When I heard about Dream Body 23 minutes exercise  for the first time I thought it is the usual marketing concept and I was reluctant to call and visit. Few weeks later I read some members’ testimonials of their experiences with dream body center that encouraged me to call and book an appointment for trial.

Following my first trial I was convinced of the 23 minutes concept and decided to be a member at dream body. I Joined on 26 July 2011 and managed to exercise during fasting hours in Ramadhan. After a month I was amazed with the result of my first measurements, I managed to reduce 5KG and 2″ from my waist with a total of more than 8″ reduction from the total body. managing to eat healthy during Ramadhan was a grate support to have such result.

The measurement after the first month was an incentive to continue my exercises and with just 23 minutes workout I can’t find and excuse not to spare time to be fit. Today after two months of joining dream body it can’t be better than loosing 8KG and a total of more than 14″ from my whole body.

Today I have my body shaped in the way that I dreamed off. What I am certain  off is that I will continue to exercise at dream body to maintain what I have achieved in a very short time with the help of dream body team.

On a final note I just want to say thank you to dream body team and to the founder for their existence and bringing this concept of workout to help people realize the objective of being fit and healthy.

Abdulelah Abdulla

=====

Want results too? Visit our website today or call us on 17 613352 today.

Talk to you soon.

I’m very proud to be a member of Young Arab Leaders (YAL).  YAL is really committed to helping young Arabs grow and prosper in their careers.  We’ve been holding various events for years now, and I’m proud to announce the upcoming Leadership Bridge Programme.

The Leadership Bridge Program (LBP) is an intensive and interactive three-day program to be held in October, which aims to hone youth leadership skills among high-potential leaders. Each session has been designed to be challenging, unique, highly-engaging and fun. Content will focus on leadership, teambuilding, and creative thinking. The program emphasizes ethical leadership through positive social action, and offers participants the opportunity to apply their theoretical learning through ‘social action projects’. The program is jointly organized by Young Arab Leaders (YAL) Bahrain chapter, and 3BL’Triple Bottom Line’ Associates; a Bahrain-based social impact consultancy.  I will be speaking on Day Two of the event about the 7 Habits.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The LBP is open to all Bahraini students in either 11th or 12th grade with a minimum GPA of 80 percent or a ‘B’ average. The LBP will accept a total of around 50 female and male students from both private and public schools. All participants must speak English.

For more information visit the LBP website here!  Remember to tell all the 11th and 12th graders you know!

Talk to you soon!

The idea for this blog post came to me over a year and a half ago, but I never got around to writing it.  The reason for that is that a) I’m really busy and there always seemed to be other, more urgent things to write about, and b) It’s a really deep topic that is not easy to write about!

So the topic was put on the back burner until I saw a Tweep write the following:

Tough one.  Of course, I don’t really know the answer, but I’ll give it a shot.  Maryam said that she was discussing this point with an atheist friend.

It seems to me from casual observation, that atheism is on the increase here in Bahrain, which as a devout Muslim, I find rather alarming, not to mention sad.  I know several Bahrainis (born to Bahraini families and Muslim parents) who do not believe in God.  Also, as I understand it, some of them meet on a regular basis; I suppose to discuss the none-existence of the Almighty.  I don’t want to spend too much time here discussing atheism per se, as that is a whole blog post (or more) on it’s own.  Each to his own as they say.

But the argument atheists use a lot is this: “if there is a benevolent God why does he allow bad things to happen to good people / why does he allow children to be molested / allow poverty and inequality etc.”

Like I said, I don’t presume to know the answer, but part of the problem in answering this question, is that it requires belief in God to begin with.  You see, we have two lives, the earthly life – the one we live now – and the afterlife.  In Islam you get rewarded or punished according to your deeds in the earthly life.  Furthermore, you get compensated for every single suffering.  Nothing is for free, there is always compensation.  So whether a person pricks their finger on a thorn, or  a child gets molested, there will be compensation for it in the afterlife.

Of course saying something like this does not provide any consolation for the molested child, or for the adult who’s haunted by childhood molestation.  One could understand why they might be angry at God, or even refuse to believe in him altogether. But it does not change the fact that they will be compensated in the afterlife, and that their molesters will suffer greatly for their crimes.

Remember, the perfect life is the afterlife. Here – in the earthly life-  we are meant to be tested and challenged.  No one said it was meant to be easy.  How strong of a person would you be if you never suffered?  You are the total sum of your experiences.  Life is a series of waves of good and bad, of easy and hard, of suffering and happiness.  God in His love and compassion, tests and challenges you.

He also gave you the wits and brains to overcome challenges.  He did not make you a mindless robot.  He gave you your brain and your decision-making capacity, and He then challenged you, and the rest is up to you.  You can rise up to the challenge or you can feel sorry for yourself and blame God.  Or you can really escape and deny His existence altogether.

Everything happens for a reason – everything.  And maybe the children who were molested were meant to become stronger than the rest of us, so that they may help, save and protect other children from abuse.  God may have tested them severely, but it does not mean He does not love them.  It’s up to them to figure out why it happened, and to then become better and stronger as a result of this ordeal.

Anyone who suffers must always remind himself that it could always be worse.  All suffering is relative.  They must also (try) to be grateful for whatever it is that they have.  The focus should be on what you do have, and not what you are lacking, or suffering from.

I want to end this blog post with a message to anyone who was abused as a child.  Please don’t think for a moment that I’m trivialising what happened to you, I’m not.  But I do urge you to seek help, if you’ve not done so already.  Don’t make yourself suffer any longer.

You are not the first or the last to suffer through this, but your shame is unjustified.  It’s not your fault – and nor is it God’s.  It’s the fault of the sick person who did this to you.  Seek help and find others who suffered the same as you, so that you can help each other heal.

Then make it your mission to help the children of today.  There are many sickos out there who are looking for their next victim.  Ask yourself what are you doing to stop them?  Maybe you could provide coaching and/or seminars to school children to helsp spread awareness.  Maybe you were mean to be someone else’s saviour.  Who knows…

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

The video shows a speech by a lady named Kathryn Schulz, who is a journalist, author, and public speaker and a self-proclaimed  “wrongologist”.  I thought she had a very interesting take on things, and I thought her video was very relevant for our situation here in Bahrain.

The video is about 20 minutes long, please make sure you have the time to watch it properly and in it’s entirety.  I think her speech reflects a lot of what is -- and has been -- going on here in Bahrain.

Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p6365AVsIA

A good friend recently emailed this quote to me, and interestingly, I saw it on Facebook the same day.  Here’s the quote:

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” –Martin Luther King, Jr

I pray for more love to spread in out beloved Bahrain.

I write this on the day after seven men have been sentenced for the murder of the two policemen Kashef Ahmed Mandhoor and Mohammed Farooq Al-Balooshi, God rest their souls.  Four received the death penalty, and three received life sentences.

Let me make this very clear, I think the sentences are just and deserved. I also think the law must be respected and obeyed.  Blatantly disobeying the law, and openly calling for a regime change and demanding the death to the ruling family (ironically in the name of freedom and democracy) is unacceptable.

Personally, I’m a strong believer in the death sentence.  I’ve had many heated debates over the years with Western relatives and acquaintances defending the death sentence.    The death sentence is harsh, but it is just.  A life for a life.  If one has the audacity and arrogance to take away a life, then they should expect their life to be taken away.

The Holy Quran says “And We prescribed to them in it that life is for life, and eye for eye, and nose for nose, and ear for ear, and tooth for tooth, and for wounds retaliation. But whoso forgoes it, it shall be an expiation for him. And whoever judges not by what Allah has revealed, those are the wrongdoers.” (Al-Maeda Verse No: 45)

It behooves us to remember though, that God is compassionate.  The verse does say “But whoso forgoes it, it shall be an expiation [atonement] for him.”  As Muslims we must remember that  Two of God’s ninety nine names are The Most Merciful and The Most Compassionate.  The phrases where God describes Himself as compassionate and forgiving appear 49 times in The Holy Quran.  There are numerous stories of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) being compassionate to those who deserved death.

If God Almighty and his Prophet can forgive, then so can the rest of us.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Royal pardon from our compassionate king, but I don’t want to put any more pressure on His Majesty.  There have been calls of “No more Royal pardons” since the violence started, and I don’t want to burden our King with an opposing call for compassion.

I would leave the choice of being compassionate to the families of the murdered policemen.  As I understand it, Sharia law allows the family of a murdered relative to forgive.  In Saudi Arabia there are numerous stories of convicted murderers being forgiven just moments before the death sentence was to be carried out.

I know it’s a long shot and very unlikely, but I hope that somehow the families of the murdered policemen can forgive the perpetrators.  I’ll be the first to admit this is easier said than done, none of my relatives were brutally murdered, so it’s easy for me to talk.  But there are others who’ve done it, other’s who’ve forgiven murderers and even rapists.  I hope that somehow the families of the dead police officers can too.

Maybe, just maybe, if they forgive it will ignite the social healing this country so desperately needs.  Maybe, just maybe, this massive gesture will inspire others to do the same.

I think most people would be in agreement that the murderers were “brainwashed” in a sense.  They were infused with hate and rage and encouraged to kill.  I know their crime is of the severest kind, but it wouldn’t it be a great if their were shown compassion, proving the enemy wrong? Wouldn’t it be great if they could show their fellow brainwashed youths the error of their ways? Wouldn’t it be great if they were to become compassion advocates that could help prevent future generations from hating, and committing further atrocious crimes?

I say give the families of Kashef and Mohammed the choice, they might just surprise us.  God is great, and He is the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

I pray compassion and mercy flows into the hearts of all those affected by the February 14th crisis.

I know very few people are in the mood for forgiveness.  All kinds of negative emotions are engulfing this tiny kingdom; loathing, fear,  anger, vengefulness, Schadenfreude [pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others] -- but very few people want to talk about forgiveness.

To be honest, it’s perfectly understandable.

I can understand if someone were to say to me that it was easy for me to forgive, as I did not suffer as much as others.  I did suffer of course, but yes, no one I know was severely hurt -- or killed for that matter.

Having said that however, what’s the alternative to forgiveness?  Hate? Revenge?  And for how long?  I’ve said this before but I’ll repeat: forgiveness is more about you than about the other person.  Please see my previous posts on this.

Some one has to start, so it might as well be me.  Let the haters hate, I won’t.

I want to share some things with you today.  I’ve mentioned before that there are already several initiatives being started in Bahrain that are working on healing the social rift that has occurred in our beloved island.  I’m currently in touch with a few people around the globe to try to set something up.  And I want to share part of an email I got from a friend in the US, who is an expert in dealing with trauma.  She says:

“… Primary victims of trauma tend to have an easier time forgiving then secondary victims. Forgiveness for primary victims is actually very empowering and healing.  For example, rape victims who can forgive their perpetrators feel a sense of “release” from the power their rapist often continues to have over them long after the assault.  This does not mean they do not want justice but that they realize living with hate is limiting and painful and continues to give their power to the perpetrator.  In addition, because the pain of being a primary victim is so intense, there is a stronger desire to be released from the pain.

But secondary victims -- those who are once removed from the primary trauma -- do not experience the same healing and empowering effects of forgiveness initially and they are the ones who tend to continue to perpetuate the cycles of conflict.

For instance, a person imprisoned or even beaten by the police will be able to forgive much easier and quickly then the people who are their friends or the people who do not know the person personally but use the person as a symbol for their anger and a justification for their rage and sense of injustice.  These are the people I refer to as “once removed” from the primary trauma (i.e. secondary victims) and they internalize the situation based on their anger and fears.  Forgiveness does not bring the same feeling of freedom to secondary victims of trauma as it does to the primary victim and needs a different approach.  Those who are secondary victims -- especially youth -- need to have an outlet for their energy and be a part of the healing process.”

Sound familiar? Isn’t that fascinating?  This is not mumbo-jumbo, this is from a PhD educated expert.  I thought it was worth sharing with you.

Second, a small excerpt from Dr. Fred Luskin’s book Forgive For Good.  Dr. Luskin says:

“Learning to forgive is good for both your mental and physical well-being and your relationships.  Studies reveal:

- People who are more forgiving report fewer health problems.

- Forgiveness leads to less stress.

- Forgiveness leads to fewer physical symptoms of stress.

- Failure to forgive may be more important than hostility as a risk factor in heart disease.

- People who blame other people for their trouble have higher incidences of illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and cancers.

- People who imagine not forgiving someone show negative changes in blood pressure, muscle tension, and immune response.

- People who imagine forgiving note immediate improvement in their cardiovascular, muscular, and nervous systems.

- Even people with devastating losses can learn to forgive and feel better psychologically and emotionally.”

Interesting huh?  Third, a couple of videos from Dr. Luskin talking more about forgiveness:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=66Yxs1C_iQo

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uns5ik6qEeA

I repeat, the process is FAR easier said than done.  That’s why we need help from experts in the field.  But if South Africa, Northern Ireland, and Rwanda can do it, why can’t we?

Talk to you soon.

Here’s a short video explaining the Charter for Compassion.  Looks like something we could do with here in Bahrain.

Thanks to Mariam M. for emailing it to me.  Hope you like it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCG4qryy1Dg

I’m about to give you some advice.

And then I’m going to go against my own advice.

But for good reason… there a lesson to be learnt, and a point to be made.

First, the advice

I’ve said this before in newsletters, and I think in this blog as well: don’t justify your actions to others.  Do what you think is right, that upholds your values, and those who don’t like it can choose a wall and bang their head against it.

Further, don’t heed the critics.  There will always be someone who does not like what you say or do, regardless of what it is you say or do.  As the saying goes, you can’t please all the people all the time, so don’t even bother.

Allow me to repeat myself from a blog post back in 2009:

I think Matt Furey said it first, “NO CRITICS = NO SUCCESS.”

The more successful you become the more critics you will have.  It’s a law of the universe and it cannot be changed.  If you’re too friendly (some) people will criticise you and think you’re a pushover.  And if you’re harsh and straight forward (some) people will say you’re mean and rude.  If you’re ambitious (some) people will say you’re greedy and perhaps even corrupt.  If you’re not ambitious and content (some) people will call you a lazy bum.  There’s no escape from criticism.

I’ve become quite good at ignoring criticism over the years.  As my star rose, I started getting more and more of it (I’m happy to report though that the positive feedback far outweighs the negative).  I therefore very, very rarely reply to someone who attacks or criticises me.  There are several reasons; the first is to uphold what I just talked about, the second is because I really don’t have the time to reply to everyone who criticises or attacks me, and the third is I don’t want to give people the satisfaction of thinking that I care about what they think (which in most cases I don’t)

I especially avoid getting into debates with people on Twitter, which seems to attract a lot of polarised, prejudiced people.  Not to mention a few hardcore crazies.

So how and why am I going against my own advice?

The other day I tweeted “this guy is funny – not to mention brave!”  I was talking about the Nader Caricature from Akhbar Al-Khaleej:

The Cartoon that appeared on AAK on the 9th of April

I got the following replies from a Twitter follower:

@SuhailAlgosaibi are you so naive .. do you know what he is all about …

@SuhailAlgosaibi you need to know more about the REAL bahrainis .. the normal person in the street .. those that were really affected ..

@SuhailAlgosaibi Come visit Muharraq .. the fereej .. and really start to understand all of us ..

Normally, I would not reply to Tweets like this.  But this time I did, because I was getting annoyed at the whole “only I know the REAL” Bahrain attitude a lot of people seem to have these days.  Here’s my reply:

@______ Thank you for the invitation to Muharraq. w/ all due respect, I don’t need YOU to teach me abut the “real” Bahrain. God bless.

Here are his many replies:

@SuhailAlgosaibi Well, trust me you do .. This is the problem .. you think you know Bahrain .. But Bahrain is not The Rich and Famous ..

@SuhailAlgosaibi By the way .. i do have great respect to your ideas and views .. Muharraq loves you .. and your Late Father before you

@SuhailAlgosaibi And that will not change .. no mater what .. Good Day sir .. from your friends in Muharraq

@SuhailAlgosaibi It is sad to even believe that Mahmood is innocent .. He is out .. but not Innocent ..

Allow me to comment on some of his statements, while fully acknowledging that I’m going against my usual principles.  I think it’s a little sad, and very dangerous that a person assumes to know the full truth.  Though I’ve written a lot during this crisis, I’ve never claimed to know the full truth, nor to be an expert.

I write about the world through the lens I see it from.  I have my views and opinions, and I’m entitled to air them. I might not be aware of how the average guy in the fereej [traditional Bahraini neighbourhood] in Muharraq feels or thinks, but that does not make me less of a patriot.  The notion that there are “fake” and “real” Bahrainis is very dangerous.  I think it’s destructive and racist.

Bahrain – and any nation for that matter – consists of the rich, the middle class and the poor.  They are all real and they all have the right to be heard.  The rich are not better than the poor because of their wealth; and the poor [from Muharraqq or elsewhere] are not more righteous or honourable than the rich just because they are poor.  They are all REAL.  I hope my Twitter friend from Muharraq can realise that.

But what I’m sure he and I agree on – pertaining to the recent crisis – is that the means to be heard should be legal and legitimate (without violence and rioting).

About this whole “rich and famous” thing

I personally make absolutely no apology for whatever wealth or fame I have.  Besides, it’s all relative.  Rich and famous compared to who?  Compared to the average Bahraini I’m probably rich and famous, but compared to some of these big celebrities out there, I’m poor and obscure.

What about Mahmood?

He is referring to famed Bahraini blogger and friend Mahmood Al-Yousef.  I believe that everyone is responsible for their own actions, including Mahmood.  If you have a bone to pick with him, go to him, not me.

Finally…

A message to the self-appointed Muharraq spokesman.  I want to thank you for inspiring this blog post.  I also want to thank you for the kind words you said about my late father, God rest his soul (I think of him every day).

I assure you I have a lot of love for you and the the people of Muharraq, as I do for all the people of Bahrain.

God bless this wonderful land.

I recently had dinner with a CNN crew, who had just finished interviewing me and a few others about the so-called “Arab Spring”, and the role social media played in it.

They had been to Tunisia and Egypt before coming to Bahrain, and they told me how different Bahrain was from those two countries.  They seemed genuinely confused.  I think this was the first conflict they covered where there was no obvious victim and no obvious villain.  They asked me lots and lots of questions during the dinner, and I tried to answer as best I could – and as fairly as I could.

Since that dinner I’ve been reflecting more on the recent crisis.  And was trying to make sense of some of the events, and more importantly, I was trying to understand all this hate that I keep seeing online.  Some of which was aggressively directed at me – from both sides!

The Dictionary Definition of Polarisation

I think Bahrain’s indomitable Foreign Minister, Sh. Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, described it best when he said people are polarised.  Here’s the dictionary definition of “Polarise” from my Mac: “[verb] divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.”  I like the “two sharply contrasting” bit.  Basically, it’s “either you’re with me, or against me.”  There can be no in between.  If you’re not fully on my side I will hate you, slander you and personally attack you.  And if you’re with me, I’ll love you, support you and protect you.

Rather sad, don’t you think?

Honestly, this is not the Bahrain I know and grew up in.  Though I don’t condone the polarisation and extremism, I try very hard to understand where it’s coming from.  I try not to judge and not to force my opinions on others.

Anyway, today’s post is about trying to understand and explain some of this polarisation and hate that we see today.  And as I’ve said many times before, I don’t claim to fully know all the facts, nor to understand this crisis 100% (frankly I don’t think anyone does).

Where The Protestors’ Frustration/Anger/Hate is Coming From

There is a not insignificant Shia section of society that – rightly or wrongly – feel marginalised in our society.  They feel victimised, and have been feeling like this for a long time – for generations.

They feel that they are not given their full rights as Bahraini citizens.  Not only that, but they feel they are being intentionally marginalised.  Also, they feel discriminated against and disrespected by the Interior Ministry.  They feel their human rights are not met, and they also feel like the government is trying to dilute their numbers through the “sunnification” of the population, by giving Sunni Arabs and Asians Bahraini citizenship.

It is my belief that for a small portion of this section of society, this perception has morphed into loathing and blind rage (possibly caused/encouraged/fuelled/endorsed by outside interference).  The object of this blind rage was the government and the ruling family, who they perceive as being responsible for the supposed mess they are in.

And for these people, the end justified the means.  And the means included exaggerating, lying, fabricating, attacking, and doing whatever else helped their cause, and the rest of the population be damned!  They wanted nothing but the total removal of the current regime, and some even wanted nothing but a Royal blood bath.  But it is my contention that not all protestors wanted this, and that not all protestors were rioters.  But admittedly, the lines were vague.  Who can untangle that web?

The hate of the extremists spilled over into hating all those who supported the government, and did not see things from their perspective.   When the recent crackdown started, they felt even more victimised and saw it as the government’s excuse to commit further alleged crimes against them.  Which of course lead to more hate, and more polarisation.  They just could not comprehend how someone could not see things from their perspective.

Where the pro-government Frustration/Anger/Hate Is Coming From

I think the views of most Sunnis (wallahu A’lam) can be summarised as follows; they also had some frustrations with the government, but they don’t believe in getting it through protests and blatant disrespect for the law.  I think most believed that a person’s rights should be sought through the current system, and not by replacing it completely. (Arguably though, they are not suffering as much as the people in the other camp).

When they look at their Shia brethren, they see that members of their society are among the wealthiest in the country, and that they have reached the highest echelons in the government and the private sector.  They wonder why they feel victimised.  They also wonder why (supposedly) so many poor Shia men marry several wives and have lots of children, and then complain about their lot in life.  Many Sunnis are bewildered by what they perceive as the Shia “Culture of Victimhood”.

Many Sunnis were afraid for their safety during the protests.  They seethed while they saw the rioters running amuck.  They hated their king and the ruling family being openly insulted like this.  They could not understand the perceived duality of the protesters (peaceful yet violent).

The extreme Sunnis hated the protestors and their leaders.  And that hate spilled over into hating virtually all Shias.  And the fact that the Opposition leaders did not condemn the violent acts, nor try to rein them in, only made matters worse.

They perceived them as ungrateful, disloyal, Iran-loving traitors, who should be punished severely.  And they hated everyone who even showed a tiny shred of support or sympathy for them.  They genuinely could not understand how anyone could not see things from their perspective.

They hated the perceived arrogance of the opposition leaders, and they couldn’t wait for revenge.

And boy did they get it!

Welcome to The Mother Of All Crackdowns

You know the story, the government lost patience with the protestors/rioters.  When they realised that this was more than just a peaceful request for reform, and saw Iran’s fingerprints all over the movement, they cracked down with all their might.  Everyone and anyone who showed support for the protestors was a suspect.  And the spate of arrests started.

Now the extreme Sunnis rejoiced.  It was party time!  “Take that you evil traitors!” was the theme.  And that!  And that! …

The conflict became personal with the rioters on one side, and security forces and the army on the other.  While the protesters brazenly defied law and order, attacked people, fabricated attacks against themselves at the same time acted like victims, the government forces seethed (Remember that several of the opposition leaders have received multiple Royal pardons in the past).  The protestors won the first round, but the second was won by the government forces, by knock out!  Some reportedly enjoyed releasing their frustrations at road check points.

Meanwhile, the moderates cried.

Their voices were mostly unheard, and they had hoped that this could be resolved peacefully.  They kept waiting for wise men to prevail.  And they still wait.

Some Personal Reflections…

The other day an anti-government acquaintance told me how he was mistreated by the security personnel at a checkpoint.  He said “where did all this hate and rudeness come from?”  I resisted the temptation of reminding him of the “down with Al-Khalifa” placards at the Pearl roundabout, and the loathing that came from the rioters.  Loathing begets loathing.  It should never have, but the conflict became personal.  Very personal.

My point is that crack downs by definition are brutal.  Who’s ever heard of a gentle crack down?  When national security is threatened, security forces are not too concerned with constitutional rights.  Especially with rioters who were this cunning.

Let me give you an example.  A Bahraini friend told me this story many years ago.  He was walking down a street in Paris, when suddenly a police van stopped next to him.  Several policemen grabbed him violently, and threw him into the van.  As I recall, he was beaten and taken to the police station.  Poor man was totally confused and wondering what was going on.  Later he learnt that a “Moroccan looking” man was suspected of planting a bomb in a Metro Station on the street he was walking along.

Many hours later the police realised they had the wrong man, and let him go.  Without a even a hint of an apology!  I don’t relay this story to justify anyone’s behaviour, but I do want to point out that when national security is threatened, security forces see red.  There are more examples of this in the West, most notably in the US after 9/11, where stories of constitutional/human rights abuses are plentiful.

Do Shias Have More Loyalty To Iran Than to Bahrain?

No, absolutely not!  There are a few things I want to say about this.  First, if you had asked me at the start of this crisis whether I thought Iran was involved I would have laughed.  Today I am convinced that Iran is involved.  But I’d be lying if I said I know exactly how.  The prevalent theory is that Iran had some sort of long-term sinister plot in Bahrain, which they tried to bring forward when the protests happened.  Also, it is said that some of the opposition leaders have very close ties to Iran and/or Hezbollah.  I don’t usually believe in conspiracies, but as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I do think Iran is involved.

Having said that however, I think the vast majority of protestors did not know of the Iran involvement.  And I think that few of them actually felt more loyal to Iran than to Bahrain.

As for the general Shia population, I know they have no loyalty or affinity to Iran.  Besides, why would a multi-generational Arab feel any loyalty to a country who’s language he doesn’t even speak?  I think it’s cruel to paint all our Shia brethren with the same, broad brush.

Why I Refuse to Hate

Look, like many others during this crisis I got angry.  I was angry at the rioters for making me feel unsafe, and making me worry about my family.  I was angry that my business got affected and that I make heavy losses since the crisis began.  I can go on an on.

But I refuse to hate.

What’s the point?  It’s in the past now, the government won and the rioters were exposed.  Will me hating really add value?  Let the extremists and haters hate, I will have none of it.  I’d rather work on rebuilding our country.

So What’s All This Talk of Forgiveness?

I think my last couple of blog posts confused some people.  So maybe some clarification is in order.  Personally, not only do I not hate the protesters/rioters, I choose to forgive them.

But as I explained in my last blog post, forgiveness does not mean I condone the actions of the rioters that broke the law.  Nor does it mean that they should not receive their just punishment – quite the contrary, I think they should.  Justice should prevail, and the law should be applied to everyone who broke it during the crisis.

Forgiveness is about making peace within yourself, and not letting the actions of others affect you and the way you think and behave.  I’d rather focus on the future, not the past.

And I humbly ask you to do the same.

Will adding more hate really help matters?  What kind of country do you want our children to live in?  I keep hearing from both sides how “we will never forget…”, you don’t have to forget, but you can choose to forgive and let go.  Forgiving does not mean forgetting.  It means moving on.

Mandela Anyone?

I’ve mentioned the example of the Prophet Mohammed before, let me give you a more recent example of forgiveness.  The former South African President Nelson Mandela was arrested for 27 years! Let me repeat that for those intent on hating, TWENTY SEVEN YEARS! And he experienced it all: abuse, discrimination, hatred, torture, you name it.  And he forgave!  Further he helped turn his country into a model for others to follow.  And you Mr. and Ms. Angry, you choose to fester in your hate -  for a crisis that lasted a month.  Shame on you.

I think it’s now time for the moderates who have been silent during this crisis to step up and be heard.  They should take the lead in rebuilding the social bridges that have been broken during this crisis.  It has already started, but a lot more needs to be done.

Their efforts and voices must drown out the shouts of hatred and revenge.  Only then can we hope for a better future for our children.