Friday

Friday morning was very quiet. We went to church like normal, although there were considerably fewer people in attendance. There was no fellowship after the service; instead people were encouraged to just head home. Around noon on Friday, a pro-government really began in Juffair, near the Grand Mosque. Tons of people flooded the area, waving the flag and holding pictures of the ruling family. Many decorated cars also circled the area, sporting Bahrain decorations, honking their horns, and cheering for Bahrain.

On the other side of the city, things were not so cheerful however. Thousands more people were gathered for the funeral procession of one of the men who was killed earlier this week. At some point, the procession decided to head back to Pearl Roundabout where the protesters had been camped earlier in the week. As soon as they came within sight of the Pearl, the army opened fire on them. This time they were not using tear gas or rubber bullets but live ammunition. Unknown numbers of people were taken to the hospital; the number of dead and injured still has not been confirmed. The hospital became the new center of the protest movement. Thousands flocked to the hospital compound. They came in such droves that doctors complained of not being able to work and ambulances were not able to get through. While there are many stories circulating about the exact events of last night, we all know, things are not looking good.

Thursday

Well, I'm sure you are seeing things on the news about Bahrain. It's not nearly as bad as it looks. The atmosphere is tense, yet there is no immediate danger around us.

I'll sum up what's been happening so far:

Protesters had been camping at the Pearl Roundabout for a few days. Daily more and more people were joining the crowd. Now, when I say camping out, don't think of Egypt or any of these other more violent countries. It was more like a carnival atmosphere. Entire families with children and infants were there, all enjoying themselves. People set up tents with shisha, there was a popcorn machine. They even set up a projector and were showing TV on the base of the roundabout! It certainly was a very peaceful and almost happy occasion. That was all interrupted this morning. When I woke up at 5:30 I could hear the helicopters going crazy as well as a ton of police sirens and popping sounds. When I turned on the news, I saw that the police had attacked the people camping there. There are conflicting reports about what actually happened. Some say the police attacked without warning; others say that had been asking the people to leave, and since they refused, they attacked. Either way, it wasn't pretty. Three more people were killed, bringing the total deaths to 5. Most of this activity is happening in the area of the Pearl. the injured parties were taken to a nearby hospital and the activity continues to stay in that part of the city. By us things are very quiet. The guys on the corner are still smoking their sheesha pipes and people are buying shawarmas like usual. It seems a bit surreal to see such normal, every day activities and then see the news reports of violent clashes breaking out. It reminds me a bit of when I was in Kenya actually. We are just staying home and playing it safe.

a local perspective

This was taken off a local blog. Just to give you an idea what is in the hearts and minds of the people.

Bahrain

by BuRajaa on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 3:49am

This is not an “event.” People are dying. This is not people sitting down behind computers creating Facebook pages, and promoting them on Twitter. It’s blood, it’s real and it’s scary.

I never had intentions of writing about politics, or interfering or even stating my opinion over the Internet because I thought it was irrelevant. But I want to now. Where does one start? Do you talk about the divide that cuts through Bahrain? Or do you blame the ignorance and fear we have towards each other?

Let’s take a step back together, a few days ago protests were staged and I thought, here we go again. This is all they do on this island. And then two people died. Now it does not matter if you perceive the young men that died to be martyrs or not, the fact remains that human life was lost. Bahraini citizens lost their lives. Regardless of your religious orientation, or political inclination that news must have made you feel the need to be sad.

That’s when I started reading about what the protestors wanted. A constitution written by the people, like the one written in 1970's that was absolved. A more representative government that can be held accountable to the people’s elected officials. And finally the protestors asked for equality between the country’s citizens.

What happened next was that an already divided country of Sunni’s and Shiite’s was divided even more. Now there was the question if you were “pro-government” or “anti-government?” One Twitter user posts that the greatest enemies of Bahrain today would be those that use rhetoric that would create a larger rift within society. So far that I say well done, well done to those responsible for emphasizing the concept of “us” and “them.”

I have come to understand that humans have a tendency to fear what we cannot understand. In my opinion I believe that had the people that got into their cars in spite of the protestors and honked their horns around town really understood what the protestors were asking for then they would not have felt the need to do so. I know that some of the protestors were chanting to overthrow the Ruling Family, but those people were a very small minority.

It doesn’t matter what I think about what the protestors’ motives were. And it doesn’t matter what you think either, because at this point our brothers are dying. Bahraini’s are allowing the death of other Bahraini's.

I am overcome with a sense of frustration that I find difficult to explain. We live in the same land, we drink the same water, we eat the same food, we play the same games and we swim in the same sea. Yet we find a way to distance ourselves from each other by simply adding a hyphen. I am a Sunni-Bahrain, Shiite-Bahraini, Saudi-Bahraini, Iraqi-Bahrain, Irani-Bahraini. Who cares? I don’t. The people that are hurting outside are brothers of mine, and I will pray for them before I go to sleep tonight, and when I wake up tomorrow. Not because I agree or disagree with their protest, but because they are my brothers. And I do sympathize with them.

I grew up with the belief that Bahrain was the greatest country in the region, and I still think so. While our neighbors were in tents, our women were driving cars. While nomads roamed all over the gulf, Bahrain was a thriving civilization. Dilmun, Aradus, Awal, Tylos, don’t all these different dynasties mean anything to you?! Our land is so beautiful that the Greeks wanted part of it, so did the Portuguese, and the English after them. And what do we do now that we have it all to ourselves? How do we honor our forefathers that are buried in this land? By allowing this to escalate to this extent.

Sure today Bahrain does not have as much as oil its neighbors. The land is not as fertile as it used to be. And yes our country has yet to win a Gulf Cup. But I’m still proud to be a Bahraini, and if I were not than I would wish I were a Bahraini. Our strength as a country comes in our differences, and our tolerance to accept those differences, and learn from each other, and live together.

Something good can still come out of this. We have diversity that others would pay to have. This is an opportunity for us to prove to the world that we can live together and that we refuse to become another Iraq or Lebanon torn in different directions. I have faith in our leadership, and I hope you do to. But I have more faith in our citizens. People that grew up walking the same streets, singing the same songs and watching the same shows can and should come together.

Today Bahrain is at its worse, and the only way up is for us to embrace each other as equals. Wake up and look around you. Look at the faces of your loved ones, listen to their voices over the phone, and you will understand the sorrow that we all share right now. Once this is over we will build on a stronger foundation.

Please do your research, read, ask and listen. It is your responsibility to educate yourself and avoid listening to hearsay.

God save Bahrain, it’s King and it’s citizens from any harm.

Day Three

Day Three and the protests continue. Yesterday one protester was killed by the riot police. Today was the funeral. At the funeral procession, two more people were killed bringing the total deaths to three.

funeral procession

We thought the protests were over, but it seems they are starting afresh. Here are some photographs showing the most recent action. People are gathering at the iconic Pearl Roundabout in the heart of Manama to protest. Apparently, they are bringing prayer mats, sleeping bags, food, and water, indicating they will not be leaving soon. So far there has only been a gathering; no violence has broken out.

Day of Love?

There is an eerie feeling in air. The streets are uncharacteristically quiet--no people wandering about, very few cars on the road, just a general feeling of people hiding out, anticipating. Most offices were closed today or else told the employees to head home early. Rey left his office about 2. Although school was scheduled today, I stayed home due to losing my voice (something that seems to happen every year about this time!). Some of the main highways were closed, even the bridge going to Saudi, and all the malls closed by 6:00pm. My neighborhood is very quiet, deserted even. But we are hearing rumors of activity in other parts of the country. Protesters breaking into the mall, police firing tear gas and rubber bullets, tires burning in the streets; helicopters have been circling on and off for most of the day. Police have been on high alert since the weekend. Facebook messages and texts have been flying back and forth all evening as people are passing along what they hear. It appears the worst of it is happening now. Rey just received a message from one of his friends saying the protesters are fighting back against the police--guns are being fired and smoke hangs over sections of the city. While we don't know how much these rumors are true, one thing is certain: things are happening in Bahrain. Thankfully we are all safe, and our area remains quiet.

Here is an article explaining the events of last night:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/02/14/general-ml-bahrain-protests_8307276.html

Here are some photos from this afternoon:

protesters and the police on the street

tear gas

police

the domino effect

I'm not sure how much you have been following the situation in Egypt, but here in the Middle East, it's all the latest talk. There are many Egyptians living in Bahrain, including some of my good friends at school. We have all been eagerly following the news updates to see how the situation would be resolved. None of us quite imagined that Mubarak would ever step down, but now that he has, it is an inspiration to many, including people here in Bahrain.

We have been hearing rumors for weeks about protests planned for Bahrain. The projected date? February 14. And now that the date is upon us, it seems they are not merely rumors. There are, in fact, protests planned for February 13 and 14. We received a text message informing us of the planned locations of the protests; there are also fliers being passed out on the streets advising people to close their shops and stay home. As far as we can tell, the protests seem fairly well organized and are intended to be peaceful. However, there are many rumors that the protests will not be peaceful. The police are on high alert. Even today as we drove around, there were police everywhere. I've never seen so many police around: parked at intersections, on horses, patrolling the streets; people are getting ready.

The protests are being organized by the youth of Bahrain who are calling for an end to government corruption. They want a constitution by the people ensuring their rights. Here is a website with a statement issued by the Bahraini Youth for Freedom organization. (If you scroll to the bottom, you should get the English Translation):

http://bahrainonline.info.tm

Please keep the next few days in prayer. We really don't know what is going to happen. We pray that the situation will be resolved peacefully.