There has been a flurry of complaints (well, actually it was 2 comments and 3 emails) about pregnant ballots, hanging chads, voting irregularities, technical difficulties, and mainly the unbelievably biased selection of the panel. Hence, the selection panel has been fired and an open race (with no criteria whatsoever) has been put in instead. You can vote for anyone now, including voting against everyone (RON).

The selection panel came up with the idea, criteria, and nominees list at about 4 in the morning. It realizes that it probably was not in its complete mental powers, and apologizes sincerely for that error. They would also like to apologize sincerely for the 15 or so voters who have voted already. The panel would like once again to express its deep regrets for this episode, and wishes that everyone now votes.

The voting period has been extended as well, to cover the period of 12:00 A.M. December 25 2004 to 11:59 P.M 14 Jan 2005 (G.M.T.).

Furthermore, just to reassure the skeptics, the voting will not be stopped and restarted once again; This is the final list. The panel would like to wish each and every blog the best luck, and may the best blog win!

¶ 4:18 PM

Time for something fun and controversial :)

I think it's a good idea to hold an annual BAHRAIN BLOGS AWARDS ceremony, and this is the first one for the year 2004. Here's why:

1. There have been a lot of good blogs to come out of Bahrain recently, and I think it's only fair to give recognition to those that have excelled.

2. Voting is a very rare luxury in Bahrain, so any kind of voting helps foster the spirit of democracy.

3. Although the Bahrain Bloggers are a tight-knit group, and hence there might be a case for frowning on such an evil and individualistic contest, I think a bit of healthy and friendly competition can not do any harm.

4. It might encourage more people to blog, and eccourage those already blogging to keep up the good work (as economics teaches us, free competition is a good thing!).

5. There are some very good albeit relatively unknown blogs out there, and this might help in them getting the exposure they deserve.

If anyone thinks these awards are a lame and pathetic idea, please let me know, and we could reach a consensus on removing them or keeping them!


Here are the criteria I used:

1. The blog must be mainly concerned with or based in Bahrain.

2. The blog must be at least a month or more old.

3. Voting will be open for two weeks, from 25th of December to 7th of January (could feasibly be alternated).

The links to those nominated are:

Ali AbdulEmam

Ali's QuixotiQ Writings

Bahraini Blog

Bahraini Rants

Bahraniat

Chan'ad Bahraini

Desert Island Boy

Ethnically Incorrect

Insanity

Mahmood's Den

Nomadic Ruminations

Random Blog

Reflections From Canada

Sabbah's Blog

Sairafi.com

Silly Bahraini Girl

Stravinsky's Shack


I know, I know, I should've placed this in Bahrainblogs.com, but I have no idea how to do that. Hence, if anyone has the technical knowhow, please do transfer it to Bahrainblogs!

I also do realize that the selections are not the most objective, neutral, or unbiased, but there was an esteemed and world-reknowned panel that spend months of scientific and painstaking reasearch to come up with the final nominations. If anyone thinks the panel unfairly passed over a certain blog or would like to add a nomination, please inform and I will pass the suggestion to the panel (my people will contact your people).

Finally, are there any suggestion for other prizes? I was thinking of a prize for best single post, but I thought that was too lame and broad. Also, maybe an extra nomination of other or Reopen Nominations (RON, where basically the voter is not happy with any of the choices and wants the nominations to be reopened) could be added.

Come on, gather your family members, friends, and colleagues, and exercise your right to vote!

And May the Best Blog Win!

¶ 2:10 AM

To : bahrainiblog@hotmail.com Subject : arab stupidity

¶ 10:33 PM

Ibn Khuldoon, the great Arabic historian, lived in an age when the Arabic world was dominated by small fiefdoms (duwaylat) that came to power by force and survived by hereditary rule. In the Foreward, the first volume of the famous Universal history, he outlined his theory of how history tends to evolve in these small dynasties.

The dynasties tend to last for only three generations. The first generation keeps holding on to the hard realities of life in the countryside or the desert, while the second generation expands on the cultural frontier, while the third generation degenerates and becomes decadent, becoming more urban and more vulnerable, until a new dynasty comes and takes over.

Let's adapt his theory to the modern time. The first generation is hardened by the circumstances of the desert and rural life, becoming more able to use this expand its borders, frontiers, and consolidate its power. The second generation focuses on developing society, the country's infrastructure, leading to massive economic and cultural expansion. The third generation falls into decadence, extravagence, increased corruption, economic decline, and inner squabbles and fights between the ruling elite.

Is history repeating itself for one of the powerhouses of the region, and therefore, let's be honest, the small states around it whose policies and political structure are in one way or another dependent on it?

¶ 2:28 PM

في البداية نود ان نقول هارد لك لمنتخبنا فقد خسرنا ضد منتخب بصراحة اثبت مستواه على الساحة الخليجية و العربية و الآسيوية. بعض اللوم يقع على المدرب, فقد قام بتغيير غريب في منتصف الشوط الأول اربك خط النصف و جعله "ملخلخا" تماما, كما اني لا افهم خطة الكرات الطويلة (االونغ بول) هذه, خاصة و اننا نلعب ضد فريق عناصره اسرع منا و اطول قامة منا(دفاع عمان كان اسرع من هجومنا!). المفروض ان نستفيد من مهاراتنا الفردية و خط نصفنا و نعتمد على التمريرات البينية و المثلثات على غرار الطريقة الاسبانية و الارجنتينية.

طبعا بعض اللوم, كالعادة, يقع ايضا على حكم الساحة, الذي تغاضى عن ركلة جزاء واضحة (و أنذر لاعبنا!!) و احتسب خطأ مشبوها لعمان احرزوا منه الهدف الثالث.أما حامل الراية الاماراتي, فلم يكن موفقا بتاتا في التسلل.

اللاعبون ايضا ساهموا في الخسارة, فقد اضاعوا الكثير من الفرص و بدوا "لثدين" و بطيئي الحركة, اما الدفاع فواصل مسلسل الاخطاء السهلة. اما السبب الرئيسي لالخسارة, اذا كنا صريحين, هو اننا لعبنا ضد فريق تفوق علينا في السرعة و المهارة و اللياقة و الخطة و الحظ. مبروك لالمنتخب العماني.

في رأيي هناك على الأقل اربع نقاط علينا ان نتعلمها من دورة الخليج استعدادا لتصفيات كأس العالم. تكرارا لما قلته سابقا, علينا ان نجد حلا لنقطة ضعفنا الدفاع. مباراة السعودية كانت الوحيدة منذ عصور ضد خصم قوي التي لم يدخل مرمانا هدف او اكثر. خطة "سجل ضدنا لكن سنسجل ضدك اكثر" لم تعد ناجحة, فنحن لسنا بريال مدريد. تابعة لهذه النقطة هي مشكلة الكرات الثابتة, فاغلب الاهداف علينا تأتي منها.

النقطة الثالثة, ايضا كما قلت سابقا, هي خطر الارهاق على اللاعبين, فضغط المباريات المحلية و كـأس آسيا و دورة الخليج و تصفيات كأس العالم ليس بسهل, فهذه مباريات كثيرة تفوق في عددها تلك التي يلعبها المحترفون في اوروبا, فعلى الاتحاد مطالبة الاندية باراحة اللاعبين استعدادا لتصفيات كأس العالم. أخيرا, علينا التخفيف من الاعتماد على خطة الكرات الطويلة العالية, فلاعبي الهجوم (علاء حبيل و حسين علي) لا يمتلكان السرعة او القامة المطلوبة لهذه الكرات.

ضاع المهم و بقي الأهم, فلنتشبت بالأمل!

¶ 1:25 PM

For the riveting history, outstanding monuments, dynamic society, and trendy cafes.


Maybe also to do the small side of supporting a certain national team.

¶ 2:25 AM

يقال ان اول الغيث قطرة, لكن منتخب البحرين جعله فيضانا! مبروك لمنتخب البحرين من لاعبيه و مشجعيه هذا الفوز, و "هارد لك" لالمنتخب السعودي. تاليها عمان, و نهايتها في ألمانيا ان شاء الله! البحرين هو المنتخب الوحيد الذي لم يذق طعم الخسارة في كل العاب خليجي 17, و ان شاء الله سيحصد المنتخب بطولة او بطولتين, و ربما اكثر! على مجريات اللعب, انا من مؤيدي اشراك اللاعب دعيج ناصر اساسيا في بداية المباراة لسرعته و قدرته الفائقة على المراوغة, فما رأيكم؟

على نطاق آخر,
حمدا لله لم يستعمل قانون التجمعات الجديد, و الا انتهى كل من خرج في مسيرات في البو كوارة و العدلية و كل شوارع البحرين في السجن!

We haven't beaten Saudi Arabia in twelve years, and we've never beaten them by more than two goals. Well, this time it was three strikes and you're out! Congratulations to the players and the supporters, and hopefully they keep up the good performances against Oman and all the way to Germany! Bahrain is the only unbeaten team in all competitions in the Gulf Cup so far, so hopefully we'll be able to win one or two (maybe even more!) trophies.

On another note, thank god the new proposed gathering laws were not used, or most of those who were out enjoying themselves in Bukawarra, Adliya or the other roads in Bahrain would've ended in jail!

¶ 8:19 AM

Hence, new posts will be, at best, intermittent. Have a good vacation everybody!

¶ 2:26 AM

This is what long lonely nights makes you listen to:

Le Bierut لبيروت

Anyone recognize the famous music this song is based on? There's a prize to who can name it and its original performer.

¶ 3:52 AM

Yesterday was not a good day for supporters of teams in Red, particularly Liverpool and Bahrain.

On the liverpool frontier, we've lost to the bloody Toffees for the first time in five years. What a load of bull; enough said.


On the Bahrain side, I doubt I need to tell anyone that we drew to Yemen, the lowest ranked team, 1-1.

Yes, we missed a lot of oppurtunities. Yes, the referee was way off, but we can only blame ourselves.

Some analysis is necessary. Firstly, like I've mentioned before, I am really worried about the effect of playing so many games on the players. Yes, the Gulf Cup is really important, and to be honest it is the most enjoyable championship in the Arabic world, if not in Asia (for us at least). However, Bahrain stands a real chance of qualifying to the world cup this time around, and that definitely is much more important. In the summer we've played the Asian cup, then the first round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers, a small four-side tournament in Bahrain, now we've got the Gulf cup, then the second round of the world-cup qualifiers, not to mention the domestic leagues.

That's a tonne of games.

Teams in Europe complain of overload in matches for their players, and they probably only play two thirds of what players in the Gulf play. I'm really worried about what this burden of games create.

The second point concerns the main weakness in the Bahraini team.

Without doubt, I think it is our defence. I cannot even remember the last game Bahrain has played without conceding a goal with a reasonable opponent (I think it was in the last Gulf Cup; and Kyrgyztan do not count). It seems we are depending heavily on the tactic of, "We've got an amazing attacking and midfield; You might score against us, but we will outscore you."

Yes, we have amazing forwards, and that shows in the depth we have up front (we have mohammed Ja3far and duaij nasser as substitutes, which are amazing forwards, and I'd even argue they should be give a chance to start instead of hussain ali), but our defence is weak, to say the least. Let us look at the last number of games against worthy opponents. Against Syria we drew 2-2, Japan we lost 4-3, Iran 4-2, Uzbekistan we drew 2-2, China 2-2. That's like an average of more than two goals a game!

Maybe I'm looking too much into the future here, but what if we do qualify to the world cup and line up against opponents with serious attacking and defending elements. If Iran and japan can smack us with 4 goals, how many will Brazil put past us? It's all good that we can score 2 against China, but how will we fare agaisnt the Italian defence?

Let's look more closely at our defence. The usual line-up is: Mahmood Jalal, Hussain Baba, Abdulla El Marzoogi, and mohammed hubail. The other available options are playing faisal abdulaziz, sayed mohammed, or salman isa. What do you guys think is our best option? We definitely need at least one bulky and tall defender that is able to bully the opponents and win balls in the air. The two that provide these options are faisal abdulaziz and al marzoogi. However, both of them are past their prime, and are well into their thirties (me, however, being a muharraq fan and a riffa hater, would naturally prefer to see faisal abdulaziz). Hussain Baba and Mahmood jalal often fall in the trap of going forward too much, and although they do help in the attack, they often leave our defense vulnerable. I'm wondering what would be our ideal formation.

Any suggestions?

¶ 6:38 PM

If any of you guys missed yesterday's Liverpool vs. Olympiakos game, go home and shoot yourselves, since you've missed half of your lives (alright, maybe a third, but it was bloody good!). That was an unbelievable match, and it did not do the blood pressure any favours either.

Down at 1-0 at half time, and needing to win by a margin of two, Liverpool looked all but out. Particulary taking into account the events of the game, it looked like one of those games where we'd have to attribute to Liverpool being unlucky again. Two disallowed goals, hitting the post, and at least three good penalty shouts being turned down looked to have proved the pessimists right once again. This time, however, our team proved that they can go against that fickle lady and create their own luck. That Gerrard goal was an absolute screamer. That's the difference, I think, between this year's liverpool and the one of last year. It seems then we were resolved to attribute everything to bad luck: lists of injuries, missing chances, etc.

This year however, we've had the problems compounded, and the team and its manager have refused to use that as an excuse. We had Gerrad out for more than a month, so was Baros, and we still have Garcia out and Cisse. Those are basically our best four players! We've still managed to pull off some good results, however. No bad luck will stand in our way this time!

Is the tide turning in Liverpool's favour? I've always thought there were two keys to a great team: a great midfield, and being able to pull of those kind of results that make people go, " How lucky was that!" On the second point, we've been able to pull off some pretty late and dramatic comebacks recently. First there was the 4-2 win over Fullham (coming back from 2-0 down), then there was the Carling Cup win over Tottenham, the dramatic flooring of Arsenal, and now this great win. It kind of reminds me of Manchester United of 99, except that it's a team worth supporting.

The other main ingredient in a great team is the midfield. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical of our midfield in the beggining, but looking at it now it's pretty goddamn good: Garcia, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell, Riise, and Nunez (alright he's not that great). Trust me, I don't think attackers are our main concern at the moment, as you can put a bunch of penguins up there and with a good midfield they'd still score. Besides, we've got Baros, Pongole, and Mellor all fit, and they've proven to be enough. Wait till Cisse comes back as well. Our main worry right now is getting a really good defender.

Remember those days when you heard Manchester United Fans boasting about how they had the best midfield in the world? Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, and Keane? Well Beckham is long gone, Scholes and Giggs are past their prime, and Keane is just old and not as hard as he used to be (nowadays it seems you need to carry him in an egg basket since he gets injured so easily). Look at how nowadays they've got a strikeforce of Van Nistelrooy, Rooney, and Saha and they still aren't the force they used to be. Before, they had mediocre forwards like Cole and York and won a treble. It's all in the midfield, my friend.

I'm not saying Liverpool has the best midfield in the Premiership. I think any sane man would say that Chelsea has that at the moment. We do have a pretty good foundation, however, and I can see us building on it quite well!

A good friend of mine is a Valencia supporter, and I remember when Benitez first arrived he said expect him to do really well without creating any mega-stars. He does not like super-stars. In fact, he'll keep rotating the formation up front and most of liverpool's players will end up being scorers. I think so far he's been proved right. Although we've had a lot of amazing players, I don't think you can pick one out that stands way above the rest. Furthermore, all of our players have been contributing in goalscoring, and we have not relied on one player: Pongole, Mellor, Gerrard, Garcia, Alonso, Baros, and the list goes on. I'm yet to decide if that's good or not.

Anyway, we've made it to the last 16. Now we have some cash to go out and buy more players over the break! Before that, we need to whip some Everton bottoms this weekend. I think we will.

¶ 7:53 PM

The Asian World Cup Quailifiers draw took place today in Kuala Lumpur. The two groups are as follows:

Group A: South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait
Group B: Japan, Iran, Bahrain, North Korea

Well, I'm not really sure how to react to this draw. As I've said in an earlier post, this is probably not the best possible draw for us. We've lost to both Japan and Iran in the most recent Asian cup, and as to North Korea, well, I don't even know what's the colour of their team's jersey, let alone how they play. Voters in a recent poll on the site do not seem to disagree either, as 70% said group B is much tougher than group A. On the bright side, it does give us a good chance to exact revenge on those bloody Japanese and Iranians (particularly the Iranians, I have a personal grudge, since I was watching the last game in Iran, surrounded by Iranians, blasting at the top of their voice some weird songs).

The first game is against Iran on February 9 2005, in Bahrain. I'm sorry I'm going to miss it, but I'm sure the rest of Bahrain will not. All I hope is that they close off the borders on that day so that we don't get tons of hairy smelly guys chanting, "khaili khashangeh! khaili khashangeh!" (Yes, i'll admit it, when it comes to football I do stereotype and become rude. It's better to release grudges, I think, in football than in politics. That's what the Germans and Egnlish learned the hard way.)

So what do you guys think of the draw? Does anyone have any useful information on our opponents, particularly North Korea? However it spans out, I'm sure our team will put up a good fight. The only thing I'm worried about is fatigue, since these guys have just played a (pretty low-key) four aside tournament in Bahrain, have the Gulf Cup coming up, as well as their own domestic leagues. I really do hope the domestic leagues give these players a rest.

Ma taghleboonah! Ma taghleboonah!

¶ 7:32 PM

Well it looks like my most recent posts have created quite an outrage and discussion that have spanned a couple of other blogs. Good. I don't like beating around the bush, and what pisses me off about a lot of blogs out there today is that they like to word everything in such a sweety-pied manner just to make every side feel happy about themselves, and that at the end of the day, all views can be consoloditated.


The last debate, coupled with others, does raise serious issues, however. I have now seen Arabic blogs advocate extra-marrital sex, alcohol drinking, and even equal gay rights. At the same time, they have the nerve to pretend that they are the defenders of Islam, and in fact it is they, unlike others, who present the true face of Islam to the world. Please, save us the rubbish.

Now I know that there are different sects of Islam, and I know that, throughout the ages, there have been different interpretations of the teachings and values of Islam. I know that Ijtihad plays an important role in explaining the teachings of Islam to a continuously changing world, and that different circumstances and environments call for different dealings in certain respects.

I also do think that there are different ijtihads on different topics, and that this plays an important role in keeping the teachings of Islam in sync with the times. I have heard, for example, people arguing for both sides in the issue of gender segregation under the umbrella of Islam; I have heard arguments both for and against democracy being compatible with Islam. I have also heard arguments for the hijab not being an absolute must for women. In short, there are many modern issues that concern us that can be seriously and valuably discussed under Islam.

I am pretty darn sure, however, that Islam is against homosexuality, the drinking of alcohol, and sexual affairs outside of marriage (and maybe, more debatably, concubines as well). I think the quran is pretty clear on those issues. I can see someone arguing for the availability of alcohol in society, on the grounds that Islam allows followers of other religions to act on their own beliefs (let's face it: we ruled half the world for over half a millenium, I can't see the muslim rulers banning half of the world from drinking for half a millenium), or on the grounds that each person is responsible for his own action, and that at the end of the day it is god and not us, who should judge people on their personal conduct. I can't see someone, however, arguing that it is not against Islam for himself, or other muslims, to drink.

The great thing about Islam is that indeed it has shown so far to be a religion for all times and ages. This stems from the fact that Islamic thinking allows us to adapt the different circumstances we and our religion might face. Islam, however, does have certain boundaries within it, and once those boundaries are crossed, you cannot pretend, I think that you are acting within the teachings of Islam.

Drinking alcohol is wrong. Homosexuality is wrong. Sexual relations outside of marriage (and once again, just to cover all schools of thoughts and controversies, concubines) is wrong. That is what Islam teaches, under all its different theories, and under all its different sects, throughout the ages.

Now obviously these issues have occured throughout the ages. I'm not saying that our age is new in dealing with them. However, I think previous generations, when commiting any of these acts, realized that they were not being good muslims, and accepted that. They had the courage to accept that they were violating the teachings of Islam, and that, in a way, they were being bad muslims.

Nowadays, however, it seems we are witnessing a new creed. We are witnessing people who in one comment admit to drinking alcohol, and in fact spin witty tales about how fun and good it is to drink alcohol. In other posts, they say it's OK to have casual sex and passive one night stands. Low and behold, in other posts they claim to be good muslims, and in fact to be defenders of Islam.


Well I have some news. It's either this or that. You either admit that Islam forbids the above, and admit at the same time that you are being bad muslims, or, if you believe strongly in the above, you come out and say Islam is wrong on these issues. It is, to be honest, a very hypocritical viewpoint to come out and say it's ok for muslims to drink and have sex (outside of a halal relationship), while at the same time to claim to be a defender of Islam. You can't have your cake and eat it too. This is one of the reasons that most of the public will regard such claimants with skepticism and derision, as they seem to uphold an untenable viewpoint that cannot be reconciled.

Islam is about certain values, certain ideals, and a certain way of conducting your life. It is not about holding a completely secular and western viewpoint and way of life but then holding your hand up and saying, "Hold on! I wear a thoub! I eat machboos! I do all the customs and celebrations of eid! I am the true defender of what we value in Islam!"


So come on, sit down, think deeply, search your soul, and have the guts to come out and say it: which side are you on?

¶ 2:58 PM

Alright, I'll admit it. Maybe I was in an extra-mooshy and emotional mood yesterday. Maybe I was looking at the world with moist-eyes and rose-tinted glasses. Mahmood, on the other hand, seems to be going through the other extreme today. It looks like it's one of those times of the month again, and he's letting it all out. Boy, I'd hate to be one of his clients today, especially a littering female one.

So if it's not too much to bother you, could you please drop him a note saying that it's going to be all right tomorrow, and that this is just a temporary biological phase, that hopefully will disapear in a couple of days? I think he'd appreciate it most from littering sexually deviant females out there.

¶ 1:57 PM

Nowadays it has become common practice, in fact trendy, for people, locally or leftist internationalists, to attack our culture as being extremely-woman biased. We men apparently have no respect for women, and treat them as our cattle. In our mentality all women are good for , so the critics claim, is cooking, breeding, and whining. Our culture puts undue and unnecessary restrictions on women that do not apply to men.

An admission, first of all, is required. I think everyman out there must be able to have the guts and stand up and say that there are aspects in our society that are extremely unfair to women. As I've mentioned before, the fact that children of Bahraini women who are not married to bahrainis do not get a passport is an outrage. The fact that women never go above certain job positions simply because we do not like a woman boss is also not acceptable.

Is there, however, a coherent outlook on why we tend to look at women differently than men? Is there a reason other than the usual tirade of accusations of us being bigoted and abnoxious men who get a sadistic pleasure in restricting women? Are the hippie-lefties right? Is that all we are? Uncivilized barbarian brutes?

I think there is another explanation.

One again, some forewarnings are necessary. I do not claim to represent the viewpoints of all men on this subject, only mine. Furthermore, this is not in anyway a ploy to try to excuse men out of their misdeeds. We have done more to harm society and women more than any other gender could dream of. All I'm offering is a different viewpoint, something other than the usual accusations of us being chauvinistic bastards.

So why has our society placed a lot of restrictions on women up until now? Actually, let's take this issue from a different viewpoint, as that question comes from a biased viewpoint from the start that immediately puts you on the defensive. Let's take the opposite polar viewpoint and rephrase the question: why has society created such a high moral perception of women?

That, i think, is one of the key (i'm not in anyway saying it's the only) viewpoints to approach the issue, in order to understand the way our society functions with regards to male-female relations. Our society is not all made up of sadistic individuals who just like constraining others, our society does actually also have its own moral perspective on the issue.

One of the reasons we have the viewpoint we have is because, I think, we tend to regard women as of higher moral stature than men. We tend to, in a way, regard women as angels, that traditionally in society do no wrong. From the moment we grow up, we see the personality and dedication of our mothers, and we cannot help but think that we are in presence of a higher being. Who here can imagine a mother being a serial killer, a daughter being a robber, or a sister being a serial one-night-stander with countless venerial diseases?

We seem to associate most vices in society with men. Let's admit it, even that issue that horrifies us most of all, that of women being promiscuous with men, is mainly a man-created problem. We are the ones who mostly behave ludely with girls, we are the ones who chase women and harass them, and not the other way around. We are the ones who mostly cannot control our sexual instincts, and it's because of our own instincts that women have to defend themselves from sexual predation.

We are the ones who commit most of the robberies in society, we are the ones who commit most of the murders, and we are the ones who commit most of the wars that have ravaged this world.

This is why, I think, we tend to regard women on a higher moral level, and experience a greater sense of shock when we hear of women commiting such activities. We somehow see women as creating, upholding, and defending the moral principles that we hold dear in our society, and that without their stance, our morality as we know it would crumble.

That's why, I think, a lot of guys get shocked when we see women in our society not only taking on the positive changes from western society, but also those that we consider as vulgar and morally corrupt. Most of us, I think, are happy to see women take more active roles in society in business, politics, and general societal structure. Most of us, however, are also appalled by the idea of women empowerment meaning women being more men-like. Does that mean we are also now going to have woman thieves, serial killers, sexual predators, and embezzlers? We are abhorred by the idea of women now actively flirting with women and teasing them a la Madonna. We are abhorred by the idea of women now also embezzling funds out of the government. We are abhorred by the idea of women also now becoming home-abandoners and family breakers. Maybe that is why a lot of guys either have a completely angelic view of women, and if something shocks that image, they switch to the opposite extreme, of viewing women as some sort of lower-class despisable creatures.

Most importantly, we are abhorred by the idea of women become as cynical and dillusioned as us. We are abhorred by the idea of women losing faith in society and country just like we have. Basically, we know we are not as good as women in upholding the moral fabric in society, and we know that if women abandon that, then all is lost as well.

Maybe that's an unduly angelic perception of women, and maybe it is being extremely idealistic eyes and viewing women through rose-tinted glasses. Isn't there, however, anything of significance from this viewpoint that's worth keeping?


That's why I think we have to change society in order to give women the role they are entitled to and deserve, and to save society itself, while at the same time not abandoning one of the aspects we hold dearest in society: the power of women's morality.

So please, don't abandon us; our men, our society, our country, our morality, and our religion needs you.

¶ 1:24 AM

So let's see, so far yours truly has been mr. doom on quite a few issues: saudi arabia becoming unstable (I have to admit it seems i'm wrong on that one), people from the sub-continent taking over bahrain (that one, I think, is a real worry, which needs addressing), young people with no ideology, etc.... Here's another one to add to the explosive cocktail that's nowadays called Bahrain: women are entering the scene. In fact, that's an understatement: women are pounding on the door right now, and sooner rather than later, the door is going to be knocked down. All hell is going to break loose!

Alright, enough with The Sun style propaganda. On a more sombre (and less fatalistic note), I think the idea of women becoming much more active in society is something not only acceptable, but something with massive benefits and to be encouraged.

Are women, however, really going to become main players in society? All evidence in Bahrain seems to point that way. Let's look at that dull concept called statistics: two thirds of individuals who pass highschool nowadays in Bahrain are female. Females outnumber males in the highest score list in middle and secondary school also by about two to one. More women nowadays enroll, and finish university than men. Basically, on the education frontier, the guys have their bottoms whoopped.

How about on other frontiers? Politics? Business? Laws? Well, population-wise, Bahraini women nowadays outnumber men (which was reflected in the last election, where apparently most of the Islamists won on the women's vote). Furthermore, Bahrain has just had it's first woman minister. Overall, however, i think women still lag behind men on other issues. On legal issues, Bahraini women married to foreign men are yet to be entitled to a Bahraini passport for their children. On the politics side, not a single MP or council representative is a woman. On the economics side, well, we're yet to have a local "hamoor" who is a woman. This, however, will surely change. When the most educated individuals are women, history dictates that eventually the most educated groups in society will surely become more influential, if not the most influential.

Is this a good thing? To utilize some scare tactics, "do we really wnat to be led by people who go through mood swings every month?" I can't see this except being a good thing. Half of our population used to be under utilized, but now they have the chance to contribute to society. It'll take time, it'll take effort, and it'll take some conflict resolving, but I'm sure women are going to play a more active, if not the most active, role in society.

We do, however, have to learn from the mistakes of western societies, which I think, have failed miserably in incorporating traditional familial activities with modern lifestyles. I don't think anyone, women included, will like the idea of children growing up exclusively on day care, seeing their parents for one hour only a day, and from weekend to weekend. I don't think anyone, women included, likes the idea of children having to grow up under divorced and single-parent upbringing. I don't think anyone, women included, likes the idea of 16 year old girls getting pregnant from one-night-stand binges and having to face the option of either abortion or spending the rest of their lives living of state benefits in a council-flat, bringing up their children on their own. I don't think anyone, women included, like the idea of women having to wait until they're 35 to have one child, until the situation reaches such an extreme that the state has to beg and bribe parents into having children (e.g. scandinavian countries) just so that the human race in that country does not dwindle and become extinct.

I think every Arabic person agrees that if there is one thing, other than religion, that we are extremely proud off and we do not want to lose is our strong family ties and values. We all like the fact that parents, brothers, sisters, and other siblings play an important part in our life. We all take pride in the fact that we still ( I hope) meet and spend time with our families on a regular basis, and that meeting family does not end up being a chore that's done on holidays. We all, hopefully, agree that we have obligations to our parents and children, and that we'll (hopefully) never end up having to send them all to some foster-care home to have a slow, anonymous death. We all agree that family is one of the sunnats al7ayat (cornerstones of life), and that if we end breaking that up, we no longer in one sense end up being humans.

So let's try to show the world that we can better them in something. Let's try to show the world that we can have the benefits of modern society as well as being able to hold on to aspects that we dearly cherish. Let's show the world that women empowerment does not necessarily mean broken-homes, high divorce rates, and dwindling birthcount and population. It's a challenge, with many obstacles in the way, but I have faith in ourselves, and in our women!

¶ 11:45 PM

It is the pleasure of bahraini blog™ corporation to announce the availability of the following vacancy:

internship in the department of personal relations and domestic management

The corporation is looking for an energetic, young, and enthusiastic applicant to fill up the above available post, with the prospect of a life-long career in the same position. Succesful applicants will be expected to work with up to three other employees with similar characteristics in a dynamic, friendly, and informal atmosphere. Work obligations mainly revolve around taking care of a moody, messy, opinionated yet friendly, generous, and kind individual.

Prospective applicants should have the following necessary credentials:
-the applicant should be female
- the applicant should not be above 30 years of age
- the applicant should not have a figure of more than 38-28-34.
- experience in home economics
- no more than 0 years of experience in the above position.

the following credentials would put the candidate in an advantaged position:

- the applicant is of Arabic origin, with a working knowledge of the language
-the applicant is muslim
- the applicant lives within an 80 miles (130 km) radius from the corporation
- the applicant has a good dress and fashion sense, as one of the requirements would be to choose new outfits and uniforms for the corporation
- the applicant has a speaking defficiency, and cannot talk


Pay package and benefits: negotiable (including accomodation and food)

All interested individuals should send their cv, a recent (full body) photograph as well as an essay outlining why they think they would be an ideal candidate for the job, to the corporation's email address. Interviews will be held at a later stage.


The corporation is not an equal opportunities employer.

¶ 10:56 PM

I'm feeling in a very hippie froothie mood today, so what better subject to talk about other than women? For those who know better, I'm sure you know by now it's not going to be filled with politically correct froothie concepts such as feminism, women empowerment and all of that. Nah, I'll leave that to other blogs.

Some forewarnings are necessary: To me, women are an alien species, something that would make a good X-files episode: they lure you in, abduct you, mess your brain up a bit, and then discard you naked in an abandoned farm. I've given up on analyzing the intricacies of women a long time ago, and I have decided it's probably just better to let them control you. Hence, I'm not even going to pretend I know how women feel or think, so I'm not going to try and blog about that. I'll leave that to the females out there, since they seem to know much more about this intriguing lifeform called 7areem.

¶ 10:05 PM

سألني أحد زوار هذا الموقع عن سبب عزوف شباب اليوم عن السياسة. لماذا لا نرى شباب اليوم يخرجون في مسيرات حاشدة في القضايا التي تخصهم. لماذا يبدو شبابنا مهتمين أكثر بال"بليستيشن" و ال"بتة" من أقوال النعيمي و الظهراني؟ أين طاقة الشباب المتأججة؟ لماذا لا تخرج مظاهرات طلابية "تقيم الدنيا و الدين"؟ أين نحن و أين طلاب ايران , أو لندن, أو بنجلاديش, او حتى بوركينا فاسو.

الجواب, كما أظن, معروف: حاليا أفكارنا, ايدولوجيتنا و مبادئنا, بطيخة فوضى.

الصراحة الشباب هذه الأيام ضائعين فكريا و ايديوليجيا, و هذا في الأساس ليس خطأنا. لا يوجد حاليا على الساحة السياسية ما يعكس همومنا و خصوصياتنا. اللاعبون السياسيون هذه الأيام مهتمون اما بتفريق الطلبة و الطالبات في الجامعات أو بمطاردة نانسي عجرم (مع أن أغلب الشباب ليس لديهم مانع في مطاردة مدام عجرم).

السمة الأساسية التي تشرح هذا الزمن السياسي في عالمنا العربي هي الفوضى. لا بل المشكلة أسوأ من ذلك. المشكلة الأساسية هي عزوف القادة السياسيون عنا, و بعد آرائهم عنا. بالعربي الفصيح, لا يوجد على الساحة ما يهمنا. كل الأفكار و الايديولوجيات قد خلى رصيدها عندنا, و فقدت بريقها لتظهر و كأنها كومة صفيح مهتريء. ماذا عندنا من خيارات اليوم؟ المرء يبدو مخيرا اما بين تطرف بن لادن او تبذر الغرب. لا يتواجد, كما يبدو, خيار آخر. اما أن نسجن كل نساءنا, او نعريهن كاملا.

أغلب الشباب, كما أظن, لايريد هذا و لا ذاك. لقد سئمنا من الأسلاميين لا يقلن الا كلمة لا لا لا. لا تذهب الى المقاهي. لا تلعب البتة. لا تلبس هذا, و لا تجرؤ حتى ان تفكر ان تكلم بنت. الأمر الوحيد الذي يبدو و كأنه مباح هو القتل و سفك الدماء. عدى عن ذلك فان هدف الدولة هو فصل الجنسين عن بعضهما في المجمعات, الجامعات, و حتى في الشوارع, الى أن نصل في النهاية الى مجتمعين منفصلين, لا يلتقون الا لالسلام على الأهل او النكاح عند الزواج.


اما الخيار الآخر فهو أن نتغرب و نتبع آل بوش. علينا أن نبتلع علقم الغرب في جرعة واحدة. قد يجلب لنا هذا الديمقراطية و حقوق الانسان و كل هذا, و لكن مع هذا الجانب من الصفقة يبدو و كأنه علينا ان نقبل بالجنس و الخمر و الشذوذ كأمور مقبولة في المجتمع, لا بل محببة. الرسالة, كما يبدو, التي يريدوننا ان نقبل بها هي أن ديننا و عقليتنا العربية متخلفة, و أن علينا ان نتبنى افكار الغرب كلها. الهدف هو انه نكون في النهاية غربيين في عقليتنا و تفكيرنا, مع الفرق أن نبقي وجباتنا و ملابسنا و مبانينا التقليدية, فالسواح يحبون هذه الاختلافات, و يعتبرونها مسلية.

لماذا نحن اذا لا نخرج في مسيرات حاشدة مثل التي كان يحضرها آباءنا قبل ثلاثين عاما؟ هذا لأن آباءنا كانوا يؤمنون بافكارهم و قاداتهم (كجمال عبد الناصر),و حتى و ان اظهر التاريخ اخطاءهم, المهم ان الشعب احس انهم يمثلونه و همومه. نحن لا نريد ان نجر مثل الغنم خلف افكار لا نؤمن بها. ايام الولاء الأعمى قد ولت بلا رجعة. لن نقبل ان تدس "بالغصب في بلاعيمنا" افكارا لا تعكس همومنا, "اسلامية" اكانت ام "غربية".
ما هي اذا ايدولوجية الشباب؟ بصراحة لا اعرف. في كل هذه الفوضى, اصبحت ايدولوجية الشباب بطيخة فوضى. لكن ليس حتما ان تكون هذه مصيبة كبرى, فنحن في مرحلة تكوين افكارنا بنفسنا. لم يقدر لنا الدهر ان نحظى بقادة تشكل لنا افكارنا بشكل فعال, فعلينا مسك زمام الامور بانفسنا. انا افضل ان نأخذ الوقت الكافي لنشكل عقليتنا بنفسنا, عوضا عن اخذ افكار مقتبسة لا نؤمن بها.



rough translation (I'll put a better one up when i have more time):

This is my reply when a person asked me why the youth don't come out and actively protest for or against certain events that concern them:


As to why the youth don't come out and actively protest against certain events, I think it's because there isn't much of an ideology for them to believe in. They are kind of lost in this time of political apathy and uncertainty, since existing ideologies don't really reflect their concerns, and so most take a skeptical view and regard everything as bullshit. If we really want the youth to be politically active, they have to be given them a clear vision of what to be active for, some principles that actually reflect their own lives, not some ideologies imposed on them by force. There have to be movements that actually reflect their own lives, their own ideas, and their own countries' circumstances. Unfortunately nowadays the alternatives seem to be islamic extremism, or western extreme secularism. Neither, I think, reflects what most people want. We don't all want to go blow ourselves up, and neither do we want to end up completely westernized, except for a few different wardrobes and culinary dishes, i.e. just to be quirky enough for tourists to take snap shots and go, "ah, how nice and ethnic, look at that."

So I guess in a way the first step is to actually bring forward something that the youth can believe in; something that they can feel has sprang out of their own experiences and ideas. In a way, all i'm trying to do is to voice what I think most bahrainis care about, and give it a political slant to make people politically interested. Unfortunately, however, I'm delving into murky waters that not many people have delved into. I might for all i know be misunderstood: seen as reflecting a shia viewpoint, a sunni etc.. or an islamic viewpoint.. or a western viewpoint.

That's my whole point. I don't have any of those viewpoints. I'm not as secular or with western viewpoints as other seem to be, and I don't have a very islamic tendency either. I don't have a liberal, a baathist, a socialist, capitalist, etch viewpoint either. I'm not sure what my viewpoint is anyway, and I haven't set down in stone what all of my principles are. That's I think what most young people in bahrain (and the gulf in general) are going through today. We're not completely satisfied with western ideologies, since they don't reflect what we see in life, and we're not completely satisfied with existing extremist islamic ideologies either. Heck, we're not satisfied with any ideologies. We basically are creating our own ideology. It'll take time, and we'll have to go through several twists and turns, but to be honest i'd rather we take our time and reach a coherent viewpoint rather than rush into one existing ideology or another simply because it's there.

¶ 1:50 AM