The Stream – Bahrain: The social media battle continues – Suhail Algosaibi & Zainab Al-Khawaja
The battle over Bahrains future is raging online between government loyalists and opposition supporters. The Stream hosted a debate between Zainab Al-Khawaja and Suhail Algosaibi. Read more: stream.aljazeera.com
November 6th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
@kabhi26 There you go, now you know.
November 6th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@farishayek
yeah right everyone is Bahraini
November 6th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
@kabhi26 ummm, he is a Bahraini just in case you didn’t know….
November 6th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
@farishayek
he can speak to JSC whenever he wants to ,,, i don’t care!!
but when it comes to Bahrain he should stay out of it
+
i’m a Bahrain saying to this Saudi or whoever to mind thier own bussiness & let Bahraini decide wht they want!
November 6th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
@rajwa81
Not to sound dramatic, but I’m sure low-level officers were responsible for atrocities in Nazi Germany as well. However, we punish the higher-ups for their tolerance and even promotion of such policies. I would even go as far as to say that higher-ups need to be punished for failing to punish/discipline those low-level officials after allegations of torture have come into the light.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
@rajwa81
State televisions are notoriously bias. That’s a given. Every media outlet, including Al-Jazeera, has a bias; some media outlets are more frank of their bias. There’s no point in even denying that statement. Somewhere amongst the various biases, lies the truth. Bahrain state television, compared to other media, is incredibly bias.
News agencies should attempt to present a clear picture of the situation, not give their own interpretations and labels.
November 6th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
@rajwa81
Demographic shifts in population of Shi’a to Sunni may have shifted because of Bahrain’s racist policies of importing foreigners, giving them positions within military/police, and a very lax policy of naturalization. Meanwhile, an agenda of blocking Shi’as from such positions is banned. Bringing in foreigners to dilute a majority population is nothing new. China’s been accused of doing with the Uyghers by providing extra incentives for Hans to move in their region.
November 6th, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Regarding the torture and corruption that Zainab is speaking of, I completely agree with suhail, those are probably low level officials, and everyone that had a hand in such torture will be punished. I, myself like most of Bahrain’s population, am against torture of any sort.
November 6th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Another point that Zainab made on the video, is that she is implicitly stating that the BICI might be biased because the government is paying them. Would someone please explain to me who would you prefer to have paid them? Zainab, would you rather it came out of your pocket?
The government brought them here, so the government has to pay them. Besides, this corporation was not established overnight. People should think before making accusations.
November 7th, 2011 at 12:20 am
@shehabi212
On the other hand, speaking of other countries, EU, UN, and the United States. Let me just make one point out of a thousand, don’t they all pay taxes? do you pay taxes on anything? don’t you get free healthcare? free public education?
@1977sadboy
من تقصد بالمجنسين؟
November 7th, 2011 at 1:28 am
@shehabi212
Plus, there were a lot of anti-government that were protesting, when they had nothing to ask for, people are envying they’re lives. Not only did they destroy the cause for the protest, but they destroyed what we (all Bahrainis) have been living and working for from the moment we opened our eyes to the real world.
November 7th, 2011 at 2:36 am
@shehabi212
Not getting all of this doesn’t mean I have to be Anti-Government, you can ask for something in a proper manner without disrupting others in the society around you. Did you know that most of the students that have scholarships from the government are Shiite? probably more than 80%. This is in terms of education. There are other issues we can address like unemployment, housing, etc. These demands are not coming from one side only.
November 7th, 2011 at 3:44 am
@shehabi212
Second of all, speaking anti-government got some people MUCH MORE in return. Let’s talk money here, I myself am a Bahraini citizen, I call myself patriotic, PRO- Gov, and YES I support the government even though I never got a single fils from them. I didn’t get a house, unemployment salary, or even a scholarship when I had achieved outstanding grades in high school.
November 7th, 2011 at 4:52 am
@shehabi212 First of all "Free people, organisations, and countries* did not make similar "statements", you may call them statements, but in reality they were direct threats!
November 7th, 2011 at 6:00 am
@apples267 just like when the king apologized for the first 2 who got killed and in 28 hours or less more people being shot and killed? the evidence of torture is bodies and people torture.. the evidence of non-torture is because of some bull-Sh*t coming out of the local media.. what is more valid my good friend? besides when u have huge numbers being tortured..i dont think its something that occured once or twice.. it is proof that its systematic. and im not here to argue, only share my opinion
November 7th, 2011 at 7:08 am
Shia majority? Largely peaceful protests? Al Jazeera definitely does not KNOW how to RELAY ACCURATE information. And the only thing they seem to know how to broadcast is BIAS.
November 7th, 2011 at 8:16 am
@apples267 The government did not provide a chance. It only alloted 30 seats out of 300 and limited the discussion anyways. It was a public relations stunt for a government that rules by force.
The country’s people will need to talk directly to each other. The opposition wants basic equal rights, no more torture and ending discrimination. Supporters want to flourish in a stable developing society.
Listen to each other. Talk directly. The government lies.
November 7th, 2011 at 9:24 am
@BeortheMad I haven’t justified torture and I don’t think the government should have a torture policy. The BICI’s ongoing investigations told us that no evidence yet shows bahrain’s gov has a torture policy. while torture HAS occured in cases, they were individual acts by low level officials. and those officials are now jailed. these things are individual acts just like how vandalism is an individual act of some protesters. not all protesters are peaceful and not all police officials are evil.
November 7th, 2011 at 10:32 am
@apples267 the role of government isn’t to give out houses and not impose taxes, you can’t justify unethical behaviour like torture on that basis…. The government should make sure a set of basic universal human rights are present, you’ve got it all backwards mate.
November 7th, 2011 at 11:40 am
@apples267 There is ALWAYS room for improvement. The government should provide more housing for the needy, better pay, and definitely invest in very strong education. Corruption in the country’s money should be addressed and those responsible shouldn’t get away with it as much as they do now. See? Criticism. And I didn’t insult anyone. Told you it can be done.
November 7th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
They want a government like the US? Like England? Do those countries provide free healthcare, give out houses to the needy, free education, and still does not impose taxes? You think those countries would allow riots to go on in it’s financial hub for 40 days? In wall street? let’s be realistic. No government tolerated that much for that long. But some people are so blinded by this perfect image of full democracy that they don’t see how good they have it. Shame.
November 7th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
AlWefaq doesn’t know what freedom of speech is and neither does it’s followers. It tells them what to do and how to act and it’s followers blindly follow. How is that freedom of speech?
November 7th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I have my freedom of speech, I critisize the government but I dont insult and I don’t go on illegal protests. I don’t stop people from going to work and I don’t disrupt their daily lives. AlWasat practiced it’s freedom of speech publically for years and wasn’t shut until it preached journalism ethical laws by reruning old pictures of home robberies as recent ones as "police attacked innocent people" to incite hate. It was caught redhanded. What more do you want? Wake up.
November 7th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I have my freedom of speech, I critisize the government but I dont insult and I don’t go on illegal protests. I don’t stop people from going to work and I don’t disrupt their daily lives. AlWasat practiced it’s freedom of speech publically for years and wasn’t shut until it preached journalism ethical laws by reruning old pictures of home robberies as recent ones as "police attacked innocent people" to incite hate. It was caught redhanded. What more do you want? Wake up.