Photo credit: Hasan Jamali/AP Photo
Bahrain’s indefinite postponement
of Juan Mendez’s planned May 8th-15th visit to the small island
nation on behalf of the UN Human Rights Council sparks international concern.
The Bahraini government’s decision to cancel this visit, for the second year in
a row, follows a spike in national protests and flying rumors of torturing of
torture within Bahraini prisons. It also falls on the heels of the internally
controversial Formula One Race that was held just a few days ago on April 21st
in the coastal region of al-Manamah, nearby the University of Bahrain.
The
Formula 1 race had to be cancelled in 2011 due to the political unrest
unfolding in Bahrain that year, but the race continued on as planned last year
and this year with increased security despite the mass political protests of
the people. During this year’s April 12th protests of the race where
demonstrators carried signs with slogans like “Stop Racing on Our Blood” and
carried signs of solidarity for jailed Bahraini human rights activist
father-daughter duo Abdulhadi and Zainab
al-Khawaja as well as the activist Nabeel Rajab. To the credit of the Bahraini
government, the April 12th protests were officially approved by the
recently enacted laws cracking down on large protests, which is at least a
small step towards allowing its people to have larger political voices.
Photo credit: Mohammed
al-Shaikh/AFP/Getty Images
It was reported by the Saudi
Arabian online news organization, Arab News, that two Bahraini girls were
arrested for plotting a terrorist attack at the race track. The unnamed girls
were claimed to have been arrested while doing a “dry run” in which one girl
had concealed a pillow under her clothes to test the thoroughness of the track’s
security. The Arab News article continued on to that the Bahraini police claims
to have seized 1000 petroleum based bombs, 72 fire extinguishers intended to be
used as bombs, and 137 tires that protestors were intending to set fire to.
While the protesters in Bahrain are known for low scale violent acts such as
setting tires ablaze at demonstrations, I think we must question the numbers
and possible validity of the rest of the claims in this article. Not only are
there a reason for the Bahraini government to exaggerate the scale of violence
of the protestors, but the Saudi-run paper also has reasons to vilify these
protestors in Bahrain. It is a well-known fact that the Saudi Arabian
government and the Bahraini government have very close ties, close enough that
Saudi forces were deployed onto the small island during the 2011 protests to
help the Bahraini government quell protesters.
Increased protests aren’t the only
concerns of the Bahraini government this past week. In the Bahrain News Agency
an article was published April 24th with Samira Ibrahim bin Rajab,
the Minister of State for Information Affairs and Government’s Official
Spokesperson, making a statement in response to the United States’ State Department’s
2012 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Her statement contained the
expected reaction of a country of Bahrain’s limited political freedoms, as well
as a claim that the State Department’s report lacked objectivity and “totally”
sided with “terrorists who seek to sow chaos in the region.” The official
statement included a commitment to comply with human rights principles and
standards while confronting terrorist threats to Bahrain. The statement also
called out the United States’ contradictory stance in the global war on terror,
with its own questionable security measures, while it continues to “deny” the “right”
of other countries to do the same. Frankly, this is a fair, albeit indirect,
way for Bahrain to call out the US for its activities in places like Guantanamo
Bay, and raises equally troubling questions to the US’s validity in calling out
other nations for Human Rights abuses. However, the US doesn’t restrict the
press, free speech, or professional and civilian journalists the same way that
nations like Bahrain do.
Despite these two major events this
past week or so, the Bahraini government is decidedly optimistic about its
economic and socio-political future. With the boastful headline “Bahrain Ideal
for Doing Business” The Gulf Daily News: the Voice of Bahrain published a
pat-on-the-back style article on April 25th in no real news was
relayed, but a few statistics and vague statements about economic prosperity
and possibilities for future growth. Quotes from Industry and Commerce Minister
Dr. Hassan Fakhro following the Bahrain-United Kingdom Business Forum in London
filled the article, stating facts such as Bahrain’s $28k GDP/capita and its
historically strong relationship with Britain in many economic sectors. This
relatively mundane article isn’t the only article within the last week or so
discussing growing and new economic opportunities within Bahrain. A snippet of
an article announced an agreement Bahrain signed with the Islamic Development
Bank on April 24th to help support the countries small agricultural
sector. The projects supported by this agreement are hoped to create new jobs
for young people in the nation to help combat the high youth unemployment.
But what is probably the most exciting—and
politically controversial— economic announcement this week was from Bernie
Ecclestone, the head hauncho of Formula One.
He is quoted as having said that Bahrain has done a “super job” in hosting the
race and hinted at extending Formula One’s racing contract with the nation for
an additional five years. An extension to the contract could possibly become a
point of political contention in the upcoming few years. Already the Formula
One race is a sore spot amongst protesters as they see their political issues
ignored or downplayed in the light of this international race. Since peace
talks between the Bahraini government and al-Wefeq have stalled, it will undoubtedly
be an interesting series of events to watch unfold over the next few years.
Photo Credit: Hasan Jamali/AP Photo
Sources:
http://rt.com/news/bahrain-un-torture-investigator-391/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22265484
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=352045
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/apr/22/bernie-ecclestone-deal-bahrain-gp
http://www.arabnews.com/news/449247
http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/558032
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22251998
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=351999
http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/newsbriefs/2013/04/25/newsbrief-10
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/bahrain-protests-formula-1-race_n_3071095.html#slide=2330599
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/2013/04/19/u-s-state-department-country-report-on-bahrain-highlights-key-abuses/