Bahrain 1st-Hand Special: Friday's Manama Protests and the "Overwhelming Humane Side of People" (Ahlam Oun)

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Ahlam Oun writes on her blog of "The Awakening of Manama":

The opposition political parties had announced that a pro-democracy march will be held in the capital of Bahrain, Manama, at 4:00 PM. The Ministry of Interior as usual broadcasted: “The protest in Manama is illegal and all those participating will be held accountable.” (Yah, Right!).

There will be many posts that will write about the Human Rights violations and how the regime continue to be as dark and brutal as it always was. But here I will write about my personal reflection about something bright, about the overwhelming humane side of the people.

For me, Manama protests have always been the most tricky ones, because once it is announced, Ministry of Interior blocks all entrances, and I am no expert about getting into all its secret narrow alleys.

This time, I picked up a dear friend who knew the secret maps of Manama that newly recruited “mercenaries” who came from foreign countries have no idea about. As we drove to our capital, it was evident that we live under a militarised regime! Policemen/women “mercenaries” with their arms, police jeeps, cars, tanks are blocking and surrounding Manama and its outskirts, someone tweeted saying “I bet the Ministry of Interior is absolutely empty, even the building security officers are sent to Manama”!

One thing you need to know: Bahrain is a very small island, and we live in the small percentage of that small island since the rest is taken by the “ruling” family. (Don’t believe me? check Google Earth.) So when I say the “outskirts” of Manama was blocked by police, it literally means that the ENTIRE COUNTRY got blocked!

Despite it all, we succeeded in entering Manama.

Once we entered Manama, we were invited into a house along with many women awaiting the time of the protest. I was able to recognise a number of them --- the a wife of a human rights activist who is in hiding, a sister of a detainee who is sentenced to 15 years, two women who were detained previously.

When I read pro-regime newspapers and media outlets describing protestors as “teenage rioters who are misled by the political leaders”, I don’t get upset or angry, I simply laugh at this blunt lie. Because the protestors I was among were women from all ages. Some of them were grandmothers wearing sports shoes and fired up to join the protest at any moment.

Because the massive march was not allowed due to the extensive presence of mercenaries, people decided to initiate smaller protests whenever a good number of people gathered, not announcing the time or the street.

And just like magic, at the most important spot in Bahrain, the roaring chants of peaceful protestors started and people came from unexpected places to remind the regime once more that it is our country and our land, long before they invaded our soil.

Soon after we protested, police started attacking us and we were chased. And doors suddenly opened up offering a refuge to protestors to prevent them from being killed, beaten or arrested by the mercenaries.

Personally I had to seek refuge four times, each time that a protest emerged. But what was astonishing for me is I was being rescued by people I have never met in my life. People I do not know and they do not know me. They do not know my sect, they know nothing except that I might be in danger and I need help.

Once we are invited in a house, cold water is given to us in a place to allow us to catch our breath. People were reading the updates on the Twitter but my mind was somewhere else.

My eyes were wandering inside the small houses of Manama with their old doors, walls and furniture. I don’t know how such a small house can be inhabited by an entire family and, in some cases, families. It seems like celling is about to fall at any moment! The mother in the house offered water and tea, guided us to the room. And again: I don’t know them, they don’t know me! The modest hospitality of those families overwhelmed me.

Jamila Hanan tweeted something today that hit the exact overwhelming sense I felt on Friday in Manama and could not find the words to describe it. She wrote:

Sometimes the world seems such a horrible place, but the more one exposes evil, the more one discovers that love is even stronger.

And it is very true. The hospitality, care, and their act of kindness was more powerful than all of the repression happening outside. They help people in need in spite of the danger of being raided and attacked any moment.

The cracks on the walls invited the tear gas inside the packed houses.

Children came in running shouting “TEAR GAS, TEAR GAS”. A little girl did something astonishing, she instantly covered her nose with her dress. I bet she did not understand what “tear gas” is, yet she has experienced it so many times to make her know it is bad and deadly.

The graceful hospitality of the people in Manama at times where most people would close their doors, kept me thinking about our own history in Bahrain and about the native Bahrainis, who were invaded by the current ruling family from Zubara “Qatar” just 200 years ago. Did our ancestors' genuine hospitality without discrimination play a fatal role in accepting to be ruled by outsiders who made us believe that they are part of us? I can only wonder.

Near Magreb prayer, I had to leave. I thanked those who opened their hearts and homes for me, found the friend I lost when the protest started. On our way out, police were at every turn. When you drive a car there is no escape in the small narrow roads....On one corner, we saw mercenaries ambushing a group of protestors, on another we saw them arresting a young man.

On my way home, the traffic was horrible. Police had checkpoints in all the main roads till night. The laughable joke was in today’s newspaper where the Minister of Justice, Minister of Interior, and “crippled” Parliament were accusing the political parties of obstructing traffic and causing the economy to collapse!

Are they serious?...

In the Manama protest, 6-10 people were arrested, among them a dear colleague of mine. As much as it aches to know that he is behind bars, I know that he is proud of every step he took in Manama, of every breath he inhaled, of every shout he raised and every sight he witnessed. He may be subjected to torture and his body aches, but secretly I know, he is smiling somehow from the inside. Freedom to you my friend.

Manama has finally been awakened by a big alarm, a successful march to be added to our victorious milestones on our revolution.

We shall meet soon our beloved Manama.

We Remain.