Bahrain Police Crack Down on Dangerous Street Crime

Copyright Gulf Daily News Bahrain

In an wise move local authorities - both police and government officials - have launched a decisive campaign to increase public safety in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

While I consider this a family blog and don't post what I consider to be offensive pictures or refer to offensive acts, I've made an exception this time - simply because of the enormity of the act and the need to speak out to condemn it.

Pictured above is the manifestly dangerous Ms. Kauthar Abdulameer,  Bahrain's Public Enemy #1.  

As you can see, caught by the camera in flagrante delicto.  That's right standing in the balmy Bahrain summer  (40 degrees or more centigrade with a bracing hint of humidity in the air) breathing toxic car fumes selling water.  To support her family and newly born daughter, Fatima.  

The heavens call out, I suppose, for an appropriate punishment for so great a crime.  And, if not the heavens, at least the local authorities who apparently have no more urgent criminal matters to deal with.

In any case I'll be holding my next trip to the Kingdom until I have assurances the authorities have  restored safety and order.   I'd suggest you consider the same.

AlBashayer Investment Company - Focused on Women

ABIC will target wealthy women in the Abu Dhabi.

A Barbarous Law is Not a Just Law

There is a lot of talk but relatively little action by so-called "Muslims" and "Islamic" countries to uphold Islam.

Legally circumcised?  A five year old child?

What sort of an animal would do this to anyone?  What sort of father would do this to his daughter?

What sort of doctor would perform such a mutilation?

What hospital would allow such barbarity within its walls?

What sort of judge or judicial system would look upon this with other than horror?

This sort of thing goes on in the lowest forms of civilization - brutal unthinking unenlightened backward tribes where the jahiliyya still reigns.

And the upshot is that the wife is going to be prosecuted for calling this كلب  out?

Hissa Hilal - New Book of Poetry on Divorce and Women's Rights

According to The National Ms. Hilal's new book. Divorce and Kholu’ Poetry: A Reading of the Status of Women in Tribal Society, Nabati Poetry as a Witness, is stirring up a controversy over whether women had more rights in the 1950's than now.

“Ms Hilal wants to show that women have always had the right to voice their opinions about who they wanted to marry,” he said. “It is an important book for the new generation to read.”

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the central thesis in her book, the important point is to get people thinking about the rights of women.

And perhaps then they'll remember women like  نسيبة بنت كعب  Nusaybah Bint Ka'ab and ask what might have happened if at Uhud she decided that "mixing" with men folk was haram.  

Hissa Hilal - Last Poem (7 April 2010)

(Update:  Translation of Poem by The National)

My poems! When your critics seek flaws in you, they will be overwhelmed when they find none.
When you suffer from drought during a summer, I will pour meanings into you until your thirst is quenched.
Defeat fear and conquer every frightening cave.
Do not live life with one eye looking behind.
Any illusion that seeks to find a nest in you, make it fly.
Scare it away from your thoughts and ambitions.

Illuminate and realise your potential, and feel what God has given you.
The feeling of helplessness never helps the weak. If you step back, you will be gone.
For courage, there is a price. O, honest one.
When night and coward people renounce you,
When faint-hearted get scared even from the sound of the bullets,
When rumours increase around you, through genuine verses, you can kill any illusion.
You have come with thought exposing fodder-seekers.

You would think friends will praise you.
Your honesty is itself a slap in the face of all falsehood.
Those who are used to only compliments will be annoyed.
He will get jealous who wags his tail when he sees the bread.
When you prefer to stay hungry out of pride.
He who has no conscience hates you.
In his darkness he is immersed, he does not see your light.
What benefits the scum when standing in your way?

When every free voice remains supportive of you do not fear his snake hiss.
You have a waving wing; you will not be betrayed by your open skies.
Bring the good news to he who wants to be your ally.
When you fly and no one can reach you in the sky.

Hissa Hilal - Not Only #1 at Suq Al Mal

A nice article from The National.

As you'll notice she had the highest marks from the judges but lost two to one in the "popular" vote.

She showed, through her poems, that she is brave. Meeting her in person, she is a very decent woman. People have attacked her for expressing her ideas and views but she stood up for her views.

No two people can disagree that she is an able poet,” Mrs al Ahmadi said. “We knew her poetry, she wrote under the name Rimmia [deer in Arabic]. We are familiar with her talent.”

Barbarity

Copyright The National

Link here.

This is NOT Islam.

And it is taqlid only if your tribe happens to be a pack of wild dogs.

الرجل اسفل من كلب ابن كلب
العائلة بدون اي شرف او اخلاق او دين
البلد والمجتمع بدون اي إنسانية

Million's Poet Final: Hissa Hilal in Third Place

Tonight marked the final competition in the Million's Poet 2010 contest.  

Nasser AlAjami of Kuwait is the Million's Poet for 2010 with 67 points (out of 100).

Falah Al Mowraqi of Kuwait second with 63 points.

Hissa Hilal third with 62.

Or one can look at it another way, Hissa came ahead of 44 other poets.

Either way you look at it is a remarkable achievement.

She was born to a bedouin family.  Discouraged from pursuing poetry by her parents.  Raised in a society that has confused tribal taqlid from the Jahiliyya with a noble religion.  A society in which a 43 year old mother of two  needs her husband or her brother's permission to get a passport.  And their permission and presence to travel.

Yet she persevered.

And came in third in a field traditionally dominated by men.

But beyond the prize the more important thing is really the message.  The content.  Not the banner that one is given.  And she acquitted herself quite nicely.

I also found her quite an appealing sort of person.  

In the early episodes of the contest she was quite clearly nervous.  Having been kept down for so long, it must have been daunting to go out in front of such a large audience, including members of the royal family of Abu Dhabi, noted poets among the judges as well as tens of millions of TV viewers.  

There are also a couple of interviews with her on You Tube and she seems a down to earth sort of person.  Direct in her response to questions.  And displaying a flinty spine of steel on some issues.

Hissa Hilal - Poem on Fatwas and Intolerance

شفت شر يتوايق من عيون الفتاوي ... في زمانٍ حلاله ملقحينه حرام ..
عن وجوه الحقايق لارفعت الغطاوي  ..  بان مسخٍ تخفى تحت ستر اللثام ..
وحشي الفكر ساخط بربريٍ عماوي ..لابس الموت لبس وشد فوقه حزام ..
في حزوم السياسة يرعب الناس عاوي ... يفترس كل نفسٍ طامحة للسلام..
لاذ صوت الحقيقة وانزوى الحق ثاوي ... يوم عند المصالح ذل حر الكلام ..
أمتي لاغديتي بين عاوي وهاوي ... كن عيني تشوفك في شعيب الظلام ..
لا تشبين نار ولا حميتي جلاوي ... ملبدة ما رفعتي بالمواجيب هام ..
بين قومٍ مخيفه مابها حي ياوي ... ما بها إلا ضواري قضمها بالعظام ..
أنتي القصعه اللي تشبعين المقاوي ... كل جارح وضاري فيك يلقى طعام ..
يوم طاوي محبك بالهفا كل طاوي ... فيك ألذ الولايم لـ المنافق تقام ..
هاب راع البعير وذل ولد الشواوي ... جالبك كل جالب يوم سايمك سام ..
آه يا طول ضيمك يا جزور الشفاوي ... يوم الأسحم يقودك لأبرقٍ بالخطام ..
بالجراب المصرصر غاية لكل حاوي ... حيث رقط النوايا لاويه بالهمام ..
نزلوا سهمك اللي ياكلون الرشاوي ... وسط سوق السياسة لين عود حطام ..
كم محبٍ ومخلص لو يزج النخاوي .. عند عينك تغطرس قل شوفك وشام ..
يجي يومٍ يبين فيه صدق الهواوي .. لا بجد كل خاين في نهار الزحام ..

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal".     

Hissa Hilal Speaks - A Powerful Voice

More on her life story.   Here.

Sometimes the human spirit triumphs over oppression.   Often it does not.

How many bright minds and great talents have been stifled by the Jahiliyya posing as Islam?

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal". 

Hissa Hilal: Her Brave Face Obscured But Her Honest Voice Heard

Copyright The National Abu Dbabi

Here's the article from The National with a translation of her poem.  So far I have been unable to find a copy of the Arabic or another English translation.

Her brave face may obscured by the survival of taqlid min al Jahiliyya,  but her honest voice has not been silenced.

Good luck in the finals.  

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal".  

Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain Washington DC Honored for Its Activities

 

 

 

H.E. Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States of America

The Gulf News reports that the Embassy of Bahrain has been recognized as one of the ten most active embassies in Washington DC as per a survey conducted by International Investors.  And I'd guess - even putting aside some national chauvinism - that the District has to be considered to be in the Premier League for embassies.

But it's not hard to win awards when you have a dedicated, hard working team, including an Ambassador who is first rate.

الف مبروك ومبروك

Two Emirati Women Scale Mt. Kilimanjaro

 

Copyright Paul Shaffner, Iringa, Tanzania

Creative Commons License 

Congratulations to Dr Nawal Khalifa Al Hosani and Ms. Ruba Yousif Al Hassan.

Press release here.

Saudi Supreme Court Stands Up for Treatment of Women According to the Shari'ah

Copyright The National Newspaper Abu Dhabi

Once again the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' intervention rights a wrong. 

As a result, Saudi Supreme Court takes a firm stand overturning taqlid from the Jahiliyya.

Mabruka Ya Iqbal - Arab World's Youngest Female Medical Student

Copyright The National Newspaper Abu Dhabi

Here's a great story.

A young Lebanese girl from the Beka'a - hardworking and bright - is soon to be the youngest female medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.

“I’m an example: I’m a woman, but still I made it,” she said. “If you have the motivation and you have the abilities, no one’s going to stop you, whether you’re a woman or a man.”

Let us hope that no one stands in the way of her dream or any others out there.

Hawa Taxi - Think Pink For Safety and Then Think Again Why This is Necessary

A saddening revelation that in a "Muslim" country women have to be afraid to go out of their homes and ride in taxis. 

Perhaps, we can take up a collection to bring the دعوة‎ to Kuwait.

Lysistrata Updated for the Arab World: Coffee

Inadvertently it seems the The National in Abu Dhabi has shown Arab women a way to break the jahilliya inspired oppression of women in Arab society.

“We ran out of coffee!” I heard a male voice in distress telling the hostess as she opened the door just a tiny crack to see who it was.

Distress indeed!

Imagine if there were a coffee sitdown.  The male world as we know it could well come to an end.   That's why AA always makes his own cup or two or maybe more of Turkish coffee.  Anyways, Umm Arqala decries the use of sugar (and AA is a fairly dynamic supporter of that industry). 

Interesting as well was the testimony of the two religious shaykhs.  It would seem sadly that there has been some bid'a since the time of the Prophet with respect to the proper treatment of women.  

Women Poets Advance in Million's Poet Competition UAE

A bit of encouraging news on two fronts.

1. Women poets marking their mark and getting recognition.  Best wishes to Ruba, Hisa, Halima and Mastura.
   
2. A real effort - male and female - to preserve and promote a very important language - which is sadly eroding under the attack of  global McDonalidization.
   

Women Drivers

This statement by a son of King Abdullah stands on its own.

“I’m not against women driving cars, but personally I wouldn’t be comfortable with my wife or daughters driving. I hope that it is not interpreted as me being against women driving cars, it’s just a personal view due to the ideas, customs and traditions that pervade society and need to be improved for the better.”

I for one would like to assure the Prince that I don't think he's against women driving cars.  After all, he did suggest in the same article:  "Perhaps we could first permit the recruitment of women drivers from abroad and then assess the positive and negatives." 

Definitely he's not against women driving cars. 

He's just a prisoner of backward ideas. 

I will, however, give the Prince two thumbs up for not conflating his retrograde views with the teachings of a noble religion.  In which case then we can safely assume these  social norms are unfortunate survivals from the jahiliyya.

Islam Guarantees Women Their Dignity

Saleh is of course correct.

Sadly, the courts in many "Muslim" countries do not.