Bahrain Reborn after Tragic Events

The events that took place in the Louloua Roundabout in Manama, which resulted in human casualties were described as tragic by the Bahraini Crown Prince. Nations learn from past crisis and tragic events and build for a brighter future. What happened in the Louloua Roundabout demonstrated that there is light at the end of the tunnel and renewed hope for a better political system that respects human rights.

The recent events exposed our weak points, concerns and shortcomings. It showed the limits to any political game and proved that no party can isolate the other. It is our destiny to live together and build a new, free and democratic Bahrain, which respects the will of its people and values the cultural, ethnic, sectarian and religious diversity of the country.

We are not on the verge of sectarian conflict between the Sunnis and Shia, or political and security tension between the regime and the people. On the contrary, we are closer to dialogue, understanding and the establishment of a new political order, which rises above the suffering and past mistakes. Hopefully, the new order will result in constitutional amendments and speedy reforms, which were previously hindered by corruption, negligence and bureaucracy.

Despite increasing political tension, we hope that Bahrain will soon recover from the setbacks in the human rights and political arenas and that a new era emerges paving the way to address past hindrances that faced Parliament, political parties and human rights organizations.

There is nothing wrong in strarting from scratch, but the problem lies in destroying what has already been built.

It is also not wrong to raise the bar of expectations and demands, but the problem lies in the failure to understand that others have similar rights that should be respected as well. It is important that the margin of freedom of expression is expanded, even if it leads to harsh criticism, especially during these exceptional circumstances. We should stop verbal insults against each other and against our political and religious symbols.

Everyone has the right to defend their individual rights, but at the same time everyone has obligations towards their fellow citizens, who have similar rights based on the principle of citizenship equality and non-discrimination.

Bahrain is a country for both Sunnis and Shia. It is a crime to translate the political disagreement into sectarian division between citizens who are destined to live together. Bahrainis should build and reinforce their national identity, especially during these times of hardship.

Politicians are strongly advised not to burn Bahrain with the fires of sectarianism and authoritarianism. The only solution to the problem is dialogue and compromise, for Bahrain’s sake. Only then will the harsh lessons from the events in the Louloua Roundabout be beneficial and meaningful to us all.