Bahrain: Strenuous efforts to reclaim islands from occupiers
The noose is tightening around the regime as the people of Bahrain assert their will to safeguard their interests and resist the authoritarian rule and its endemic corruption. The decision by activists to claim back occupied lands from senior figures of the Al Khalifa has been welcomed by a wide strata of well-wishers and supporters.
It was decided that expeditions be made to annexed islands that have remained for decades the sole property of individuals while tens of thousands of Bahrainis remain without decent homes. The first of these expeditions to the “no go areas” was planned to take place during the holiday marking Eid El Fitr on Saturday/Sunday (13th and 14th October). The idea was to explore the various islands of the country and spend pleasurable times on the soil of the forefathers of the people. The destination was the largest of the offshore island known as “Umm Al Na’ssan”, which houses the palace of the ruler. But the ruling family reacted with fury to the suggestion that Bahrainis would set foot on the island, contrary to the policy of isolating those islands from the public and leaving them in the possession of senior Al Khalifa figures. Almost all the islands are under their occupation and no Bahraini is allowed to approach them.
No sooner had the ruler heard of the intention to share his pleasurable island than did he react with anger and fury. Troops were put on high alert while the organisers of the trip were subjected to severe threats.
The “exploratory” trips being organised by disgruntled Bahrainis to these occupied islands will continue and are likely to lead to new clashes.
Earlier, the ruling family had ordered an all-out show of force to prevent the first such trip on the grounds that Umm Al Na’ssan island was a “military area”. The island houses some palaces for Sheikh Hamad and his relatives, date palm groves and small ports (jetties) for the private boats of the occupiers. According to the International Herald Tribune; “Part of the controversy was also sparked when the Web browser-based mapping tool Google Earth was first introduced in Bahrain, showing pictures of the vast areas of Bahraini territories occupied by royal family palaces.”. It added: “Only those who obtain a permission from the king are allowed to enter those islands.”
The situation has been heightened today by the calls for a demonstration tomorrow calling for the downfall of the present government headed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the ageing dictator and the biggest of all property owners in the land. The demonstration will start from Sanabis and head towards Manama. There are growing fears that the ruling family may resort to the use of violence to prevent the planned peaceful protest. Two days ago, a planned sea trip by boats from Al Malikiya village was mercilessly attacked by government troops and death squads.
At another level, six foreigners have been arrested following an attack on Bahrainis in the village of Askar, south of the country. The mayhem resulting from the unprovoked attack by several newly-naturalised persons led to many injuries among the Bahrainis. It is not clear yet whether the Al Khalifa will investigate the depth of the social problems resulting from their unalwful decision to alter the demographic balance in the country.
Calls have been made by many activists and organisations to end the ethnic cleansing implemented by the ruler and his clique.
On another front, the Reporters Without Frontiers group has renewed its concerns about the Bahrain Government’s policy towards the internet sites.
In its latest letter to Sheikh Hamad, the group said that it was the second letter this year warning against the curtailment of public freedoms. It said that this is the 26th time that the government has banned a site that defends human rights. The site of Haq Movement has been banned for the past two weeks. A total of 18 sites are banned from public domain by orders of the ministry of information.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
22/10/2007