Bahrain: New wave of protests held an autumn of fury

The protests that took place yesterday to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the prisoners of conscience has marked the beginning of a new season of civil resistance campaign against the Al Khalifa rulers.

  Yesterday, the activists went out in force near the Karzakkan roundabout, burnt some tyres and reminded the regime that the people have not forgotten their prisoners who are languishing in the Al Khalifa torture chambers. Many people marked the Eid Day visiting the graves of the Bahraini martyrs, their families and the families of the political detainees. During the holy month of Ramadhan several protests were held to demand their release in various parts of the country. The youth of Karzakkan, staged several demonstrations over the past two weeks. They were attacked by the foreign-staffed riot police, and several battles between the two sides ensued. Molotov cocktail bottles were hurled against the aggressors on several occasions as the enmity between the people of Bahrain and the ruling Al Khalifa became deeper. Some protests were held at night. The riot police attacked the villages at night as they searched for the peaceful protesters. The village of Malikiya was attacked by the mercenaries twice in Ramadhan who used tear gas, rubber bullets and sound bombs. One of the attacks lasted 45 minutes. The youth had earlier written political slogans on the walls of the village. The aggressors used disproportional force, firing into the houses as they targeted the village in vengeance. The village was attacked twice during Ramadhan.

On another level the attack by a member of the ruling family against an elected member of the local councils has created an atmosphere of fear among the Bahrainis. At the beginning September, Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, a military officer carried out a horrific attack on Fadhel Abbas, the elected members of Manama Council. Mr Abbas had parked his car behind the car of one of his colleagues at the ministry of municipalities and was on his way for an official meeting. Suddenly  Hamad Al Khalifa attacked him, beating and wearing at him. As Mr Abbas made his way inside the ministry building, he was again attacked by the same person. Despite raising the case with the minister, no action was taken against the officer who, being a member of the ruling family, is immune from prosecution. The rule of law does not apply to members of the Al Khalifa. The elected member was left to lick his wounds and pride and forget his rights.

Today, a young Bahraini has been jailed for six months for taking part in a peaceful protest. Mr Hussain Ahmad, 26, from the town of Ma’amir, has been targeted for calling for democracy and respect of human rights. This barbaric ruling is yet another example of the arbitrary use of the Law not protect the people but to be a tool in the Al Khalifa war against the people of Bahrain. The sentence may be a prelude to the much-anticipated verdict by the ruling family on the plight of around 30 Bahrainis, some of whom are falsely accused of killing a foreign policeman who had died six months before he was attacked. The others were accused of confiscating a gun from a police care during one of the demonstrations last December. In nether of the cases did the Al Khalifa present credible evidence.

Last week another young man passed away after suffering a stroke in his head. He suffered partial paralysis five days earlier. An operation was carried out on him two days before his death. He has recently received a direct hit by a rubber bullet to the head which may have contributed to the fatal stroke. Ahmad was an active, healthy and happy young Bahraini who could not keep silent at what was being inflicted on his people by the Al Khalifa occupiers. He was destined to die. As usual, no inquiry would ever be held to investigate the conditions surrounding his illness, despite the affirmation by many that healthy young men do not just drop dead.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
23rd September 2009