November 2006

Vol XXIX NO. 250 Saturday 25th November 2006


Voters have the right to question

BY AMIRA AL HUSSAINI

I don't know if I read this correctly, but I am sure I did. I am not sure I fully comprehended it though, for it surely needs an explanation.

According to newspaper reports, those who dare question the 'integrity' of the municipal and parliamentary elections being held in Bahrain will be referred to the Public Prosecutor, in accordance to Article 30 of the Elections Law.

The punishment in store for those who cross the line includes either a fine of BD500 or a six month jail sentence, or both.

Sitting in my livingroom here after, seeing both the Canadians and Americans going to the polls for elections over the previous few weeks, I rolled my eyes in disbelief when I read this article in Bahraini papers!

You should come and see how the citizens of the Lands of the Free conduct their elections and how television stations and comedians have a field day, with enough material to ridicule for weeks everything from the candidates, to the way the votes are counted.

In fact, people are still cracking jokes about the Florida count which brought US President George Bush Junior to power six years ago.

Should all those people be serving time in prison for questioning the 'integrity' of the elections process too?

What kind of democracy are we preaching if we have no right to question why, where, when, what and how things are run in our country?

Why can't we ask legitimate questions and why is asking for our rights as citizens a crime punishable by law?

I am sure there must be something wrong in this announcement or perhaps it is incomplete, because logically it defies the spirit of the democratic reforms initiated by His Majesty King Hamad in 2001.

If we are a free and democratic country, why can't we have the right to question whether the elections being held are fair and square and whether the voting process and results are transparent or not.

Nobody is accusing anybody of any wrongdoing, but what is wrong with knowing, understanding and fully comprehending the process in which we will be electing 80 individuals who will voice our concerns in five Municipal Councils and Parliament?

I see nothing wrong in posing the right questions, unless the authorities have a reason which they have not brought to the forefront yet.

Instead of giving us the opportunity to come to our own conclusions, I would appreciate a full explanation which would perhaps spare us the humiliation of sounding so unpatriotic, at a time when our country needs us to stick together to ensure a better tomorrow for our future generations.

* Amira Al Hussaini currently lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.



Vol XXIX NO. 228 Friday 3rd November 2006

Blog ban a slap in the face of freedom

By Amira Al Hussaini

What on Earth is happening in Bahrain? What is going on exactly and where, exactly where, are we heading to?

Aren't we supposed to be living the golden age of openness, transparency and democracy?

Are we not gearing up for the second parliamentary election in our modern history in a few weeks?

Aren't we a sovereign kingdom which is signatory to the Human Rights Charter and which has sworn to give people a say in their lives and freedom in their thoughts and beliefs?

If we are who we claim we are, then how can we also be a country which muzzles freedom of expression and dictates to people what information they can access and what they can't?

Banning a popular website mahmood.tv, along with others, was a slap in the face of freedom and against everything we claim we are!

How can we say we are open on the one hand, while controlling and censoring information on the other?

If we are really open and transparent, what are we afraid of?

Why aren't people allowed to question issues and express their opinions on what is happening in their country, communities and neighbourhoods?

Why can't we respect the rights of others to voice their ideas and concerns in a civil manner through writing?

Why is a pen more scary than a sword in our modern day? What is wrong with initiating healthy debates on issues which affect you, me and everyone else living in Bahrain?

What exactly are the authorities protecting us from?

With all my respect for Mahmood Al Yousif and all other bloggers, all that they are doing really is talking about everyday issues which go through any person's mind if he or she sits and thinks about what is happening on the ground.

These bloggers are not a threat to our national security. They are simply people keeping online journals which are open for others to read.

They are embodying the spirit of Bahrain - a democratic kingdom, which says that all its people are equal and free and have the right to speak their minds and question and debate concerns in a civil manner.

They are not taking to the streets burning tyres and hurling stones or Molotov cocktails. They are not leading demonstrations and blocking traffic and access to malls.

Most importantly, many of them are not even politically motivated, but are encouraged to write because it is a hobby they have grown to enjoy and which gives them wings and access to the lives of millions of bloggers, who share the passion around the world.

I don't have an exact figure but I would like to assure the authorities that there are thousands of Bahraini blogs in cyberspace, which are open for all to read.

Will those in power block them all? One is an online journal of the adventures of a Bahraini Dilmun cat!

Even if the Information Ministry blocks a website in Bahrain, I would like to enlighten the authorities by telling them that all that they are doing is giving free publicity to the unwelcome site and encouraging much more people to read it, just to satisfy their curiosity and see what the fuss is all about.

Blocking a site in Bahrain no longer means that the few thousand people who surf the Net will not be able to read it because it is extremely simple to bypass the proxy and access any blocked site with no trouble at all.

Besides, the block applies to Bahrain only, while people around the world still have access to the information being censored locally.

And yes... I am a tad jealous that Mr Al Yousif is getting more publicity than say me, or any other journalist in Bahrain and being punished for upholding his right to express his opinion.

For some weird reason, I have always thought this was the plight of journalists.

* Amira Al Hussaini currently lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.