26/ 27th October 2012

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Beneath Bahrain's Shia-versus-Sunni narrative, only the tyrants benefit
When you pick up the day's newspaper, it is not likely that you will nd much coverage of the ongoing popular revolt in Bahrain. But on the off chance that Bahrain is mentioned, it is almost certain that two words will jump at you: Sunni and Shia. It is even more likely you will see some mention of a Shia revolt against a Sunni monarchy. This is unfortunate; a very complicated situation is expediently packaged into a soundbite-like myth. That narrative is ahistorical and dangerous because, like all myths, there is a grain of truth to it. Last year, when Bahrain's revolution began, it was not about sects. Sunnis, Shia along with Bahrain's "sushis" (people of mixed background), non-Muslims, atheists; all came together in Bahrain's version of Tahrir Pearl Square. Their unifying demand was for a constitutional monarchy to be established in Bahrain. The people were demanding that the king honour his lofty reform promises made when he inherited the position from his Emir father. Read More The ofcer was burned in a "terrorist attack" in Karzakan, dies after April attack he added, without giving any A Bahraini policeman has died further further details. from burns sustained in an April incident authorities On Friday, another described as a "terrorist act", policeman died after a bomb the state news agency BNA exploded during clashes with reported late on Thursday. anti-government protesters in al-Akr. BNA quoted a police director as saying the ofcer had died Seven people have been of "serious burns sustained as arrested in connection with a result of a terrorist incident in the blast, and the authorities the area of Karzakan on April say security has been 22, 2012". tightened around the village. Read More Kingdom has invented a curious denition of free expression where criticizing members of the ruling family on Twitter can land you in court. The Bahraini regime's credibility is as damaged as that of world cycling -- the government needs to implement drastic measures that go beyond public relations to restore international trust. Read More The takeover by GFH Capital, a subsidiary of Gulf Finance House, understood to be worth around 50 million pounds ($75 million, 63 milion euros), has been in the pipeline for nearly six months but the bank have nally given Leeds owner Ken Bates the assurances they have the funds to complete the transaction. Read More

Bahrain: Policeman dies from burns in April attack

Bahrain's government says a policeman has died from burns suffered six months ago in clashes with anti-government protesters in the violencebattered Gulf nation. He is the second Bahraini policeman to die in the past week.

Anti-government factions have increasingly used homemade rebombs and explosives against security forces. More than 50 people have been killed in Bahrain's unrest since February 2011, when Shiiteled demonstrators began a renewed uprising for a greater political voice in the Sunniruled kingdom. A government statement Friday said the policeman was receiving treatment outside Bahrain when he died a day earlier. He was injured in April in what authorities call a "domestic terror attack." Read More It said the man died abroad, where he was undergoing treatment, but gave no further details. Thirty-ve people were killed in an uprising against the Sunni-led government, led by the country's Shi'ite Muslim majority, early in 2011, including ve security personnel. The opposition says more than 45 other people have died in political violence since martial law ended in June 2011, a gure disputed by the government. Read More

Bahraini policeman

Bahrain policeman injured in April attack dies

A Bahraini policeman who suffered severe burns in an attack in April has died, the government has announced. The ofcer had been sent abroad to receive treatment for his burns, but succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, the director of northern police said.

Backpedaling on human rights in #Bahrain

The Bahraini government seems to understand freedom of expression a bit like Lance Armstrong understands clean cycling. Like Lance, it prefers to play by its own rules and attack critics rather than accept normal standards. The

Bahrain bank close to Leeds Utd takeover

Leeds United of the English Championship are set to become the latest club to come under Gulf nancial control after a Bahrain-based investment bank agreed a takeover deal, both parties have announced.

Amnesty slams jail terms for Bahraini teachers

Amnesty International has denounced a decision to uphold prison sentences against two former leaders of the Bahrain Teachers Association. On Sunday, Mahdi Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb was sentenced to ve years in prison while Jalila al-Salman, who was not present in the courtroom, was handed a

six-month sentence when an appeal court upheld guilty verdicts against them. While the ruling reduced their sentences from ten years and three years respectively, family members immediately expressed their dismay, calling the ruling a nightmare. Their lawyers have said they will appeal the decision before Bahrains Court of Cassation. Read More The deadly silence of the international community has given the Al Khalifa regime freedom to continue suppressing and killing people and they keep [creating] human rights catastrophes by attacking defenseless people, Hossein Sobhani-Nia, member of Majlis (parliament) Presiding Board, said on Friday. Read More Ofcials from the Interior Ministry have further warned that those who defy the ban will face legal action. The general director of the Central Governorate Police said that Al Wefaq had submitted a request to the directorate to hold a rally in Eker on Sunday. Read More

detained medical personnel in Bahrain.

IITOS condemns medic rearrests

We strongly condemn the rearrest and imprisonment of medical personnel in Bahrain and in particular our colleague, Ali Alekri. We add our voices to those of Amnesty International, Physicians for Human Rights and many others in demanding the release of all

We insist that the Bahraini authorities respect the principles of medical neutrality and the rights of individuals to freedom of assembly and expression, as codied in the Geneva Conventions. David Moore, On behalf of the Irish Institute of Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery. Read More undermine unity and harm the interests of the nation and citizens.

Intl silence gives Al Khalifa free hand to suppress Bahrainis: Lawmaker

An Iranian lawmaker has censured the international communitys silence on the killing and suppressing of Bahrainis by ruling Al Khalifa regime.

Rights report slammed

Bahrain has called for an Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) human rights committee report on the kingdom to be withdrawn or amended as it is not impartial. Shura Council rst vice-chairman and head of Bahrain's delegation to the IPU session in Canada Jamal Fakhro told the forum, attended by more than 600 delegates, that the report should not be based on external forces which could He criticised the report for not including parliament chairman Dr Khalifa Al Dhahrani's response to complaints from two former MPs. The ex-MPs were suspended for violating Bahrain's law, Mr Fakhro said, pointing out that the committee's report was contrary to the facts. The two ex-MPs enjoy full freedom, he said. Read More

Bahrain denies opposition groups request to hold rally over alleged harassment
Bahrains security authorities on Saturday announced that it had denied permission to the main opposition group, Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, to hold a mass rally in Eker.