Muslim

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-24857115625754915582007-06-11T14:27:00.000+03:002007-06-13T20:57:28.388+03:00

Rule of law sounds like a nice concept, unless you're one of those who in the past couple of decades or so considered themselves to be above and beyond any law. Take the so-called Malkiya "powerful man": Malkiya is a small Bahraini fishing village, meaning that access to the sea is the lifeline of Malkiya's people. Now theoretically, Malkiya's shore is public property, except that a certain

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-65811029892671599092007-06-02T21:30:00.000+03:002007-06-03T10:22:48.018+03:00

On June 1st, CNN aired what it called an "in-depth look" at Bahrain, in an 8 minute segment that can be viewed here.Hala Gorani, presenter of "Inside the Middle East," apparently was in Bahrain, interviewing Shi'a poor villagers, Nabeel Rajab, and a couple of government Ministers. The program started with an assertion that Bahrain, despite being one of the world's richest countries in terms of

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-42641402454705477972007-06-01T13:25:00.000+03:002007-06-01T14:20:12.346+03:00

Here is my issue these days: I need my electricity. I need it so I don't melt during the day. I need it so I can get on the internet and blog. I need it so I don't read books in candle light. Unforunately, I haven't been getting much electricity since I got back to Bahrain. In fact, now I'm being told by the Minister of Electricity that it's my fault! Or at least, I am 90% of the problem!Under

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-34848456063502030742007-05-16T09:23:00.000+03:002007-05-16T20:49:35.577+03:00

MP Salah Ali (Al Menbar Islamic bloc) said today that it is in Bahrain's interest to "forget about" Bandar's report and just move on. On the same day, parliament voted down Ateyatallah's questioning on the Bandar scandal.But this is not news. In 2002, decree law No. 56 pardoned all government officials involved in torture and abuse as well as those "guilty" of protesting government policies.

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-88612204238854237582007-05-15T13:18:00.000+03:002007-05-15T13:41:15.263+03:00

It all started with this piece of news in Al Wasat newspaper. Bahrain's largest "fasht"and its largest marine life reserve. Al Wasat newspaper related that unnamed sources in the business community are talking about plans to sell the fasht to an unnamed person for a sum of $785 million, which may or may not go to the country's treasury.This could be a disaster by all means. But I'm really

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-54084104739245143492007-05-13T02:10:00.000+03:002007-05-13T02:53:03.143+03:00

The latest rumor nowdays in Bahrain is that our government and the Kuwaiti government have agreed that Bahrain will "receive" a few thousands of "bedoons" from Kuwait [bedoon = without citizenship]. As people in the Gulf would know, the bedoon is an issue that Kuwait has been struggling with for a while, and now Bahrain is to the rescue??I'm not exactly sure how creadible this rumor is. In a

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-63072186206514887902007-05-12T13:29:00.000+03:002007-05-12T13:37:52.431+03:00

خالد المطوع إن كان وجود تغول للنعرة الطائفية كما هو سائد حالياً في مجتمعنا يشير إلى فشل واقعي وإخفاق ذريع في عملية بناء الدولة وتكريس هوية مواطنتها الدستورية، فإن الاتجاه للتعامل مع مثل هذا التغول عبر مزاعم تغليب طائفة على أخرى، أو الاجتهاد لخلق وجود طائفي تنظيمي ثالث في البلاد كما قال الزميل الباحث عبدالله جناحي عن ذلك مسبقاً، ليس سوى خيار انتحار جماعي، وزيادة في الفشل، وإغراق للذات في وحل

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-86275411589432730552007-05-11T04:43:00.000+03:002007-05-11T15:40:30.767+03:00

الشيخ أحمد بن عطية الله زعلان و مبرطم و يقول انه مستاء لان الاستجواب خرج عن المتوقع، يعني و العياذ بالله صار مو على كيفهو قال انه كان يتمنى من الوفاق بدل هالحجي الفاضي عن الفساد و التجاوزات انهم يركزون على "بلورة معاني الخصومة الشريفة"يعني مثل مباريات الكرة اعتقدو الصراحة معاه حق... يعني ليش ما تبلورون يالوفاق؟ بلورو!! ما نتو خسرانين شيانا بعد ببلور

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797677115056666620.post-11259363899735249762007-05-09T02:39:00.000+03:002007-05-09T11:39:09.378+03:00

Once again, and as if they didn't have enough chances to demonstrate their stupidity and uselessness, our parliamentarians just refuse to do one decent thing during their term. After all to be honest, most of us don't REALLY have representatives in parliament. The government has representatives in parliament and it's quite happy with them. We, meanwhile, have to endure their antics and bang our

LuLuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10061996282168651062noreply@blogger.com10