Young Bahraini students behind bars as Al Khalifa tighten their grip
Students of Jidhafs School have been warned by the ruling family against participating in demonstrations calling for the release of other detainees. The warning was issued after a massive demonstration by students on 1st March calling for those who had been arrested during an earlier demonstration on Tuesday 27th February. The demonstrators were photographed by naturalised teachers and agents of the secret service.
The gloomy atmosphere in schools has deepened in recent years as bad policies employed against the Bahraini teachers reflect badly on the morale of the teachers. Now the teachers have taken up the case with the Al Khalifa ruling family, calling for better treatment and work contracts. A petition calling for better wages and fairer treatment of Bahraini teachers has been signed by more than 3000 teachers. Up to 5000 are expected to sign the landmark document that has embarrassed the ruling family which has blundered the wealth of the country especially in the past five years since the present ruler, Sheikh Hamad came to power.
Mr Mahdi Abu Dib, one of the organisers of the petition is working hard to secure more signatures, the first of its kind within the professional circles, and he expects more solidarity with the cause of the teachers from other sectors of the society. The Haq Movement has expressed support to the demands of the teachers.
Meanwhile the fate of scores of political prisoners remains unclear as the Al Khalifa continued their repressive policies against the people of Bahrain. Calls for their release are gathering momentum amid international concerns for their well-being. The Al Khalifa are notorious for their ill-treatment of Bahraini prisoners with a long record of torture and other degrading treatment of detainees. Among the prisoners: from Sitra: Khalil Ali Sheikh Hassan, Jaffar Ahamad Al Kuwaiti, 30, Khalil Ali Al Rumi, 17, Sayyed Hashim Sayyed Hussain, 16, Mohammad Jawad, 17 and Abdulla Ali, 16. From Al Juffair: Mohammad Karim, 24. From Karbabad: Sayyed Ali Sayyed Akbar, Sadiq Jaffar Kadhem, 21 and Mahmood Ali Mahdi, 22. From Sanabis: Ahmad Jamil Abdulla Radhi, 19, and Ali Jaffar Ali, 16. From Daih: Mohammad Abdul Karim Hassan Ali, 16 and Mahdi Sa’ad, 19. From Karranah: Jaffar Fardan Salman Yousuf, 23 and Hassan Salman Al Qaidoom, 16. From Abu Saibe’: Radhi Ali Radhi, 22.
The public anger is rising as the policy of demographic change takes new dimensions. It has now been revealed that former Sunni Ba’thists from Iraq are being brought into the country, naturalised and settled. It is reported that the Kuwaiti government was incensed by this development and has strongly protested to the Al Khalifa for this policy. The new Ba’thist “Bahrainis” are cared for by the Jordanian government which, apparently, facilitated their expatriation to Bahrain following an undeclared agreement with the Al Khalifa family. They are brought into the country by orders from the royal court, settled, and offered Bahraini nationality. They are then offered job opportunities in the secret service, riot police or armed forces. They are known for their cruelty towards the Bahrainis.
Among their duties is facilitating the transfer of financial support to extremist groups inside Iraq from the Al Khalifa family which has blundered the wealth of Bahrain. As a result, more acts of sectarian provocations are being carried out by the servants of the Al Khalifa policies. In the past few days, for example, religious banners in the town of Nuwaidrat have been removed, leading to anger and hopelessness of the natives.
On another level, the people are expressing their views on the walls of the towns and villages as the media became a tool to further the Al Khalifa’s perverted aims. Slogans can be seen in most areas as the anti-regime movement gathers strength.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
05/03/2007