Stories about Bahrain from June, 2009
Bahrain: Comparing Government Efficiency In Bahrain And Japan
Bahraini blogger Yagoob is studying in Japan, and he compares the experience of receiving financial aid from the Bahraini and Japanese governments: “Nagoya is a city with a population of 2.2 million people, four times more people than Bahrain, and yet they are sure of every single piece of information...
Bahrain: The Failure Of Education
Mahmood responds to a recently issued official report about the standards of education in Bahrain: “Education in this country is a joke, generally. Things will not change unless the decrepit primary and secondary system is gutted.”
Bahrain: What Does “Madrasah” Mean?
Bahraini blogger Cradle of Humanity is currently in the United States, and she recounts a misunderstanding that took place when she was asked if there are any madrasahs in Bahrain…
Bahrain: Remembering Michael
Michael Jackson was a resident of Bahrain for a short time – and Mahmood remembers some of the things he got up to: “What will I remember of him? Well, his touring the Seef Mall and being caught in a burka – of all things – shopping in Marina Mall,...
Bahrain: The Word Is Out
Bahraini blogger Mohammed AlMaskati comments on how easy it is to get the ‘real’ news about Bahrain today, from outside the country at least: “A simple search for the word ‘Bahrain’ will return you clips of demonstrations, anti-governmental poetry, sermons and riots…The views of our so-called ‘opposition’ are out for...
Bahrain: Newspaper Suspended For A Day
On Monday, 22 June, Bahrain's oldest newspaper in circulation Akhbar Al Khaleej was suspended for the day after printing an article critical of certain Iranian leaders and making reference to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's alleged Jewish origins. The move would seem to have been made to avoid provoking unrest amongst the Shi'a majority in Bahrain.
Bahrain: Should “Native Speakers” Be Given Preference?
Bahraini blogger Cradle of Humanity was angry about a recruitment advertisement at a college which stated that native speakers of English would be given preference, so she wrote to complain: “I don’t know if my email would mean anything, but I hope they get the message that, despite English being...
Bahrain: A Plea For Less Drama
Bahraini blogger Hala is tired with the commenters on her blog When it Beeps: “I’m beginning to feel that I encounter more Drama in the blogosphere than in my real life, and since I’m doing a great job of blocking the drama out of my real life, maybe I should...
Bahrain: Train And Hire Bahrainis, Please
Bassam Noor is pleased that a Bahraini has been hired in a senior position in major investment firm Investcorp for the first time, but says: “It’s unfair that Investcorp benefits from Bahrain’s tax-free environment, and geographical proximity to cash-rich regions, but it yet refuses arrogantly to provide further training to...
Bahrain: Female Lifeguards?
Following a tragedy in which a child drowned, Bahrain Taxi has concluded that the fact that family groups prefer not to use male lifeguards means that Bahraini women should train as lifeguards.
Bahrain: Making Changes
This week two Bahraini bloggers announced their intention to make some changes in their life: Flymenian has a new routine, and Mahmood wants to lose weight.
Bahrain/Tunisia: Censors of the Net
Sesawe‘s blog publishes an English translation of an article which appeared in France's Le Monde 2, entitled Censors of the Net, written by Claire Ulrich, which focuses on censorship, including that in Bahrain and Tunisia, to name a few.
Arab World: Berkman Launches New Arab Blog Study
Harvard University's Berkman Centre for Internet and Society has released a study of the Arabic blogosphere entitled Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere. About 35,000 active blogs were covered. “The goal for the study was to produce a baseline assessment of the networked public sphere in the Arab Middle East, and its...
Bahrain: Ahmadinejad, For And Against
Bahrain has many historical and cultural links to Iran. A number of Bahrainis (both Shi'a and Sunnis) have Persian roots and speak Persian, and many of Bahrain's Shi'a community regularly travel to religious sites in Iran. On Bahraini blogs and forums there has been a lot of support expressed for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, thanks in particular to his reputation as a clean politician and modest person, but he is not popular with everyone.
Bahrain: Cultural Comparisons
Bahraini blogger Cradle of Humanity, who has spent time studying both in the UK and the US, has come to a conclusion that surprises her: “I think I came to Cleveland expecting to find Cardiff, and that’s why I was shocked…What’s amazing is that Cleveland has more in common with...
Bahrain: Bloggers Meet
Mahmood reports on a get-together of Bahraini bloggers, after a long break.
Bahrain: Equipped For Swine Flu?
Bahraini blogger Emoodz asks why a student returning from the US who was feeling unwell was sent home from the doctor with some painkillers – then was later discovered to have swine flu.
Bahrain: Learning To Appreciate Bahrain
The Bahrain Taxi blog is back – but is no longer ranting: “I’ve been in Bahrain for nearly two years now and I feel I have finally settled down…rather than being angry at everything and everyone I have opened my eyes to what a great place this can be.”
Bahrain: What Happened To Bahrain's Blogs?
Bahraini blogger Mohammed AlMaskati wonders what has happened to the local blogosphere: “We had a decent online community, and a good thing going. I used to skim BahrainBlogs before my daily round on newspapers and local forums… We have just lost all of that.. Why?!“
Bahrain: Disappointment In Iranian Election Result
Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam cannot believe that Iranians have chosen Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again, and reports what he discovered while following Iranian blogs.
Bahrain: The Appeal Of Life In Saudi Arabia
Natasha Burge, who blogs at The Voracious Vegan, is excited about moving from Bahrain to live on the Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran.
