Chan'ad Bahraini

This is pretty sad. It seems like some youths with too much spare time on their hands have been influenced by Murtadha Bader and his theory that foreign labourers are the source of all Bahrain's evil. From the GDN:

FIRE damaged part of a labour camp, in Naim, after three Bahraini teenagers burst in and set fire to the workers' clothes. It was the third time that they had raided the same building in one night. When the youths broke in the first time they beat up one of the workers, who required hospital treatment for his injuries. They returned half-an-hour later and stole the labourers' safety shoes. However, when they went back a third time they piled up the workers' clothes, doused the pile in kerosene and set it on fire. The labourers managed to put out the blaze, but only after it had destroyed their air-conditioner, refrigerator and carpets.

"It all started when the Bahrainis barged into the labourers' residence at 10pm," said Bangladeshi mechanic Mubarak Muslim Mia, 27, who lives in the building. "They entered one of the rooms exclaiming that they are Bahrainis and have a right to be anywhere they want to be. One of the residents asked them what they wanted, barging in so late at night, but the Bahrainis shouted at him and beat him up really bad. We rushed him off to hospital to get treatment for cuts in his hand." (Continued)

Sadly, stories like these are not unheard of. Although these actions are usually provoked by unemployment and having too much spare time on one's hands, there are many Bahrainis among the recent generations who seem to lack respect for Asian expats. From my experiences this doesn't seem to be the case among the older generations of Bahrainis (especially the traders) who are quite comfortable being around Asians, be they employees or customers.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 29, 2004 at 8/29/2004 02:57:00 pm. Permalink