Sir, can we go home?
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Last night, the emergency team in our company was called on a “red alert” flag. The story started when one of our employees at our Bahrain International Airport shop (a 24/7 duty), called his manager asking him if he can close the shop and go home. He explained that there is a very big gang at the airport, and he can smell that something wrong is going to happen.
And that’s what actually happened!
Few hundreds gathered inside the airport after they heard that someone called Sh. Mohammed Sanad, was arrested on his arrival from Iran. Here is the story from GDN:
Protesters held in airport clash
By KANWAL TARIQ HAMEEDTen protesters were arrested late last night following clashes at Bahrain International Airport.
The clashes started after a sit-in at the airport to protest against the arrest of a suspect, Khalid Hameed Mansour Sanad (a.k.a. Mohammed Sanad), 46, as he returned from Iran.An Interior Ministry spokesman said Mr Sanad was suspected of activities compromising national security.
The spokesman confirmed that protesters raised slogans and damaged airport property following clashes with police.
Mr Sanad was arrested and detained by security forces at the airport for more than four hours after he arrived on a flight from Tehran International Airport at 6.55pm.
More than 300 protesters converged at the airport and staged a sit-in for more than three hours.
Mr Sanad, a leading scholar, was visiting Qom where he is a professor at the House of Qom. He was not allowed to pass customs, a witness said.
Mr Sanad’s companions were allowed to go and he was stopped by customs officials who checked his baggage.
“A delegation of demonstrators went there to inquire and were told that he was taken to Public Prosecution,” the witness said.
Mr Sanad was then taken away to the Police Fort, a witness said. Mr Sanad was, however, released early this morning.
Shame. Really shame. I’m not concerned if the police was right or wrong by arresting Mr. Sanad. This is not my buiness. But what the protesters did inside and outside the airport is real shame.
The airport is the ONLY international gate for Bahrain to the world (beside the bridge with Saudi). Can you imagine how this will damage Bahrain reputation in front of International visitors? And, what is it with destroying the airport properties? It is a public property, damn it. They are destroying their own property. Do you expect sympathy from the public by doing this? And what about the business in general? How do you think this will be digested by local as well international business firms? I wonder if we should close our shop at airport. After all, our employee’s (BTW, they are all Bahrain’s) personal security is the most important element in our business. But then, were do we go? If the clashes and demonstrations and protesters reached inside the airport arrival hall, where next?
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12 Comments on “Sir, can we go home?”
Why, may I ask, are you not concerned why the government arrested this man, and why are u not concerned why these people came to the airport? More important why are you not concerned enough about how these protesters were beaten up by the riot police? (Even though it was a peaceful demonstration. It turned violent after the police attacked the protesters.)
It is really surprising that you are not concerned whether or not the police are wrong. They are armed, and they are more powerful and they represent the state. you dont even think its any of your business what they do. However you are ready to judge the protesters from an article in a Bahraini newspaper.
Well, I’m not concerned because I don’t have any back ground on the arrested guy, nor have the interest to know. This is a local Bahraini politics, and I respect all sides.
On the other hand, I don’t think arrival hall at any airport in the world is the right place for demonstrations. Peaceful or violent. Therefore, I’m not judging the crowd or the police; everyone has his own justification version of the story. But at the end, what was the result? This is what concerns me. The damage in properties as well the image of the country. Now how did this happen? I don’t think the police brought the crowed inside the airport, did they? So, if it was meant to be peaceful, maybe they could have selected a better place, maybe a public square.
“I don’t have any back ground on the arrested guy, nor have the interest to know.”
Thats a problem, if you are interested in knowing what happened and you want to be able to write about what happened then maybe you should have that interest and you should dig deeper.
Maybe if you knew why the guy was arrested, and how that made many Bahrainis feel, then you would know why they hurried to the airport for a peaceful protest.
Anyways, I must admit that I am more used to seeing this kind of writing on other blogs and not this one, that is why I am surprised. Your blog is one of the best thats why I always expect you to look at things from both perspectives.
Well, it seems that my post sound offending to you. If it is so, please accept my apology.
I just want to stress a fact. I don’t write much about Bahrain, because I respect all the political spectrum in the country, and intend to remain so.
The above post is not criticizing the background of any side, but the results of it, which I don’t think anyone would like to see in his country or any other country.
Violence is a quick recipe for chaos. And chaos is the bed for failure. I don’t like to see Bahrain going that direction. No matter who is right and who is wrong.
Peace!
Zainab cool it! I think Haitham’s concerns are legitimate. The airport is NOT a place to hold a demonstration, neither is a hospital. Both places are PUBLIC utilities used by everyone and if a protest is mounted in any of these places it will do more damage to everyone than good.
I respect your call for non-violent demonstrations and I fully support you in that. I further advocate that if there is something to be done about an arrest, a better way is to exert all political and judicial procedures to secure a release, rather than invite mob riots (both from the demonstrators and the police) in a confined space as an airport. I am really surprised that there was more restraint from the police side on this because I can guarantee you that should a demonstration like this happened in any European or North American country you can be assured that much more force would have been used to remove the protesters.
Doing this at the airport is the height of irresponsibility. Just consider how many people coming to Bahrain at that time, the busiest time period at the airport, just will not come back to Bahrain and will refuse to invest or recommend it for investment.
There are times and places for things, and what happened last night was incitement to confrontation and violence no matter how you look at it. Bad form, very very bad form.
“Can you imagine how this will damage Bahrain reputation in front of International visitors?”
do you want to tell that YOU a forigner care about bahrain more than those locals? ohhhhh get over yourself.
anon,
hmmm… good question. Let us see:
I am an Arab, and a Muslim like them. I live, work, and sleep under the same sky. I drink the same water, and eat the same food. My kids go to same schools, and my wife’s friends are all Bahraini’s. I use their hospitals, and drive on their roads. I buy my grocery from same shop, and put my money at the same bank. I work side by side with them; we both share same profit and success.
Yes, I am a foreigner. But that does not mean that I don’t care for Bahrain and its people. Bahrain is my HOME now. Do I care? Yes I do.
Read more reactions, details and comments to this from the excellent Mahmood’s Den, Manama Republic and Dreamer.
Well said Haitham. To me you are contributing to the success of this country much more than those rampaging morons. Speaking on behalf of the Bahraini people who care you’re more than welcome here.
Thank you, Mahmood. I’m proud to be considered as a brother and a friend to all the Bahrain’s I met; regardless of their background or their political/religious beliefs.