Saturday, February 26, 2005
Click on the photo to enlarge it. I found the notice on a wall in a residential area of the Manama suq. It worries me for two reasons: (i) that the residents are threatening vigilantism (which they've acted on in the past several times), and (ii) that the Indian and Pakistani mafias (which have their Bahraini patrons) continue to operate their prostitution and bootleg alcohol businesses on the island.
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SillyBahrainiGirl says:
Chanad,
I think this is an old flyer... from last Muharram, if I am not mistaken.
I remember seeing it in Manama during the Eid rounds. But lemme check and get back to you on this one.
On a lighter note did you notice what the notice said about how those caught breaking the "law" will first be punished by the people and then handed over to the police ;)
Silly me thinks this is way over the top.
says:
Bullshit Scorpio... there is no organised crime, thugs, or whatever, a few teenagers broke a few whisky bottles and raided the local whorehouse that was in thier backyard which the police turned a blind eye to despite repeated complaints. No one got hurt, just a few broken glass. Just like a few residents took things into their own hands in the UK when they found out that paedophiles live in their neighbourhood. Sometimes people get angry at the inaction of the police.
Scorpio man, what is driving ur vendetta? Constantly twisting the debate.
Chan'ad, in ur sincere opinion, do u think Bahrainis would turn violent? I don't think so, this is just a warning.
Scorpio, first of all I never meant to suggest that you should stop commenting here altogether and go somewhere else. I was sincerely trying to encourage you set up your own blog because you have such strong opinions, and I think it would be a good addition to the spectrum of blogs we have in Bahrain already.
I was also suggesting that you could scrutinize your comments more before you post them. If you wrote the same thing in a comment two days ago, then maybe hold back on repeating it again, unless you have some new information to share. I just think that readers would be more likely to understand your point that way. For example, your first comment on this post is just a bunch of oft-repeated accusations, whereas this second comment of yours actually has some substance that I can agree/argue with. But listen, at the end of the day you can say whatever you want because I'm not going to go around deleting any comments.
Anyhows, about the actual topic.... Point taken that in my last post I didn't point the finger directly at Bader (but I did link to the article that names him). You're perfectly correct that it was Bader, and not necessarily "the public", who was demanding racial segregation. I accept your criticism.
With regards to the sign featured in this post however, I do believe that it's not just about Bader and politics. There really do exist Asian mafias in Manama, and there really are residents who are pissed off about what's going on in their neighborhoods. I wouldn't be surprised if the residents put up the signs without any instructions from Bader or other politicians.
And I'm afraid I'm still not convinced about how you link Wefaq to the organized crime... Bader seemed to use that same line of thought to link all Asians to the organized crime. It's plausible... but with the evidence available right now, I wouldn't call it "probable".
To reply to Anon's question "in ur sincere opinion, do u think Bahrainis would turn violent?"
Yes, I do think Bahrainis, like all other humans, have the potential to turn violent under specific conditions and with some incitement from leaders. And it wouldn't be their first time. Maybe the Manama riots weren't as big as it was reported in the papers, but think back to the 90s when expats were specifically targetted, and on a few occasions killed.
I remember the 6 Bangladeshis who were locked in their room and burnt alive... or the cold store near my house that was burnt down... or even the molotov cocktail that was thrown at my bedroom window. It isn't a joke. The situation today is much more stable than it was back then, but it would be foolish to think it could never happen again.
i don't like to comment much about organized-crime gangs in Bahrain - but yes - the mafia does exist in bahrain.
Recent Incident: In bukowara- East Riffa - 3 girls in a GMC vehicle with a member of the royal family 'having fun' - a petrol bomb was thrown at them by a couple of men dressed in black and red bandanas - end result - vehicle up in flames - occupants of the vehicle - burnt! and i mean charred black - with skin falling off them - literally - why & who? i really don't know - some say it was over a business deal - others say it was the pakistani-baluchi mafia. Anyway the local papers weren't allowed to report about it i guess and furthermore the area was Riffa - where the sons of rich boots do drugs - another reason why Riffa is safe - drug lords - atleast there aren't any drug pushers yet in the area - they might be pushing their candy in other cities but Riffa.
2/26/2005 09:54:00 pm
Why is Scorpio the only foreign raving lunatic on the island leading this anti-islamist campaign?