A letter to Salman Bin Hamad
 

The letter below will make more sense if you watch the video


Dear Crown Prince,


I’d be be a fool to compare my issues with my father or my uncle with yours. After all, I am just a commoner and not the son of an untouchable divine authority. Almost on a daily basis, I argue with my father about many things like the way we share bread at home with my siblings for example. Sometimes he’s wrong, sometimes I am wrong but in the end, we acknowledge to each other who’s been right, and in most cases, it only takes a nod or a smile to exchange these acknowledgments. However, if I was to do something horribly wrong, say I rape our neighbor’s daughter and come home to brag about it, my commoner father will disown me at once. Needles to say that on the other hand, if my father was to stain his hands with such horrific acts, I will no longer call him father and I will take him to court myself for any of his heinous practices. The bond ends there until maybe justice is served.


Just like you were hesitant to address the audience for modest reasons, I, in the beginning, was wondering weather I should write to you too because I honestly have lost all hope in the ruling family to take us out of this mess and the bloodbaths. But then I thought to myself, hey, I just might as well.


I am a Bahraini too sir. Poor I might be, but fortunate to be educated just enough to get by in this life. Fortunate to have a brain to distinguish between right and wrong, and the decency to point out the difference without bending the truth. I trust you had pure intentions with all your reforms projects from EDB to Tamkeen and even to your dialogue initiatives. But seriously how is that enough? How is that enough when Bahrainis like yourself are being literally raided in their villages for asking for their rights? Our country is not at the verge of a war sir, it is at war. Why are the most valuable assets of our country are being tortured in jails? Why is reform from scratch is such a taboo? Is an elected government worth killing more than sixty of your fellow citizens in our small island? Why is it that in my country, knowing or being a relative of X makes someone automatically superior instead of law? Why are we being fed statements which are utter nonsense that no sane brain can swallow? The full literacy rate is ready for democracy. Our region have witnessed three major wars like you have honestly mentioned, but let us not forget the uprisings that happen every 10 years in since the 1920s since we’re being honest. Something is fundamentally wrong.


You see, prisons everywhere in this world are the place where criminals are deprived from their freedom. Depriving them from freedom is the punishment, otherwise jail is just a room (of course our jails are different because people die of torture in there). Freedom -in all its forms- is what is priceless. Life in Bahrain has become very close to prison cells (Bahraini prison cells i.e with the torture). So there isn't really much difference from living at home or in jail. The aftermath of February 14 revolution has created many people with nothing to lose. This to your concern should be very scary and alerting because if it is not tackled, this country is doomed for good. The sustainable future for our people will be 5 policemen for every citizen and a 100 teargas canisters for every village per night. And the foundations of a modern economy will be non-existent.


Finally, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, a commoner like me will not expect a reply but please, rise to the challenge and practice what you preach. And since we are famous for pearling, allow us to rebuild the pearl roundabout.