Anti-Hate Code of Ethic Draft Approved

Yesterday several Bahraini bloggers and web admins gathered in Alwaqt Newspaper's premises for the Anti-Hate Code of Ethics meeting. I was delighted that the turn up was better than the last meeting. After some discussions we were finally able to agree on a final release candidate copy. We need to run it by some lawyer type dudes first to make sure we didn't miss anything. Oh, and a glossary of terms is to be attached.
I am honestly proud by this effort, it's about time we, as citizens of this country, do something to control the often overly emotional and unobjective hate speech in our virtual space.

Oh, and in case you caught it, yes the news paper mis-spelled my last name. It is Almuhandis, not Almuhannadi.

An updated blog post of the latest copy is on Mahmood's Den. Well, it isn't updated yet but I'm sure Mahmood will get to it in the next couple of days.

Finaly some good news! Forgot how this felt!

Anti-hate code meeting next Saturday

Heads up fellow bloggers and web admins, next Saturday, at five PM, a follow up anti-hate code meeting will be held at Alwaqt newspaper premises.
I have expressed earlier my disappointment at the low turnout in the previous meeting, but I am quite optimistic about this one. more people know about it now and even Radio Bahrain will be present.
I'm looking forward to a good turnout and a productive meeting.

Anti-Hate Pact: Does anyone care?

Last Saturday, a meeting was held at the Alwaqt Newspaper premises to discuss the draft of an Anti-Sectarianism pact which was penned by blogger Mahmood.
The meeting was quite productive, we changed the focus from "anti-sectarianism speech" to "Anti hate, violence and discrimination speech". It has a wider focus to include more than the sectarian feuds encompassing all kinds of discrimination.
We also discussed how it would be implemented, how we will approach offenders and how to identify offenders as well. After the meeting, Mahmood started a mailing group and met with the Minister of Information in what seems to be quite a positive and receptive meeting.
But does anyone care?
The attendees represented 2 blogs and 2 forums only. despite several days of printing a quarter page coloured advert in Alwaqt, not many were there to help form something that touches all.
To make matters more strange, it seems that Alwaqt themselves didn't pay much attention to the matter. With one reporter that left the meeting before it starts, they printed nothing about the matter until today, full three days after. Which is rather strange because I thought since they are sponsoring this movment, they would show more interest in it.
I hope that my fears are unfounded and the rest of the community proves me wrong at the next meeting. This effort will only succeed if all concerned parties take ownership and adopt it.

Bahraini blocked websites unblocked?

I frequent Mahmood's Den religiously. Mahmood has on the right hand side of his blog a list of blocked out websites. I clicked on one today, and it opened up.
!
I clicked on another, it opened up!
I went through the whole list from top to bottom, they all opened up. Even the Haaq Movment website that proudly states it is a blocked website. Some of the websites were closed like Alsaheefa, others were abandoned and take you to a parked address.
Just to make sure, can YOU visit these sites? Click on some of the examples above or visit Mahmood's Den and click on them one by one. Answer the mini poll to the right please.

Bush visits Dubai, all life ends.

Bush continues his "farewell tour" in the middle east. This time? he stops in Dubai, UAE. While us poor Bahrainis were forced to go to work and suffered all the way through; Dubai gave EVERYONE the day off. Bahraini roads were filled with endless traffic, but Dubai roads? well...



Where were all the Emaratis? looks like they were all driven away from the main roads:So, you tell me if I am crazy but If you need all that protection, you must be doing something wrong.

I can't wait until this bozo's term is over.

George screws up traffic, go figure!

This morning was the most catastrophic morning commutes in a long time. My work day starts at 8, and I usually leave home by 7:30 and get there on time or 5 minutes late, tops.
So today, I get in at 9:13.
Do you have any idea how long have I been behind the wheel for what is normally a 30 minute drive?
Reason one being that it rained lightly, and Bahrainis usually skate over wet roads rather than drive on them. So everyone was driving cautious like.
Second reason, the real reason? George W. Bush.
He is in Bahrain visiting, and of course, he needs to get around. When he does, members of his own security team, probably helped with members of his 5th fleet AND our Bahraini special guards and traffic men and policemen are all out on full alert. Helicopters flying and most importantly: Roads.
Roads were blocked all over, in an attempt (in my understanding) to funnel cars into limited routes for security reasons or to clear up certain roads for same the reasons.
Now that might work everywhere on earth, but Bahrain is... Bahrain is like TINY man!
It's "official" size is 662 squared KMs. And we are not using that all, almost everyone works in itsy bitsy Manama. Its what? like 30 squared Kilometers?
So imagine this, a whole country works in a radius of 30 square kilometers, we have no proper public transport and almost everyone uses cars.
George W simply Screwed up our day.
Its amazing, just by being here he can screw things up! It's like he has an aura around him or something!

Anyway, I suggest for such cases: A Nintendo DS. Get a good game that does not require timely responses (Phoenix Wright or Pokemon would do, since they are mostly turn based)and away you go. This method is also good for killing time quickly until Dubya's term is over.

Benazir Bhutto is Killed

What a sad day for democracy. Just hours ago, Benazir Bhutto, ex Pakistani Prime Minister was assassinated in a suicide attack. She was shot in the neck, then the attacker blew himself up, killing 20. The BBC had this to say:

Ms Bhutto had just addressed a pre-election rally in the town of Rawalpindi when the bomb went off.
She was campaigning ahead of elections due in January.

And there you go. What a waste.

If Bahrain disappears, would anyone miss us?

I came across this interesting article in the Economist, about Belgium. How it is split into two distinct people with little in common.

Is Bahrain going that way? Reading the Article, it isn't so far fetched.

You don't think you're biased?

USA supports Israel with $30,000,000,000.00 (30 billion) over the next 10 years in ARMS ONLY.

Which mean there are MORE aids going to it later!
The amount is BD11340000000 (Almost BD94500000 - ninety four million and a half dinars - per month).
Now why is America doing that?
Did they do that to... lets say, South Korea? Who is their friends and faces danger from the North?
Did they do it to Finland? It is a "friend" isn't it?
Why not Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Vietnam, Ivory Coast, Bahrain, Mongolia, Fiji Islands, Poland. Why don't you let any other small, faraway, another continent country take over your decisions?
Why do you always give to Israel, which didn't give anything back to the taxpayers who are paying for this anyway?
If you do not think USA is biased and or is controlled by this tiny "state", you must be on something. This, my friends, is another reason why terrorism still goes on.

The reason why Bin laden is in the US, and the US is in Iraq

Watch the video first. It's a republican debate between Ron Paul & Rudy Guiliani. If you did then: Paul is absolutely correct. Guiliani is an idiot, in fact, rallying masses behind an "ideal" thought is what Bin laden does.
I mean, who the hell would hate anyone because they're free? Seriously? The biggest gripe about the US I hear all the time comes basically to "Why are they doing this to us?" and "Why don't they mind their own business?"
Did Americans really think they were liberating Iraq? Why not Liberate Nigeria from its leaders, huh? Do they care about Iraqi citizens? Where were the US when it approved of sanctions that killed millions?
They raised hell when an Emarati company (a "company" for goodness sakes, not army) managed one of Their ports. How would they feel if the French or Russian came to them and opened military bases on their soil?
For the record, I do not approve of Bin laden, he takes the Holy Quran out of context in a horrible way, hijacking and defacing my religion. But seriously, He wouldn't go all the way across the Atlantic if it wasn't for US's interferences.
You want proof?
All the American Soldier boys came all the way to Afghanistan & Iraq because they think It's in retaliation to the 9/11. Same thing, Bin laden and others think 9/11 is in retaliation for something else.
The problem really isn't in politics, but in stupid sheep-like people, that are herded to an absurd idea!
The US says they hate us for our freedom, and everyone goes, oh yeah, your right, lets get them!
Did they THINK we would prefer.. I dunno, OPPRESSION for example?
Bin laden says the Quran says we have to fight, so idiots go "yeah yeah lets go". For goodness sake, just read the rest of the Quran will you? The Quran is a whole book! You have to fight temptation, you have to fight daily to provide for your family, physically you have to defend your self if and only when you are attacked. But do people take 3 seconds to go "What a minute.."? no.

So, I'm glad people are starting to question things. I know that a lie, if repeated enough can be the truth. But it's a lie non the less, dig deep enough and you'll hit the truth.

PS: Being a Bahraini in the middle east, I have nothing to do with the elections and I do not support Paul or any other candidate. Just for the record.

Attack on Iran: We are toast.

I don't like toast. I prefer to have my bread un-toasted, thank you. With that in mind, I didn't ever think that I'd become one.
Today's Akhbar Alkhaleej headline "Israel requests an air passage over Iraq to attack Iran", is not something that I want to read while eating my daily un-toasted sandwich. I have nothing to do with both countries. However, I am stuck in the middle, sandwiched by the two (hence the toast analogy).
Another very good reason for the analogy is the Nukes, which, if deployed, will do the actual toasting of my physical existence.
The U.S. are not doing me any favours by this. Granting Israel their wish will at best increase shipping rates to astronomical figures (shippers will declare a premium for "war zones") and then my wallet will be toasted. All prices will just rocket along with the actual rockets.
Most reasonable people are against such escalation, including a good number of US Generals, who the Times reported, said they'll quit if Bush orders the attack. Lets hope that the rest of the forces feel as strongly.

Libya builds Statue for Saddam?

The BBC reported that Libya wants to erect a statue for Saddam Hussain.

..

Why do you want to that? Really? What good will it do?

Libya called 3 days of mourning upon his execution and cancelled the Eid al Adha holidays.

You can always depend on Alqaddhafi to wake you up, huh? :)