Repression in Bahrain has seriously escalated this autumn, with regime hardliners (the usual suspects) seeking to undermine –through leaks to the world media — hitherto behind-the-scenes attempts at dialogue involving moderate regime elements and the mainstream opposition: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/30/blair-aide-bahrain-conflict-resolution Meanwhile, a series of small explosions, two in the village of Ekar in October, and five in … Continue reading
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Open Letter to UK FCO Minister Lord Howell on Bahrain and the “Arab Spring”
Saturday, 18th August 2012 Dear Lord Howell, In the light of last week’s jailing of Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, and last nights killing of 16 year-old protester Hussam Al Haddad, I write to you to request clarification of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office position on Bahrain the “Arab Spring”. In particular, I request … Continue reading
A gloomy LSE report on the “Arab Spring”: if real change is to happen, is Bahrain key?
As a percentage of population the Bahrain pro-democracy demonstrations have been the best attended of all demonstrations in the Arab World 2011-2012: the key to the success of failure of the “Arab Spring” is in Bahrain and beyond Bahrain, Saudi…. Perhaps a gloomy report on the “Arab Spring” from a recent report from the London … Continue reading
Bahrain Abuses: where is Abdulhadi Al Khawaja? (Being force-fed?)
Friday, 27th April 2012 Abdulhadi Al Khawaja with his daughter Maryam, who was my student in Postcolonial Literature at the University of Bahrain in 2008. Today’s GDN says that Abdulhadi “tried to” give up taking water. So who stopped him? Where is Abdulhadi Al Khawaja? Evidence from today’s Gulf Daily News, the regime’s English language propaganda … Continue reading
Mrs. Miranda Diboll’s Letter to Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja
Here’s my wife’s letter to Abdulhadi: http://www.scribd.com/doc/90503395/Mr-Abdulhadi-Al-Khawaja-Letter
Open letter to David Cameron on Bahrain
21st April 2012 Sir, I write to you as British former expatriate in Bahrain, requesting that you urgently reconsider British policy on Bahrain, which I am convinced is deeply misguided and counter to Britain’s long-term interest in the Arabic-speaking region. Yesterday you said “Bahrain is not Syria, there is a process of reform under way … Continue reading
(Bahrain) Formula 1: an irrelevance?
Wednesday 18th April The 2012 Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix continues to generate controversy. There are three basic positions on the race, to which I’ll add a fourth: The race is good for Bahrain, bringing in money and uniting the country The race legitimises a repressive regime that has lost legitimacy in the eyes of … Continue reading
John Yates: policing Arab apartheid
After a Bahraini Kristallnacht: is outside intervention the only solution?
Mahmood Al Yousif reports worsening civil strife in his blog: http://mahmood.tv/2012/04/11/hmmm-i-smell-even-worse-civil-strife-coming-up/ Last night baying sectarian mobs of so-called “loyalists” damaged Shia-owned cars and shops, chanting sectarian slogans while the police stand by: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBrC8K5z79w&feature=player_embedded These slogans include calling the Shia “rawafi9′” (refusers), ibna2 l-muta3a” (children of pleasure-marriage). Later, Shia-owned shops were ransacked: I see disturbing echoes of … Continue reading
Open Letter to King Hamad: Al Khawaja’s death would be a stain on Bahrain; please add your signature!
An open letter to King Hamad signed by Lord Avebury, British MPs, human rights organisations, and academics with expertise in the Middle East, including myself. This will be handed in to the Bahrain embassy in London at the end of the working day on Tuesday 10th April. Anyone wishing to add a signature can do … Continue reading
