Peaceful protesters killed in Bahrain today

[bareed]

A young man. Severely beaten by riot forces. Which is between life and death now because of his inability to go to the hospital. And the village still surrounded.

Disturb picture:
A young man. Severely beaten by riot forces. Which is between life and death now because of his inability to go to the hospital. And the village still surrounded. - alb7rany's posterous

 

[bareed]

A nurse from area where the riot police leave him succeed in stop bleeding and she said if his situation not change to morning he may die.

 

[bareed]

Wounds on his head:
yfrog Photo : http://yfrog.com/h7tfq3j Shared by

 

[High_Gravity]

Iraq athletes demand Bahrain release held player

Dozens of Iraqi athletes are demanding the release of a 16-year-old football player detained in Bahrain earlier this year when the Gulf island nation was swept by anti-government protests.

The athletes staged a rally Wednesday in downtown Baghdad.

Hussein Aboud, a football coach in al-Hadoud club, says the arrest of Zulfiqar Naji, who plays on the junior team for Bahraini club Al Muharraq was not justified and was politically motivated.

Baghdad protesters were wearing their club jerseys and raised posters of Naji and banners urging the Iraqi government to intervene and ensure his immediate release.

Hundreds of opposition supporters and at least 150 athletes and sports officials were arrested when Bahrain imposed martial law in March to quell dissent.

Read more: Iraq athletes demand Bahrain release held player

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain and the True Face of US Foreign Policy

It is no coincidence that the two main success stories of the "Arab Spring" -- Egypt and Tunisia -- were both non-violent and non-western in nature. These anti-authoritarian protests across the Middle East and North Africa have been a time of awkward shuffling for much of the western world, and for the Obama administration in particular, which had been quite content with the status quo of corrupt, repressive dictatorships in the region while putting a polite face on the continued militarist and corporatist policies of the Bush era. Nowhere did this become more evident than in the tiny Gulf nation of Bahrain, where I headed in early March to join the demonstrations and learn about this unprecedented uprising in a Gulf country.

Around that time, it was an almost festive occasion -- men and women, young and old alike gathered in Pearl Square, bearing signs like "Down Down with the Crown," holding flowers and waving the red and white colors of the Bahraini flag.

Soon after arriving, I was given a gift: a button that read Not Sunni, Not Shi'a, but Bahraini."

Tents were erected where the men smoked sheesha, grilled kebabs, and listened to the radio for news about the chain reaction of uprisings all over North Africa and the Middle East. Watching ordinary citizens marching in human chains, chanting pro-democracy slogans, and protesting in front of government buildings, I was possessed by a sort of surreal joy -- surreal because everyone in the streets knew that this couldn't possibly last, that the Bahraini monarchy would not abide such dissent, no matter how peaceful and non-violent. Everyone was right.

During a speech to the State Department, President Barack Obama claimed that "America's interests are not hostile to people's hopes; they're essential to them."

Perhaps he could have been clearer as to which "people" and what "hopes," he was referring to, for shortly after I left Bahrain US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrived in Saudi Arabia, and on his heels, tanks from the House of Saud in a demonstration of force that sent an unequivocal message to the citizens of Bahrain: "change" would not be tolerated.

By late March, Pearl Square had literally become The Martyr's Square, the monument itself destroyed, a once jubilant and hopeful atmosphere in shambles. Since then, in the home of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, dozens have been killed, over a thousand Bahrainis (and counting) arrested, close to thirty Shi'a mosques have been destroyed, and a campaign of targeted repression against all segments of society has continued with nary a peep from the Obama administration. If this were Libya, and not Bahrain, we can rest assured these abuses would be trumpeted with frothy indignation as further justification for NATO's intervention. But this is not Libya, this is Bahrain, where "people" and "hopes" mean different things.

Iara Lee: Bahrain and the True Face of US Foreign Policy

 

[High_Gravity]

European Tour Drops Bahrain from 2012 Schedule

Due to civil unrest in Bahrain, the European Tour has decided to drop the Volvo Golf Champions from its 2012 schedule. The event was slated to be played on Royal Golf Club, a course designed by Colin Montgomerie, in January.

The decision was made following a crackdown on anti-government protestors in late July that left at least 32 people dead.

"With work still ongoing to resolve issues in Bahrain and the need to confirm the venue by the end of July 2011, the difficult decision to postpone the event for 2012 was taken," said the European Tour's George O'Grady.

"We know that Bahrain is working hard to address the issues it has faced in recent months, as well as to reach out to the international community," O'Grady added.

The postponement of the golf tournament follows a similar decision by FIA, which canceled Bahrain's 2011 F1 Grand Prix due to security fears.

European Tour Drops Bahrain from 2012 Schedule - Cybergolf

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Raid On Doctors Without Borders Offices

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Responding to criticism from Medecins Sans Frontieres, Bahrain said Thursday that police last week raided a medical center run by the aid group in the Gulf country because it lacked proper permission.

MSF, also known by its English name Doctors Without Borders, on Wednesday condemned what it called an "armed raid" on a facility it runs in Manama, the capital of the tiny island nation.

The July 28 operation resulted in the arrest of one of its employees, MSF said.

Authorities damaged property, confiscated medical supplies and other equipment, and arrested volunteer Saeed Mahdi, MSF alleged. It called the move "unwarranted and unacceptable," and insisted it has been transparent about its operations in Bahrain.

In a government response emailed to the media on Thursday, Bahrain's Ministry of Health acknowledged the arrest and the raid, saying police searched the group's offices only after obtaining a search warrant.

The ministry said police acted because MSF was operating an unlicensed medical center in an apartment building without the knowledge of the proper authorities.

Mahdi, who according to MSF works as a driver and translator for the group, was arrested after calling for an ambulance to treat a patient.

The patient had come to the MSF facility with a serious head injury, the group said.

But Bahraini authorities say Mahdi initially tried to hide his affiliation with MSF and told the police he was simply a bystander who reported the patient to emergency services.

Mahdi now faces several charges, including providing health services without a license and giving false information to the police.

Relations in Bahrain between medical professionals and the authorities have been fraught since February, when widespread protests led by the country's Shiite majority erupted against the long-ruling Sunni monarchy. Doctors and nurses who treated protesters were rounded up in a subsequent crackdown that resulted in the arrests of hundreds of activists.

International rights group Human Rights Watch last month said more than 70 medical professionals were detained during the four-month crackdown.

Many worked in the state-run Salmaniya Medical Center, a key hotspot during the revolt. The overwhelmingly Sunni authorities saw the mostly Shiite staff – some of whom participated in pro-democracy street marches – as protest sympathizers, although the hospital's staff claim they treated all who need care.

MSF said it has treated nearly 200 patients in Bahrain since February. They chose not to go to official health care facilities because they feared being arrested for their alleged involvement in the protests, the group said.

Bahrain Raid On Doctors Without Borders Offices

 

[High_Gravity]

Shouting In The Dark: Al Jazeera Bahrain Documentary Shows The Bloody Fight For Democracy

On February 16, 2011 thousands of demonstrators hit the streets of Bahrain to protest against the ruling Khalifa family. In the wake of protests in Tunisia and the revolution in Egypt, many felt that Bahrain, too, was ready for reform. On February 21st, a quarter of the Bahraini population came out on the streets and gathered in the Pearl-roundabout.

Yet what followed was a brutal government crackdown on a peaceful civilian movement, that resulted in massive killings and arrests.

On Wednesday, Al Jazeera aired "Shouting In The Dark," an astonishing account of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain. The film follows the unraveling of the Bahraini revolution from its first days in February 201 and documents the the ruthless handling of the uprising by government, military and police.

Filmed by an undercover film crew, "Shouting In The Dark" gives a rare insight into an uprising that was hidden for the world, banned from the camera's, unaccessible to foreign press. The cameras catch protesters being teargassed, beaten and shot. After the February 16-demonstrations, men are lying on the street, some unconscious, others bleeding. An order from the Ministry of health forbade doctors and ambulances access to the scene.

Yet according to Al Jazeera, the crackdown took place as much through the media as on the streets. The network found that during the Saudi invasion, the government disabled cell-phones in anticipation of the army clearing the roundabout. The film narrates how national television launched a campaign to "name and punish prominent Bahraini's." A presenter called a national football star on television and shamed him on tv.

Facebook, too, became a site to name and shame anti-government protesters. Pages such as "Together to unmask the Shi'a trators" asked Bahrainis to disclose the names and workplace of those who participated in the protests, "and let the government take care of the rest."

"State agencies appeared to have used these sites to solicit evidence from the public," Al Jazeera says.

As time passed, the repression gained in brutality. Doctors who spoke out on what they had seen were jailed and tried, accused of fabricating injuries. Prisoners were killed without trial. In April, the Bahraini government started a campaign to destroy Shi'a mosques. A journalist who went to a local police station to report his home had been raided was tortured to death, Al Jazeera reports.

Shouting In The Dark: Al Jazeera Bahrain Documentary Shows The Bloody Fight For Democracy

 

[High_Gravity]

Former MP: Some freed Bahrain detainees to be tried

DUBAI - Bahrain has released more than 100 detainees who had been facing military trials over their roles in anti-government protests earlier this year, but some of them will still be prosecuted in civilian courts, one of those set free said Wednesday.

A panel of international lawyers which Bahrain's Sunni Muslim monarchy invited to investigate the protests that mainly involved the Gulf state's Shia Muslim majority, said on Tuesday that a total of 137 people had been released.

Among the detainees, who walked free Sunday, were Jawad Fairouz and Matar Ibrahim Matar, former members of parliament in the largest Shia political bloc, al-Wefaq.

Fairouz, who expects proceedings against him to be dropped, said some other detainees had been told they could not leave the country pending prosecutions in a civilian court.

"I heard they took some photos of them to show that they are in good health, so that later on when they re-appear in court there shouldn't be any kind of claim they're going to be tortured," said Fairouz, who had been charged with spreading false news and taking part in illegal gatherings.

"When they released us they didn't take any signature or any commitment from us that we were going to be referred to the civil court," he said.

Among those likely to face trial in a civilian court is lawyer Mohammed al-Tajer, who was detained in April after defending people arrested during the protests, Fairouz added.

More than 1000 people were detained after Bahrain crushed demonstrations in March for greater political freedom and an end to sectarian discrimination that Shias say they face in access to land, housing and state employment.

The kingdom, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth fleet, attributed the unrest to manipulation by Iran of its Shia co-religionists in Bahrain and denied persistent allegations of torture during and after the wave of detentions.

It has responded to international criticism of the crackdown by funding an international legal commission to investigate the events, but activists and rights groups say the panel is cut off from people who fear reprisal for testifying.

Former MP: Some freed Bahrain detainees to be tried | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt

 

[High_Gravity]

Al Jazeera Changes Plan to Rerun Documentary

Al Jazeera English has quashed several planned rebroadcasts of “Shouting in the Dark,” an hourlong documentary about Bahrain’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that had its debut last week and brought complaints from Bahraini authorities.

The decision this week to halt the repeats raised concerns among Al Jazeera’s staff members that the channel was succumbing to political or diplomatic pressure from Bahrain and its ally Saudi Arabia.

In response to inquiries by The New York Times, a spokesman for Al Jazeera said Tuesday that the documentary would be rebroadcast on Thursday and would be paired with a round-table discussion.

The episode illustrates the thorny issue of independence for Al Jazeera, one of the world’s biggest satellite news organizations, which is financed by the emir of Qatar and is perceived by some people to be a diplomatic tool of the country. Al Jazeera insists that the Qatari government does not interfere in the network’s editorial operations.

Al Jazeera’s Arabic and English language channels both came under scrutiny in February and March for their coverage of Bahrain, an island kingdom just north of Qatar in the Persian Gulf. Viewers perceived that the Arabic channel, in particular, paid less attention to the Bahraini protests than it did to the earlier protests in Tunisia and Egypt. Qatar joined Saudi Arabia in sending troops into Bahrain to violently quell the protests in March.

Bahraini authorities helped to limit news coverage of the crackdown by blocking journalists from entering the country and expelling some who were already there.

Some video still surfaced, however; “Shouting in the Dark,” which was first televised last Thursday, featured footage that was secretly recorded during the protests, showing brutal violence and desperate scenes inside hospitals. The documentary contrasted that footage with the claims that were made at the time on state television. The narrator describes Al Jazeera as the “witness” to the protesters — “the only TV journalists who remained to follow their journey of hope to the carnage that followed.”

“Shouting in the Dark” was shown on Al Jazeera’s English channel, but not the Arabic channel that is more influential in the Middle East. Al Anstey, the managing director of Al Jazeera English, was so proud of the documentary that he sought to screen it in advance for reporters. He asserted that it would counter critics of the channel’s past coverage of Bahrain.

The documentary did receive ample attention last week, giving rise to speculation that relations between Qatar and Bahrain would be harmed. The Bahraini Information Affairs Ministry did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday, but local news outlets have printed denials of reports that diplomatic ties between the countries had been severed in the wake of the broadcast.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/world/middleeast/10jazeera.html?_r=2&ref=world

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Protests: Al Wefaq Plans Election Boycott

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Bahrain's main Shiite opposition party will boycott next month's special parliamentary elections for seats left vacant by mass resignations to protest a crackdown on anti-government demonstrators, a senior opposition official said Friday.

An election snub by the group Al Wefaq would be a serious blow to efforts by Bahrain's Sunni monarchy to portray stability in the strategic island kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. But Bahrain remains bitterly divided after months of unrest and clashes between security forces and protesters seeking greater rights for the country's majority Shiites.

Al Wefaq envoys walked out of reconciliation talks last month after claiming they were insulted by pro-government officials. The Sept. 24 ballot was called after Al Wefaq 18 lawmakers resigned in March – a month after Shiites began protests inspired by other Arab uprisings.

Shiite's represent about 70 percent of the population, but are denied top political and security jobs. Protesters also demand that Bahrain's more than 200-year-old Sunni dynasty loosen its control on top government posts. More than 30 people have died and hundreds have been arrested or purged from jobs in the crackdown on the opposition.

Moments after Al Wefaq official Khalil al-Marzooq announced the planned election boycott at a rally, the crowd chanted: "No going back after our sacrifices."

Washington has denounced the violence in Bahrain, but has held back on any direct pressure against leaders in one of the Pentagon's key Gulf allies.

In recent weeks, protesters and security forces have engaged in near nightly street skirmishes. On Thursday, authorities blocked roads leading to Pearl Square, a former protest hub in the capital Manama, after demonstrators tried to stage a march to the site.

Bahrain Protests: Al Wefaq Plans Election Boycott

 

[High_Gravity]

The Bahraini Experiment

Unlike most vestiges of the Arab Spring, the gathering of different political factions at last week's Bahraini National Dialogue did not yield a call for the establishment of a new democracy in the Persian Gulf. Instead, the conference presented a road map toward a marginally fairer political system that, if implemented by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, might give Bahrain more time to pursue its ambitious agenda of economic liberalization and modernization. Political tensions in Bahrain will go on, reminding us of the occasional tensions between democracy and progress.

Bahrain's dilemma is a classic one. On the one hand, the Sunni minority dominates politics and economics under a system that can best be described as soft authoritarianism. The lower house of Parliament is elected, but its power is weak and the electoral districts are heavily gerrymandered. The media is by and large controlled by the government, and the opposition is under surveillance and occasionally harassed. Recently I met and spoke with a few members of the opposition, including members of the National Democratic Action Committee, whom I interviewed in their recently burned-down headquarters. They seem committed to achieving their goal of a full democracy in a peaceful way.

On the other hand, Bahrain is an island of relative freedom in the Arab world. The country is a regional leader in the education and treatment of women. On the streets of Manama, it is common to see young Arab men and women dressed in the latest Western fashions. Non-Islamic worship is tolerated and both Shiite and Sunni leaders emphasize that Bahrain is a home to many Hindus, Christians and even Jews. Its social permissiveness provides a welcome respite for many Arabs who journey to Bahrain for weekends of carefree enjoyment.

But not everyone is happy. Al Wefaq, a Shiite party that would most benefit from fully democratic elections, sees Manama's vibrant nightlife and ready availability of alcohol as un-Islamic. Many Bahrainis fear that al Wefaq's victory in democratic elections would spell disaster for the Gulf state's economic and civil freedoms.

The uneasy balance between democracy and freedom came to a head earlier this year, when Bahrainis, most of them Shiite, took to the streets demanding greater political representation. As in other countries, the Arab Spring in Bahrain turned violent. Some 30 people died before troops from Bahrain's Gulf neighbors, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, were invited to help crush the protests.

View Full Image

Getty Images

The testing grounds for gradual democratization.
To relieve political tensions, the government created the National Dialogue, where political parties known as "societies" could discuss political reforms, including more power for the lower house of parliament, equalization of the size of the constituencies and greater independence of the judiciary. While the Dialogue provided a valuable forum for the airing of grievances, its composition left much to be desired. The powerful al Wefaq, for example, was awarded only five out of 300 delegates. The party walked out after it became clear that the consensus proposals for reform would fall well short of full-fledged democracy.

The ruling elite insists that gradualism of political reforms is necessary. Unlike most of its neighbors, Bahrain has little oil; it accounts for just 30% of GDP. The country makes up for a lack of profitable natural goods by having one of the world's freest economies under the direction of the powerful Economic Development Board. The EDB has created a business-friendly environment that does not engage in top-down government planning. As a result, Bahrain is considered the financial capital of the Gulf and its economy has diversified in recent years.

Bahraini government officials openly admit to following a Singaporean model to combine a partial democracy with a free economy. Lee Kuan Yew, the former prime minister of Singapore, has visited Bahrain twice, while a number of retired Singaporean civil servants live and work alongside their Arab colleagues in Bahrain. By generating high rates of economic growth over an extended period of time, the Bahraini rulers believe they will create a politically stable and wealthy country with a citizenry more immune to religious extremism and economic populism than other Arab nations.

Marian L. Tupy: The Bahraini Experiment - WSJ.com

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain Protesters Clash With Security Forces

MANAMA, Bahrain — Bahraini security forces have fired tear gas against bands of anti-government protesters across the tense Gulf island kingdom.

Small-scale clashes have become a near nightly event in Bahrain between police and mostly Shiite demonstrators demanding greater rights. The street skirmishes Thursday appeared bigger and more widespread after calls on social media for stronger protest gatherings.

An Associated Press journalist saw forces fire tear gas in the capital Manama and in Shiite-dominated suburbs to try to disperse protesters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Bahrain's majority Shiites began protests in February inspired by other Arab uprisings. Shiites claim widespread discrimination at the hands of Sunni rulers.

Bahrain Protesters Clash With Security Forces

 

[High_Gravity]

DON'T RUIN EVERYTHING!

MANAMA: The Premier yesterday hit out at those "trying to undermine the fabric of our nation". His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa called for the need to overcome "misguided and misleading calls" that threaten social cohesion and national unity, provoking sedition and incitement.

National unity was the only way forward, he said.

"Certainly the majority of people in Bahrain would never accept being drawn into any move threatening unity and stability.

"Survival of a secure and stable nation should be the objective of every citizen loyal to his country," said the Premier.

"We are concerned and saddened by the inflammatory actions that cause divisions.

"It is regretful that some try to push the country into segregation by stirring sedition and distorting facts."

He was speaking while receiving a number of officials, businessmen and citizens.

"Openness in Bahrain is a gateway for the evolution of political and economic prosperity, as well as, social welfare. We are looking forward to this openness to continue for the good of the nation," he said.

"The government encourages anyone who contributes to the development and prosperity of the country, through honest effort and hard work," he said, highlighting the role of family businesses in promoting commercial activity in Bahrain.

Gulf Daily News » Local News » DON'T RUIN EVERYTHING!

 

[High_Gravity]

EU May Probe Bahrain Spy Gear Abuses

European Union legislators asked the EU to investigate whether companies have aided human rights violations by selling surveillance gear to repressive governments.

Marietje Schaake, who is a Dutch member of the European Parliament, and five of her colleagues in the assembly, requested the probe today after Bloomberg News reported that a monitoring system sold and maintained by European companies had generated text-message transcripts used in the interrogation of a human rights activist tortured in Bahrain.

The legislators made their request in writing to EU foreign-policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is also vice president of the European Commission, the 27-nation EU’s executive body in Brussels.

The probe would determine whether any European security and communications companies contributed to “human rights violations, in particular in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain and Iran,” the request says.

The surveillance technology in Bahrain was sold by Siemens AG (SIE), and later maintained by Nokia Siemens Networks, followed by NSN’s divested unit, Munich-based Trovicor GmbH, Bloomberg reported yesterday, citing Ben Roome, a Nokia Siemens spokesman.

Egypt, Syria and Yemen also purchased monitoring centers from the business now known as Trovicor, according to two people familiar with the installations. The equipment plays a surveillance role in at least 12 Middle Eastern and North African nations, they said.

Supporting Export Ban

Barbara Lochbihler, a German member of the EU Parliament who signed the letter and sits on the Subcommittee on Human Rights, said she plans to speak with company officials about the uses of their products. She supports a European export ban of such technology to regimes that could abuse it, she said.

“As a deputy from Bavaria I´m very interested in the follow up of what happens with the company Trovicor and also with Siemens,” she said in an e-mail. Munich, where Trovicor and Siemens are based, is the Bavarian capital.

The other legislators asking for an inquiry are the Netherlands’ Hans van Baalen, Estonia’s Tunne Kelam, the U.K.’s Sarah Ludford and Slovenia’s Ivo Vajgl, according to a copy of the letter provided by Schaake’s office.

The European Commission will revisit the EU’s corporate responsibility strategy this fall, said Cristina Arigho, a spokeswoman for the commission. She said the EU is also considering how to support the implementation of United Nations principles on business and human rights, passed in June, which say corporations have a duty to respect human rights.

EU May Probe Bahrain Spy Gear Abuses - Bloomberg

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain cleric to rulers: Reform or risk ouster

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Bahrain's most senior Shiite cleric warned the Gulf kingdom's rulers Friday to either ease their grip on power or risk joining Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and other Arab leaders swept aside by uprisings.

The sermon by Sheik Isa Qassim was attended by thousands of worshippers, and was a show of defiance after Bahrain's justice minister accused the cleric of promoting unrest in the strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

A police helicopter hovered low over the crowds spilling from the mosque after the service. Some worshippers unfurled banners saying "We will never submit to anyone but God" and warning that government pressure on Qassim is "political suicide."

Qassim vowed he would never be silenced, and said it was his religious duty to support demands by Bahrain's majority Shiites for greater rights and a stronger voice in how the country is run.

Bahrain's ruling Sunni dynasty, which has conducted sweeping crackdowns on protests since February, opened reconciliation talks in July to examine possible political changes. But the moves have not gone far enough for Shiite-led demonstrators seeking to break the Sunni rulers' monopoly on picking government officials and setting policies.

"Can't they learn from the fall of dictatorships and see what happens to those who denied their people basic rights?" Qassim told worshippers. "We now see what happens to the Libyan dictator, just as what happened to Tunisian and Egyptian despots."

Shiites comprise about 70 percent of Bahrain's population, but complain of systematic discrimination including being blocked from top political or security posts. Earlier this week, Justice Minister Khaled bin Ali Al Khalifa sent a letter to Qassim, accusing him of using his mosque for "intervening in politics and promoting violence."

The Associated Press: Bahrain cleric to rulers: Reform or risk ouster

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain king calls for peaceful co-existence

Manama: King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa on Sunday evening called for the prevalence of tolerance in Bahrain, saying that he forgave those who abused him and senior officials.

Scores of Bahrainis were arrested in security-related charges and hundreds lost their jobs following weeks of unrest and political turmoil and the imposition of the national security law in mid-March. Emergency laws were lifted on June 1 after calm was restored.

Special courts were set up and looked into the cases that ranged from unlawful gathering with harmful intentions to plotting for the overthrow of the regime.

The monarch said that all civil cases would have their final ruling issued in civil courts.

In his speech, King Hamad, 61, expressed compassion with the citizens "who were victims of injuries, ill-treatment or death".

Commitment
"Bahrain has a law that allows victims of ill-treatment to ask for compensation," he said, adding that "the decision to set up the independent fact-finding commission is the best indication of our full commitment to knowing the whole truth and to giving people their rights."

Orders have been issued to the institutions concerned to look promptly into the cases of workers and students who had been dismissed, King Hamad said.

"When we see workers at their places of work and students at their learning institutions, while some other workers are not working and some other students are not studying, we are prompted to look into their situation in order to help them join their colleagues and classmates. Such an accomplishment will benefit the workers, the students, their families and the whole nation. These are our orders to the concerned institutions and they should implement them more quickly," he said.

Hundreds of students and employees were dismissed upon recommendations by ad hoc investigation teams before the authorities said that they should be reinstated. The University of Bahrain and the Bahrain Training Institute have allowed around 340 students back while several employers took back their employees. However, the reinstatement movement has been slow in some large companies.

King Hamad said that the last few months were painful, and even though Bahrainis lived in the same country, some had forgotten about the inevitability of co-existence.

"We must not swerve from our trust and faith in our common future, regardless of the diversity of our sects. Otherwise, we lose our trust in one another as brothers, colleagues and citizens in this beloved country," he said.

gulfnews : Bahrain king calls for peaceful co-existence

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain: Protestors Clash With Security Forces In Manama

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — It's become a nightly duel in Bahrain: Security forces and anti-government protesters waging hit-and-run clashes in one of the simmering conflicts of the Arab Spring.

So far, the skirmishes have failed to gel into another serious challenge to the Gulf nation's Western-backed monarchy after crushing a reform rebellion months ago. But there are sudden signs that Shiite-led demonstrators could be poised to raise the stakes again on the strategic island, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Hundreds of demonstrators Wednesday made their boldest attempt in months to reclaim control of a central square in the capital Manama, which was the symbolic hub of the protest movement after it began in February. Riot police used buses to block roads and flooded streets with tear gas to drive back the marchers before dawn.

Hours later, mourners gathered in a Shiite village in another part of Bahrain for a 14-year-old boy they claim was killed by security forces. Clashes flared until early Thursday across the oil hub area of Sitra before the boy's burial.

"Down with the regime," chanted some of hundreds of people in the funeral procession. "More protests."

Some waved the flag of the Libyan rebels, who are closing in on the remnants of Moammar Gadhafi's government.

Bahrain remains the outlier of the Arab revolts.

Its Sunni rulers have managed to hold their ground – and even tighten their grip with military help from neighboring Saudi Arabia – against majority Shiites demanding a greater political voice. Washington and Western allies have denounced the punishing crackdowns, but been mild when it comes to Bahrain's ruling dynasty. The possible risks from a harder line appear too great. They include jeopardizing key Arab military relationships on Iran's doorstep.

Washington's Gulf Arab allies argue any gains for Bahrain's Shiites could open the door for influence by Iran's Shiite regime.

Bahrain's Shiite leaders strongly deny any links to Iran. They note that their fight for greater rights goes back decades – and is now re-energized by the pro-democracy wave across the Arab world.

In July, the Shiite political bloc walked out of government-led reconciliation talks, claiming they failed to address key demands such as ending the monarchy's ability to hand-pick the government. Shiites also appear ready to boycott parliament elections on Sept. 24 – an act that state media has called treason.

Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's 525,000 citizens, but claim they face systematic discrimination such as being barred from top political and security posts. Last week, Bahrain's most senior Shiite cleric, Sheik Isa Qassim, told worshippers that the country's rulers can either embrace reforms or risk the same fate as Libya's Gadhafi.

"Can't they learn from the fall of dictatorships and see what happens to those who denied their people basic rights?" Qassim said as police helicopters patrolled over his mosque. "We now see what happens to the Libyan dictator, just as what happened to Tunisian and Egyptian despots."

At least 32 people have been killed since the protests began more than six months ago. Activists claim Ali Jawad Ahmad, the 14-year-old buried Wednesday, should be added to the tally.

Opposition groups, including the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, cited witnesses saying the boy died after being hit by a tear gas canister fired at close range by police during the demonstration in the oil hub of Sitra, which has been a hotbed of Shiite protests.

A statement by the Interior Ministry said an investigation was ordered and officials posted a 10,000 dinar ($26,600) reward for information leading to a definitive finding on the death.

Bahrain: Protestors Clash With Security Forces In Manama

 

[High_Gravity]

Witnesses: Riot police clash with demonstrators in Bahrain

(CNN) -- Riot police clashed Friday in suburbs across Bahrain's capital of Manama with thousands of demonstrators enraged at the government's denial of responsibility in the death of a 14-year-old boy, a human rights advocate in the Arab nation said.

Nabeel Rajab, president of Bahrain's Center for Human Rights, told CNN that people took to the streets Thursday night and remained into early Friday. There, they voiced anger to several government messages, including a press release that was issued earlier Thursday from Bahrain's interior ministry that -- citing a coroner's report -- denied the boy was killed by a tear-gas canister or rubber bullet, as activists have claimed.

Riot police tossed tear gas canisters and shot rubber bullets in hopes of breaking up the protest, according to Rajab, who said he witnessed the clashes in one Manama suburb and also spoke to multiple eyewitnesses.

Journalist Mazen Mahdi added that he witnessed a similar crackdown in Sanabis, another suburb of the capital, and saw security forces sealing off the area.

In response, protesters set up make-shift barricades and threw stones at riot police in an attempt them to stop from going further into residential parts of the suburbs.

"Security forces raided homes and fired shots into Shiite suburbs as a form of collective punishment," said Rajab. "It is a common tactic they use to stop youth from demonstrating against the regime."

The clashes resulted in several injuries and dozens or arrests, according to Rajab, adding that the Center for Human Rights had not been able to ascertain exact numbers in either case.

There was no immediate response from the Bahraini government to the claims, nor was there a mention of such clashes in the state-run Bahrain News Agency.

Yet such confrontations between demonstrators and authorities are not new in Bahrain, one of several countries embroiled in anti-government protests across the Middle East and North Africa this year.

Bahrain is a close ally of the United States and houses the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Its rulers blame Shiite-ruled Iran for stirring up trouble among its Shiite majority, but opposition leaders and Iranian officials deny the allegation and many Western powers have dismissed it.

The dispute over the circumstances surrounding the 14-year-old boy's death is the latest to stir distrust among activists towards the government.

Clashes broke out overnight Wednesday into Thursday between Shiite Muslim protesters and police, after witnesses said they saw the boy -- Ali Jawad al-Sheikh -- collapse after riot police fired a tear-gas round at him and other protesters who were in Sitra, southwest of Manama.

The interior ministry has said no clashes were taking place at the time the boy was injured, claiming that the last reported incident of unrest in the area was around 1:15 a.m. on Wednesday.

And a police chief said Thursday that the hospital officials who informed the police they had received the boy's body did not give any details about the incident or where the body was found, the state news agency reported.

Bahraini officials said Thursday that the doctor who carried out an autopsy on the body concluded that the cause of death was an injury sustained behind the neck, where there were fractures causing bleeding around the spinal cord.

Witnesses: Riot police clash with demonstrators in Bahrain - CNN.com

 

[High_Gravity]

Bahrain: Anti-Government Protesters Go On Hunger Strike

MANAMA, Bahrain — More than 100 jailed Bahraini activists – including doctors who treated injured protesters during months of anti-government protests and crackdowns in the Gulf kingdom – are on hunger strike, an international panel said Wednesday.

The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that 84 opposition supporters are on hunger strike in prison. In addition, 17 detained activists have been hospitalized by the Interior Ministry for their refusal to eat.

Hundreds of activists have been imprisoned since February when Shiite-led demonstrations for greater rights began in the Sunni-ruled Bahrain, the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. More than 30 people have been killed since protests inspired by Arab uprisings began in February.

The five-member panel has been set up in June to investigate the unrest. Wednesday's statement said an international expert on hunger strikes will join the panel to visit the striking detainees and evaluate their condition.

"Medical advice will be provided and the expert will discuss the challenges of hunger strike," the statement said, adding that the hunger strike started nine days ago.

Among jailed activists on hunger strike are 20 doctors who are on trial in a special security court on charges of participating in efforts to overthrow Bahrain's 200-year-old monarchy.

Other jailed opposition supporters have joined the strike, including two prominent Shiite activists, Abdul Jalil al-Singace and Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. They were sentenced to life in prison in June for their role in protests.

The doctors' trial is being closely watched by rights groups, which have criticized Bahrain's use of the security court that includes military prosecutors and civilians and military judges.

Bahrain: Anti-Government Protesters Go On Hunger Strike