Please excuse my extended absence from posting as I've been completely occupied finalizing the details of my longtime childhood friend Kim Kardashian's upcoming visit to Bahrain, where, as she's already made clear in comments to reporters, she will "set the record straight" while being ogled by members of the royal family. Asked what "record" exactly will be "set straight," she continued, "You know, about how all the Tutsi rebels are killing innocent Hutus and other Bahrainites." I hope everyone will wish her well in her fact-finding and record-straightening mission.
I have some suitcases to unpack, so I don't have time to get into all the details of BICI anniversary mania; 'Ashura' madness (although I will say that I did get a chance to witness 'Ashura' celebrations among the Lawati in Muscat; very interesting); and, of course, Kim's trip to Bahrain. Instead, I wanted to note that I will be taking part in one such BICI anniversary mania event this Wednesday at the Brookings Doha Center. The forum, which is billed as "a policy discussion on the political situation in Bahrain" and will include a Q&A session, will run from 5:30 to 7:00pm. My sole co-panelist (though they are looking for a third) is Jamal Khashoggi, whom I do not know personally but is a well-known Saudi journalist and editor-in-chief of the Saudi-owned but Bahrain-based Al-Arab news channel. The executive director of POMED, which just released a comprehensive assessment of Bahrain's BICI implementation, will also be joining via the Interweb from Washington. In any case, it should be good fun and not at all contentious, since discussions on Bahrain are usually very civil and always based on sober and objective consideration of relevant facts.
If you're in town but don't know where Brookings is located, here is a map. The event is public but requires pre-registration by e-mailing DohaCenter@Brookings.edu. Kim Kardashian may or may not be in attendance.
One additional note is that sometime in the next few days Middle East Policy will publish its Winter 2012 issue, which contains an article by me entitled "The Political Costs of Qatar's Western Orientation." It is based on two years of survey data from Qatar and although not related to Bahrain may be of interest to some insofar as it is an analysis of popular political attitudes in a Gulf state.
Update: An informative article in Al-Ahram on Bahrain's recent revocation of opponents' citizenship.
It is soooo exciting that Kim K is finally here! I love her! The agents of persia must already see their world and cause crumbling!
ReplyDeleteI also have a confession to make - I am also one of those people who paid BD 650 per person to join the gorgeous Kim for a VIP dinner!! Go screw yourself villager boys!!
While this is the level of quality we all have come to expect from the loved-or-hated Sal Rahim, this last post was not anything new or creative. It contains generic anti-govt slacking, some attempt at a shocking statement, and ends up with a "I am better than you" statement. Not one of his best to be sure.
Delete1 out of 10 - Would not read again
@Sal: That will be difficult to do from Dubai, no?
Delete