Considering what we have been through
The Kingdom of Bahrain, what I would like to term the “Golden Gateway to the Gulf.”
Due to its size and centrality the Kingdom of Bahrain has attracted international organizations from every region across the globe. Bahrain, central to trade with a historical position as a leading regional airport and transit hub, still remains a leader in Islamic Banking and Finance.
For those who are unaware, the Kingdom hosts a multinational society with diverse backgrounds, different ethnicities, different languages, and all who flock to the Bahrain have one thing in common. Initially people come for job security but after a few weeks of settling in, many call Bahrain home and love the nation more than their countries of origin.
While some look at the influx of expatriates as a weakness, to me, it is a sign of strength. The expatriates are what I like to term as ambassadors in the region. Their love of the nation reflects in their travels encouraging others to visit and see for themselves what Bahrain has to offer.
Today, despite the ongoing unrest used as a political maneuvering tool in order to gain control and power, Bahrain remains a global choice as a business hub and continues to attract Foreign Direct Investments. Much to the distress of the opposition and their affiliates abroad, the Kingdom has managed to remain steady, that in itself is an achievement, and is one of the most family friendly, affordable places in the region to set up business as well as to settle family in and remains the gateway to success.
Over the 20-year history of the Index, Bahrain has been consistently rated one of the “mostly free” economies achieving economic freedom scores above 70. Overall, the Kingdom is ranked 13th out of 178 economies worldwide, between the US and the UK which rank 12th and 14th respectively and is the only Mena country to rank in the top 20.
Much to the distress of the opposition, haven’t they yet realized, that if it was meant to be, they would have succeeded in 2011? Their failure to recognize the multiple voices condemning their actions, the multiple voices disinterested in their agenda, the multiple voices opposing them pledging their support of the government.
Their ignorance and arrogance will achieve nothing.
Constructive change would have happened a long time ago if someone in the opposition had actually suggested something constructive rather than destructive. So stop and ask yourselves, what is their real intention?
There is a system in place,and there are people who are not happy with it and there are people that are happy with it, however when reading the objectives of the opposition attempting to portray something that is fundamentally better, the reality is that they are covertly establishing their own brand of sectarian rule.
Three years on… the same stories, same timeline, reused same old hash tags. Funnily enough mainly the same people, same western academics, a few new wannabes, a few has beens, the same attacks, the same response, the same opposition stance, the same opposition complaints, the same non opposition response, the same remarks coming out of the UN, the EU not falling far behind. The NDI whispering and encouraging, not in the interests of the people of Bahrain, but in the interest as always of the United States elite. We can give them the benefit of the doubt and say perhaps they are ignorant but in reality they are far from it.
While we cannot have peace without compromise, while we cannot tame the hearts without concessions, while we cannot ignore citizens when one wants to move forward, we cannot do so with the ongoing physical and verbal threats. Nothing comes with force, nothing comes with political threats. There is a majority who will not forget the days and nights and the horrors they were coerced into, that they suffered in silence and what the mass media forgot to mention.
There are always two sides to every story, the question is, which one is the world listening to? That is the ultimate device that makes a difference in their condoning and condemnation.
My take on this.. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, It doesn’t matter what they say, this is a journey that we are all involved in, whether we like it or not, this is a conflict that we must deal with ourselves and in the end what really matters is what we the people of Bahrain think. Considering what we have been through.. I think we are doing well.
