Dear Bahraini MPs,

I have not written anything about you or Bahrain for a long time, but you seriously have an itch and don't want me to stay away from you. You will not grow up and you will not stop embarrassing me in front of my cyberfriends, the Cyberians, so here's a free lesson in Freedom of Speech and Expression, Anti-Censorhsip and RESPECT.

Dear Bahraini MPs,

I first laughed and then turned crimson red when I read in today's Gulf Daily News that one of you proposed to the Telecommunications Regulatory Board that Facebook should be banned.

I laughed because nothing can be banned by anyone any more. Wake up and smell the new era of freedom - an era you cannot control; an era out of your grasp and understanding; and an era too complex for you to absorb. Stop interfering with technology and the Internet; new media and old media; the silver and the big screen. They are too too complex for you. Next time I am in Bahrain, I will go to A'ali and ask the potter there to cast 40 clay tablets. I will then come to Parliament and present one tablet to each one of you. You can start chipping off at those first. When I have more time and energy, I will tell you want to do next. Hang on to the tablets. Keep them close to your hearts. Phase 2 of the project will follow. It will be fun and creative. Is that still Halal in Bahrain or has there been a fatwa saying that fun and creativity are now Haram?

According to GDN:

such websites were against Islamic teachings and should be closed in addition to others where women posted their pictures and information.

"I am against anything that is against our religion, culture and traditions. We shouldn't have women posting their pictures on these websites, with their information and names for everybody to see," he said.


So having men post their pictures is fine and dandy. The technology only becomes Haram when women start posting their names and pictures. So lemme rub this in some more and be more specific. Is this man suggesting that what is acceptable for one part of society, should be banned on the other half. I have two suggestions for this MP who is going against Bahrain's constitution, values, norms and traditions, as well as Islam, where men and women were created EQUAL. So if he doesn't like the country, he can leave. Good bye whatever your name is. Sweet riddance. Two, if he doesn't like Facebook, and the Internet for that matter, he should just pull the plug off. If he doesn't want to see the pictures of women in his family on Facebook, he should stop them from doing so. But, for the rest of us Bahraini women, we will have our names and pictures plastered where ever we fancy and no one will stop us. We exist. We have a face. We have a name. We have pictures. And we have access to the Internet - and Facebook - whether it is banned or not.

websites like Facebook, which had gained tremendous popularity among young Bahrainis, were not in line with the country's religion and traditions.


Again, let's shut Facebook because it is popular among youth. While we are at it, let's close Batelco because it provides communication services. It gives us telephones my dear MP. Those telephones are used by girls and boys to talk to each other. The story goes, and keep your eyes open as you read this (not that you can read English - but that is another story altogether) or you can close your eyes and visualise the scene: Boy meets girls. Boy throws number at girl. Girl jumps to catch number, whips out her phone and rings the guy - who is already on another call with the girl he gave his number to two minutes ago. Juggling the two girls, he decides to meet them both. They meet. All three. The threesome was so exciting. They decide to do it again, bringing in more people the next time. One of the girls wasn't a virgin - both sides. The other had her hymen intact but not her hind. You figure which was which - the one wearing the Hijab - or the one who wasn't.

Countries around the world are spending millions to protect their youth, such as Saudi Arabia where they ban such websites as well as China

Yes. Countries do spend millions to protect their youth. On education. On learning. On sports. On music. On arts. On dance. On theatre. On broadening their horizons. On science. On enlightenment. On development. Not on returning them to the stone age. And you crack me up. Saudi Arabia and China? Are you out of it? Seriously?

Saudi Arabia has oil and immense wealth to allow it to justify anything it wants to do - in a spineless world. And China has managed and rule a billion people with an iron fist - and host spectacular Olympics like never before. What have we got to show? Do you know what the last major news to make it out of Bahrain was? It was that His Majesty the King pardoned 250 people, for taking part in demonstrations. Do you know what that means? That means that Bahrain arrests people for expressing their opinion and throws them in jail. And then you know how ridiculous your suggestion to block Facebook and introduce more Internet censorship makes us look? Ridiculous, my respect MP, doesn't even begin to explain it.

For the love of God, stop using Islam, and our values and traditions in vain. Stop making us the laughing stock of the civilised world. Stop behaving like savages. And allow people to stand on their feet and find their way through the mess. Allow them to make mistakes and learn from them. Allow them to breathe and live. And be there for them when they need you.

3 comments:

Ron Larson said...

I don't think he should have the right to tell adult women in his family what they can or can't do online. You claim he has that right.

You are an adult. What if your grandfather, father, uncle, or brother told you can't post on Facebook (or anywhere). Would you be pissed off at them for butting into your life and expression?

Another point, what is so damn precious about traditions? Why do they have to preserved at all cost? Did it occur to anyone that some traditions are really stupid and need to be ditched?

All generations have the right to examine and question the "traditions" of their elders. Some may be wise, but often they are nothing but products of ignorance, greed, or power.

We used to have slaves. Does that make it right? We used to prohibit women from voting. That was the tradition. Is that right? No.

SillyBahrainiGirl said...

lol

Dear Ron,

Of course I don't approve of a man - any man - telling me what to or not to do. But that is me. I believe that God created man to serve Woman.

But there are simple women out there who can't see beyond the tips of their noses and think the world rotates around men and their whims. They have blinkers on and need the acknowledgement and approval of a man to exist.

For a man to be a tyrant, and subjucate women, the sad reality is that the women around him allowed him to be so and grow into that role.

As for traditions, yes, some are archaic - but many are dear to us as Arabs.

sophia buchi said...

that was brilliant . silly bahraini girl. that was BRILLIANT. THIS SHOULD BE PRINTED AND DISTRUBUTED AROUND BAHRAIN. TEACHERS < PARENTS ETC

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