Bahrain: More repressive attacks waged against innocent demonstrators
A peaceful demonstration calling for the release of two innocent citizens was viciously attacked today by the Al Khlaifa’s thugs on orders from the royal palace. Many young men were injured including a youth who was hit in the head. The demonstration was called for by the families of the two detainees; Dr Mohammad Saeed Al Sahlawi and Hussain Abdul Aziz Al Habshi, who have been languishing in torture cells for the past two months. Their guilt is possession of leaflets urging people to boycott elections for powerless bodies. Many calls have been made to the ruling family to release the hostages but to no avail. Today’s demonstration took place near the town of Daih. Riot police were deployed to prevent the demonstration whose organisers had already obtained a permit to hold it. Women and children were frightened by onslaught who mercilessly attacked the participants and caused enormous fear among the children.
Last night running battles were fought by the youth of the town of Karzakkan following provocative acts by security forces who had attacked the village, tearing posters and removing banners which had been displayed by the people to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussain as the commemoration festivities got underway. Small fires were seen on the roads as demonstrators vented their anger and called for an end to the oppression against the people of Bahrain by the rulers who are of foreign descent. The emotions of the people are running high as they see their religious beliefs systematically attacked by the Al Khalifa thugs. As Ashura gets underway, more public activism becomes widespread and it is hoped that the oppressive rulers refrain from their repressive policies, and adopt a more rational and objective approach.
Meanwhile a young man, Ahmad Abdul Nabi, 17, has been located at the police station of Isa Town. He has been missing for the past four days after informing his parents that he was going to Saudi Arabia. The circumstances of his abduction by Al Khalifa death squads are yet to be established. He had apparently been outraged by some police officers who have refused to give details of the decision to abduct the young man. Calls have now been made to the people to give more information about the incident, as the young man remains under scrutiny in the torture chambers. Five months ago, a young Bahraini youth was brutally murdered by the Al Khalifa’s death squad, and the government refused to order an investigation into the crime. It is believed that Mahdi Abdul Rahaman, 22, was brutally murdered by those thugs who are roaming the streets looking for easy prey, in order to create fear in the hearts and minds of the citizens.
The ruling family, on the other hand, has failed to provide an explanation for the granting of Bahraini citizenship to a Kenyan who has recently participated in a marathon in Israel. Leonardo Michiro, a professional runner, was given the Bahraini nationality for unspecified reasons, and has now become a liability on the Al Khalifa who have attempted to put a brave face to cover their ugly intentions. The Kenyan athlete travelled to Israel, possibly encouraged by the Al Khalifa who pretend to be against contacts with Israel. However, both the crown prince and the foreign minister of Bahrain had a meeting with Shimon Peres on the periphery of the UN General Assembly in defiance of the pan-Arab ban on any contact with the Israelis.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
19 January 2007
