كلمة سهيل القصيبي في فعالية عرض الفيلم “ما بعد الصواب و الخطأ ” – ٣٠ يناير ٢٠١٣

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

و الصلاة و السلام على سيدنا محمد و على آله و صحبه أجمعين

السيدات و السادة الأفاضل

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

إنه من دواعي سروري أن أرحب بكم في الفعالية السابعة للمؤسسة البحرينية للمصالحة و الحوارِ المدني . إن المؤسسة البحرينية للمصالحة و الحوار المدني هي مؤسسة خاصة، محايدة و مستقلة ، كما انها غير هادفة للربح و غير سياسية. تسعى المؤسسة إلى التماسك و التقريب بين أهل البحرين و تجسير الهوة الطائفية. و لا توجد لدينا أجندة سوى مصلحة البحرين.

 وإن من أهم سياساتنا عدم الحكمِ على أحد، و عدم تبرير أي فعل أو الدفاع عنه. و كذلك لا ننتقد أياً من الرموز لا في الحكومة ولا المعارضة. في رأيي لا يستطيع أحد تشجيع المصالحة و لم الشمل و هو في نفس الوقت ينتقد جهة معينه، فذلك حتماً سيكسبه جهة على حساب أخرى. نحن نرى أن مهمتنا هي بناء الجسور و العلاقات، و قلوبنا مفتوحة للجميع.

أيها الضيوفُ الكرِام ،،،

يقول البعض أن أزمتَنا سياسية بحته ، بينما يرى آخرون أنها طائفية بالدرجة الأولى و مدعومة من الخارج. و نحن في المؤسسة نحترم جميعَ الأراء و لا نصر على أي وجهة نظر. لكننا نرى شقاً اجتماعياً خطيراً. و نرى عدداً كبيراً من أطفالنا و شبابنا يستنفذون طاقاتهم في الكراهية ، و سب و شتم كل من يختلف معهم دينياً أو سياسياً أو أيديولوجياً. فنَحن نسعى إلى مكافحة هذا الكره، و تيسير عملية التحاور بين الأطراف المتنازعة، و مساعدتها على تفهمها لبعضها البعض .

 أنا لا أخشى على جيلنا الحالي، الذي تربى على التعايش و التسامح ، و الذي أثق تماماً أنه يستطيع التغلبَ على هذه الأزمة ، و لكن الخوف على الجيل القادم الذي يتم تربيته على الكراهية و رفض كل من يختلف معه. و عندما يكبر هذا الجيل سيكون هناك شرخاً إجتماعياً أعمق و أخطر بكثير من الشرخ الحالي ، و قد يحتاج لعشرات السنين لينحل .

فما هو الحل إذن ؟ لا اشك اننا بحاجة إلى حل سياسي ، و أسألُ اللهَ تعالى أن تُحل أزمتنا بالحوار المُعْتَزَْم، و لكن الأزمة الإجتماعية لا تحتمل الانتظار ، و لا تحتمل المفاوضات المطولة، فعلينا القيام بشيء الآن !

إن الحل يكمن فينا نحن ! نعم نحن جميعاً نستطيع التقليل من حدة هذه الأزمة . فقد قال غاندي ” كن أنت التغيير الذي تريد أن تراه في العالم ” و أنا أنصحكم بذات النصيحة ، فإذا أردت أن يقل الكره ، فلا تكره. و أن أردت أن يتفهمك الناس ، فبادر أنت بالتفهم.

تذكر لا توجد حقيقة مطلقة، و يجدر بنا محاولة فهم ” حقيقة” الطرف الآخر، مهما إختلفنا معها. فعلى سبيل المثال، البعض يعتبر الشباب في الشوارع مكافحين من أجل الحرية، بينما يعتبرهم آخرون إرهابيين يتسلمون الاوامر من الخارج. و لكن هل حاول أحد الطرفين فهم الطرف الآخر؟ و الأهم من هذا، هل حاول أحد الحديث مع هؤلاء الشباب لتفهم و ضعهم و خلفيتهم و طريقة تفكيرهم؟

أيها الضيوف الكرام ،،،

لا نستطيع الإستمرار بالعيش في عالم من المطلقات :

* أنت طبال أو إرهابي – لا يوجد وسط

* أنت تؤمن بالديموقراطية أو الدكتاتورية – لا يوجد وسط

* أنت تعشق الحرية و تكافح من أجلها أو تؤمن بالعبودية الطوعية – لا يوجد وسط

إلى متى سنعيش في هذا العالم الغريب من المطلقات ؟ أنا مقتنع أن الأزمة لن تحل إلا عندما نبدأ التفكير بطريقة جديدة. فلا يوجد نزاع داخلي في التاريخ قد حُلَّ بطريقة منصفة إلا بعد ما تم الإعتراف ( و ليس بالضرورة تقبل ) حقيقة الطرف الآخر.

إن الإصرار على وجهة نظر واحدة سيؤدي بنا إلى الهَلاك البطيء، و سيكون أبناؤنا الخاسرون . لأنهم سيرثون بلداً دمرّها العناد و الكره. قال البارئ عزوجل في محكم كتابه ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِم﴾ لذلك أكرر ما قلته آنفاً، إذا بدأنا بتغيّر أنفسنا ، و نزعنا الكره من قلوبنا، و فتحناها لمن نختلف معهم ، حينها فقط سنتمكن من إحداث تغيّراً إيجابياً في مملكتنا الحبيبة. و قد تكون نقطة التحول في أزمتنا المؤلمة . فالحب دوماً يقهر الكره ، كما يقهر النور الظلام.

و شكراً

Here are the details:

Time: 7:00 pm doors open, movie starts at 7:30 pm sharp. Date: Wednesday the 30th of January 2013
Location: Saar Cinema.

This film was first screened at the United Nations:

It tells the stories of people who both endured and perpetrated cruelty and aggression in the genocide in Rwanda, the violence in Israel/Palestine, and the “troubles” in Northern Ireland. This film focuses on extreme situations but is actually the human story of everyday possibilities in life.  After the blood has dried, treaties are negotiated and screams have turned to silence, victims and perpetrators face an uneasy and painful peace. All wounds have not healed. The eighty minute film portrays the resilience of humanity when facing the chasm between rage and acceptance.

The film promises to be truly extraordinary. The event is free and open to the public, but seats are limited, and will be given strictly on a first come first serve basis. Please be there on time!

Looking forward to seeing you inshallah.

Before I answer that, I want to reiterate some important points about the Foundation, which some people might not be aware of.

It’s true that we were born out of the 2011 political crisis, but we are a non-political foundation dedicated to bridging the social/sectarian divide that has inflicted Bahrain. And I think that one of the best ways to achieve this is by avoiding commenting on the current political situation. We’re keen to maintain our independence and neutrality, and if we start commenting on events, we might gain one side at the expense of the other – and besides, we wouldn’t hear the end of it.

We have love and respect for all, and we don’t criticise any public figures. We’re proud to be endorsed by HRH the Crown Prince, and we’re very happy to have received the blessing of key government officials, as well as key opposition figures. We want to maintain this, and continue building bridges with all sides.

As to the cause of the crisis, we acknowledge that there are two very opposing points of view, one says that the crisis is purely political, and one that says it’s purely sectarian. Either way, we now have social and sectarian problems, which we aim to help combat.

As I see it, one of the biggest problems we have today is the lack of respect, or even acknowledgement, of another person’s point of view. Therefore one of our goals is to facilitate communication and dialogue (civil discourse) among different sectors of society.

Let me reiterate, we’re not going to solve Bahrain’s problems, but my attitude is “why wait?” Instead of waiting for the politicians to sort things out, why not work on the civil side? Each of us can do our bit to help this country heal.

Why Was The BFRCD Mentioned in The Government’s BICI Follow Up Report?

We were asked by the Ministry of Justice if we didn’t mind being mentioned in an “upcoming report”, and I said yes. I was not aware that it would be the BICI follow up report, but I don’t think that would have changed our answer. Like I said, our aim is to build bridges and relationships, and we are keen to build them with all. It does not mean the BFRCD is part of the government. In fact the report states the that BFRCD is an independent organisation.

So What Have We Achieved So Far?

Our first event was a lecture on the reconciliation experience in Northern Ireland. This event was attended by around 150 people from different political affiliations, including members of the ruling family. The feedback we have received from the event was overwhelmingly positive.

Since June, we’ve been holding a monthly “Dialogue Dinner”, where we invite people from different walks of life (Sunni, Shia, men, women, old and young, upper and lower income etc.) to just sit together and talk. The people we invite are those that would normally not sit together and exchange their views. These dinners are completely private, and not covered by the media.

These dinners are not exactly going to change the situation in Bahrain, but they are fruitful nonetheless. The feedback we get from the attendees is overwhelmingly positive. There is a desperate need for people to express themselves, and an equally strong need to be heard. People love these gatherings.

Furthermore, we recently held a two day workshop entitled From Conflict to Dialogue. Here the participants learned new skills and techniques on handling conflict, as well as receiving valuable information on how human beings behave during conflict. The average rating for the event was 9.27 out of ten.

So far this year, our events have involved 191 people, with an average rating of 8.5 out of ten given by the attendees.

We plan to achieve our goals by conducting more lectures, workshops and grass roots programmes. We have a long way to go, but you have to start somewhere, right?

I’m told that political reconciliation in both Northern Ireland and South Africa was helped by the presence of a strong civil society. Like I said, we all have to do our bit…

If you’re interested in joining, please contact us through the BFRCD website. We need as much help as we can get.

Thanks for reading and God bless.

The extremists are having a field day, and the rest of us cry.

Today’s events will likely lead to further crackdowns and more restrictions, which will lead to further street violence and more bombings. Over time the bombs will become more powerful and sophisticated. Eventually the bombs will be placed in cars of government officials and other high profile people.

They’ll also be bombings in malls and other busy places. This will lead to ever tougher government responses, and the downward spiral into the abyss will continue, until a few decades from now, people will realise that the only way out is by having direct talks, and by making compromises.

Or not…

Maybe a few wise men can prevent this from happening.

I pray for wise men to seize the day.

Pray with me. Pray for Bahrain.

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This is my first (proper) blog post in several months. Since the creation of the Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse (BFRCD), I’ve been in a state of overwhelm. The Foundation has taken up so much of my time – time that would have gone into blogging and other social media activities. Add to that the busyness from my other responsibilities, including our grand plans to franchise the DreamBody Centre in 2013. So, for those who’ve been missing my blog posts, my apologies, please remember it’s never from a lack of caring.

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So where are we today in Bahrain? Well, on the surface it seems nothing much has changed. In fact, one could argue things are worse. A couple of more young men are dead from the protestors side, and a policeman is dead from the government’s side.

Some consider the youth on the streets brave freedom fighters, while others consider them thugs and terrorists. Which perspective is correct? Well both are… or neither are. One thing I know for sure, there are no absolutes in the Bahrain crisis. Yet very few will acknowledge that there is more than one narrative to the crisis.

You are either loyal or a traitor.

You are either someone who believes in freedom or you believe in voluntary slavery.

You believe either in democracy or in dictatorship.

You believe that there is either a huge sectarian crisis in Bahrain, or that Bahrain is normal and there is no social crisis at all, just a political one.

And on and on… there are no in-betweens in Bahrain. And if you are in the middle, you get attacked by both sides.

Let me illustrate with an example. A few weeks ago an anti-gov friend messaged me suggesting I attend the funeral of the late Ali Hussain Nema (GRHS), a young man who – depending on who you want to believe – was either killed in cold blood, or in self-defence by the police. The sms exchange went something like this:

My friend: “Hi Bu Laith, do you want to go with me to pay respects to the family of the martyr Ali Hussain Nema?”

I replied a couple of hours later:

Me: “I’ve thought about it my friend, and I think it’s better if I don’t go, as I fear my attendance will be politicised. I try to balance between both sides, and if I appear to be leaning too much towards one, I’ll lose the other. Thanks any way.”

Him: “What are the two sides??”

Me: “The government and the opposition, or the “pro” and “anti” camps.”

Him: “You have the incorrect notion my friend. It seems you don’t want to understand how the game is played.” [If I had a dinar for every such condescending remark I get I'd be very very rich, and probably retired in Fiji or some such wonderful place]

Me: trying to contain my annoyment: “I have the incorrect notion – in your opinion. I respect your opinion, and I hope you respect mine too.”

Him: “Don’t get me wrong Bu Laith, I respect everyone’s opinion. It’s just that I think that there is no such thing as government or opposition.”

I didn’t ask him to elaborate. I replied:

“No worries my friend, as the NLP trainers say ‘perception is reality.’ If some people see such a thing as government and opposition, then that is their reality and there is no point in trying to convince them otherwise.”

After this sms exchange I thought about it some more, and I considered going if I could get someone from the ruling family to come with me . I asked a friend but he could not make it, and in the end I decided not to go.

It would be difficult to attend a funeral without appearing to be on someone’s side. I want to make sure the BFRCD, which I am the face of, remains as neutral as possible. People have tried to pull as to either side, and wanted us to make condemnations of either protests or alleged police brutality, but I’ve refused. We have a no judgement policy, and want to reach out to as many people as possible, especially to the disenfranchised youth. We can’t do that if we have a condemning tone.

Meanwhile the crisis continues

The people of Bahrain are divided as ever. As someone who speaks to people on both sides of the divide on a regular basis, I think the biggest problem we have is the lack of acknowledgement of the other side’s perspective. If we each tried to take a step towards the other side, we’d all be better off.
This is something my fellow BFRCD board members and I have been working on for the last few months. We’ve been trying to bring people together to just talk, and more importantly, listen.

I can’t claim that we are going to solve Bahrain’s problems, but we are making small and modest progress. We know that there are no shortcuts, and that our success will take time. Of course, at the end of the day we desperately need a political resolution, which is beyond the BFRCD’s mandate.

Though the situations are not 100% alike, we are where Northern Ireland was in 1968, just before the “troubles” began, which led to the deaths of 3,000 plus people in three decades. It behooves us to learn lessons, and learn them quickly.

We now have youth that are being raised on hate of the other side (be it a sect, a family, an ideology), and if they have children which will be raised with the same mind set, we’ll have a crisis that will make the crisis of 2011/2012 look like child’s play. We need to act now.

Allow me to end this blog post with some suggestions, which can help in a small way, to lessen the severity of the crisis:

- Do less talking and more listening. The greatest leaders are those who are good listeners.

- No matter how passionate you are, don’t attack public figures. If you’re pro-gov, resist the temptation to attack the leadership of the opposition. You may not like them, but remember that many of your fellow Bahraini’s hold them in highest regard. Same thing goes for the other side, don’t attacked the leaders of the ruling family, no matter what you feel, as many of your fellow Bahrainis take offence to that attack. Basically, discuss issues, not people.

- Finally, work on improving yourself. Gandhi said “be the change you want to see in the world.” If you want a tolerant society, be the first to be tolerant of other views. If you want a democracy, be democratic (and respectful) when it comes to other’s views. If you want peace, make peace with yourself, and be peaceful towards others. Change really does come from within.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and talk soon.

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السادة الافاضل،
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته،،،،

انه من دواعي سروري أن أقف بين ايديكم الليلة للحديث عن سيدي الوالد رحمه الله و عنوان حديثي هو “ عن غازي أحدثكم” و لكن قبل أن أبدأ في الحديث أود أن أعبر عن خالص شكري و تقديري للسيد خالد أبو شيبة و فريق عمله على مبادرتهم الجميلة “ غازي في عقولنا” ، و أتمنى له دوام التوفيق و النجاح. و لا أنوي إطالة الحديث، و سوف أخصص معظم الوقت المخصص لي للإجابة على أسئلة الحضور الكرام.

حديثي معكم الليلة يتكون من ثلاثة أجزاء، بدايةً سأتحدث عن بعض دروس الحياة التي تلقيتها من المرحوم بإذن الله. ثم سأتحدث عن روتينه اليومي و بعض لمحات حياته الشخصية، و أخيراً سأخبركم عن خططنا المستقبلية – نحن الورثة – .

لنبدأ مع دروس من غازي ، و هي كالآتي :
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التواضع:
كما تعلمون فإن المرحوم بإذن الله كان من أشهر الشخصيات في الخليج ، بل من أشهرها على مستوى العالم العربي ، فقد ألف أكثر من ٧٠ كتاباً ، و شغل عدة مناصب حكومية رفيعة، و تم تكريمه بأوسمة كثيرة من عدة بلدان، و لكنه لم يدع هذه الشهرة تؤثر عليه، و دوماً حافظ على تواضعه.
فقد رأيت شخصيات لم تنل ربع شهرته و لم تحقق عشر ما حققه يتصرفون بغرور و تكبر . و اعتقد أنه رحمه الله كان حريصاً على غرس هذه الميزة في أولاده. و لكنه لم يقل قط “ كن متواضعاً” لأحد منا ، فربما كان يتوقع  أن نتعلم ذلك تلقائياً و بالفطرة. فلقد ترك تواضعه أثراً كبيراً عليّ ، و لا أدعي أنني من تواضعه، و لكني أحاول أن أضاهيه رحمه الله في هذه السمة النبيلة.

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معاملة الناس بقمة الإحترام:
لقد كان لي الشرف ، و أنا أتربى في منزل سيدي الوالد ، أن أراقبه يتعامل مع عدد كبير من الناس من شتى شرائح المجتمع ، فقد رأيته مع الملوك و الأمراء و الشيوخ و السفراء و غيرهم من كبار الشخصيات ، و رأيته يتعامل أيضاً مع مروؤسيه في المكتب و المنزل ، و لا حظت أنه كان دائماً يعامل الجميع بمنتهى الإحترام ، بغض النظر عن مكانتهم الإجتماعية أو وظيفتهم. فقد كان يعامل الناس كما يحب أن يٌعامل هو، و يرى أن الجميع يستحق الاحترام . و احسب أن هذا المبدأ ينبع من إيمانه التام بالحديث الشريف “ لا فرق بين عربي و عجمي الا بالتقوى” ، والله أعلم.

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الإنضباط:
سُئِلَ سيدي الواد عدة مرات عن سر إنتاجيته العظيمة ، و كيف يؤلف كتاب أو كتابين في السنة، ويدير منشأة حكومية، ويقرأ عشرات الكتب في السنة ؟ و الجواب بكل بساطة هو الإنضباط.
فالشخص الذي يكون منظبطاً و منتظماً و يدير وقته بعناية يستطيع تحقيق الكثير. و لكن هناك سراً آخر، فسيدي الوالد كان يتجنب الأعمال اليومية و الروتينية التي يقوم بها معظم الناس . فعلى سبيل المثال لم يذهب إلى السوق إلا في الحالات النادرة جداً، ربما أقل من مرة في السنة. فإن الوالدة حفظها الله كانت تشتري معظم لوازمه المنزلية ، و حتى ثيابه كانت تشتريها هي.
و كان رحمه الله يعتذر عن معظم الحفلات و المناسبات التى يدعى إليها ، فكان يفضل البقاء في المنزل مع أهله.
فكل هذا – الإنضباط و الإنتظام و إدارة الوقت بعناية – كان له أثر تراكمي مما أدى إلى حصوله على مزيد من الوقت للكتابة و القراءة و غيرهما

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و الآن  أتحدث عن بعض النواحي الشخصية للمرحوم بإذن الله، و لنبدأ بالحديث عن روتينه اليومي. كان يقرأ الجرايد في الصباح و يفطر. ووجبة الإفطار تتكون من فاكهة البابايا مع مسحوق النخالة ، ثم الشاي و الأقراص و الأدوية وبعدها يذهب إلى المكتب و الأخوة في الوزارة أبخص بروتينه هناك.
بعد العودة من الدوام كان يتناول الغذاء ، ويقول طباخه أنه يفضل السلطات و لكن الوجبة لم تقتصر على ذلك. و بعد الغذاء يذهب للنوم ، ولكن حسب علمي لم يغفو دائماً، و كثيراً ما يستمع للراديو . وكان وقت المساء مخصص للقراءة و الكتابة، وبعدها يشاهد التلفزيون و الأفلام،و كان رحمه الله يحب أفلام الخيال والرعب.
و كان من ضمن روتينه الأسبوعي زيارة صديقيه الدكتور علي الجهني و الدكتور عبدالرحمن السدحان. و كان يقضي عطلة نهاية الإسبوع معنا في البحرين. و معظم الوقت في البحرين كان مخصصاً للراحة ، وقد يذهب لصيد السمك مع أحفاده، أو يسبح في البركة. وكانت عطلة نهاية الإسبوع التي يقضيها معنا هي وقته المفضل لأنه كان بعيداً من هموم العمل و السياسة.
و كانت- و مازالت – العائلة تجتمع للغداء يوم الجمعة و السبت ، مع العلم أن عطلة نهاية الإسبوع في البحرين هي الجمعة و السبت.

و أخيرا أنتقل إلى الجزء الأخير من حديثي، وهو شرح بسيط عن خططنا المستقبلية. فنحن ورثة المرحوم بإذن الله ننوي تأسيس جمعية خيرية بإسمه إن شاء الله، إضافة إلى جائزة شعرية و ربما متحف كذلك.
و لكن هذه الطموح ستستغرق وقتاً لكي نحققها، وحيث أن لدينا أولويات حالياً، مثل تنظيم و توزيع الإرث و إيجاد الإستثمارات السليمة، والإهتمام بالوالدة حفظها الله ، و بعدها سنركز على الأمور الأخرى . لذلك أطلب من محبي سيدي الوالد الصبر ، فإذا كنتم متحمسين فنحن متحمسون أكثر منكم، و لكن الظروف تحكم.

و ختاماً أكرر شكري و تقديري للإستاذ خالد أبو شيبة و فريق عمله، و اشكركم جميعاً على حضوركم و حسن استماعكم.
و شكراً

Looking for a job? Passionate about helping to heal the societal rift in Bahrain? Then consider applying for the new position of Foundation Secretary at the Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse.

Here’s the job description: Foundation Secretary.

Please read and if you’re interested contact my PA.

Since the launch of the Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse (BFRCD), I’ve been getting three types of feedback.  One is very supportive, saying how great this initiative is and how badly it is needed in Bahrain. The second type of feedback is vehemently against it, which is coming from both sides.  The extreme pro-gov camp says there can be no reconciliation with supposed traitors etc., while the anti-gov camp says there can be no reconciliation with the regime that has done so much damage.  The third type of feedback has a “wait and see” attitude, giving us time to prove ourselves.

One of the things that was being consistently brought against me by the anti-gov camp was a blog post I wrote last year about the doctors.  I was accused of calling them traitors and terrorists.  Let me clarify, I said no such thing and have never used such words to describe my fellow countrymen.

However, I did use the word terrorist in quotation marks (” “) (علامات الاقتباس ) meaning that others were using this word, not me. Incidentally, though I thought the doctors were guilty (more about that in a minute), I did call for a pardon and I called for reform and for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission – which I still hope happens in Bahrain.

Now, the recent court rulings have shown us that at least nine were innocent, and most of the other nine were given much lighter sentences, meaning that many of the original charges were trumped up.

I was clearly wrong in my assessment, and to those doctors and their families, and anyone else, who may have taken offence to last year’s blog post, I offer my apologies.  I was wrong, and I hope in time you can forgive me.  I cannot imagine how difficult the last year must have been.

While I’m on this topic, allow me to talk a bit more about the BFRCD.

Not a political organisation:

Since before our official launch the BFRCD has caused a lot of controversy, with many people thinking that it is a political organisation.  It is not, the Foundation is mainly concerned with social reconciliation, and civil dialogue (discourse).

Yes, I am the first to acknowledge that we need political reconciliation too, but why wait for the politicians to start?  We might as well start on the social level, right? The BFRCD tries to work on the social/sectarian reconciliation in our beloved island.

I want to share a valuable take-away from the recent “Reconciliation Lessons from Northern Ireland” lecture we held this week, which was conducted by Peter Sheridan from Cooperation Ireland.  Peter told the audience that the origin of the Northern Ireland conflict was political, which eventually became sectarian.

Our crisis may not have been sectarian at the outset (according to many), but it certainly has sectarian ramifications, which will only get worse if not addressed now, before the next generation has hate engrained in them.

The CP:

I am honoured and delighted that we are officially endorsed by HRH the Crown Prince.  If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you’ll know that I’m a big fan of his, and his endorsement means the world to me. The CP has always said “Bahrain is for all”, and it’s with that in mind that he endorsed us.

However, the BFRCD is independent and will have an independent board of trustees. We are also not spokespersons for him.  I’ve been asked many questions about the CP, and my response is always the same: please address any questions to his court.

We hope that in time our track record will speak for itself.  I fully acknowledge that many consider me a very controversial person.  Some think I’m the perfect person to start such an initiative, while others think the opposite because of my past views.  Some consider me too close the government, while some on the extreme right consider me way too close the opposition.  I’m not here to defend any of my stances, I will forge ahead with love and respect for all, and our arms are open to those who want to work for us.

We’ve been acknowledged by the government, and by the opposition (I believe the only organisation to have this privilege) and we hope to work closely with both, yet always maintain our independence.

No outrage and no condemnation:

The BFRCD does not plan to show outrage towards any stance or incidence, no matter how dramatic, as we are not a political organisation.  There are enough outraged people in Bahrain, and by extension outraged NGO’s and other organisations. We plan to stay neutral and forge ahead, even if the political crisis is not over (and the abuse allegedly continues).

Also, we will not condemn anyone or any acts.  If a villager is attacked or hurt we will not comment, nor will we comment if a cop has been injured through Molotov cocktails. We will let others do that if they choose to.  We will have a no-judgment policy, and we will not force our views on anyone.  The only thing I will say is that we believe violence is not the answer, regardless of who does it.

My political stance:

For those who don’t know, I consider myself a royalist.  But I’m a royalist who believes we desperately need 1) reforms and 2) reconciliation.  And since I and the BFRCD cannot engage in political reconciliation, we might as well work on the social side.  We’re not here to solve all of Bahrain’s problems, but we’ll do our bit to build bridges and make Bahrain better than it was. And the more NGO’s will work on this, the better this small island kingdom can become.

I want to end this blog post with an apology to anyone who may have been offended by anything I’ve written here in the past.  I’m willing to turn a new page with anyone who is willing to do the same.  And I fully acknowledge the fact that many are not willing to reconcile on any level. I know there is a lot of anger, hate and fear still lingering.  All I can say that God willing in time our wounds will heal.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and talk to you soon.

God bless.

Photo source: bloomberg.com

It gives me great pleasure to announce the Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse’s (BFRCD) very first event “Reconciliation Lessons from Northern Ireland.”

The lecture will be conducted by Peter Sheridan OBE.  Peter was heavily involved in the sensitive negotiations between the various parading organisations and the residents groups in Londonderry, which resulted in an accommodation that facilitated a series of peaceful parades in the city centre.

He was a police officer for over thirty years and rose through the ranks of Constable to Assistant Chief Constable responsible for Rural Region.  He also told me that he was among the 5% Catholics that were in the Protestant police force.  What an interesting guy!

As you know, there are a lot of similarities between Bahrain and Northern Ireland, and it would do us well to learn from them.  Here are the event details:

Date: Tuesday 19th of June
Place: Awali Ball Room, Sheraton Hotel
Time: 7 pm doors open, event starts at 7:30 pm sharp

This event is open to the public.  But please note, seats are limited and will be given on a first come first serve basis.  There will be no VIP sofas in the front.

Hope to see you there.