I had been delaying a business trip for months, but it had become essential. On the road to Heathrow my hopes for Global Britain get off to a bad start. For years I feel I have been leading a solitary campaign to rid the UK of millions of unnecessary road signs that so blight our streetscape. The journey into London that greets all who drive to and from the airport is worse than many in what used to be termed the Third World. There are three banks of misaligned poles on most of the side streets, and no end of rust and grot. It is a national disgrace.
Wednesday, 07 April 2021 6:18 AM
[ Last Update: Wednesday, 07 April 2021 8:15 AM ] Deceased Bahraini political prisoner Abbas Malallah
Bahrain’s main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, says a Bahraini political dissident has passed away in a detention center after prison services denied him medical aid, amid reports of alarming conditions of confinement in the kingdom in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wefaq said in a statement on Tuesday that Abbas Malallah died at the notorious Jau Prison where political leaders, human rights defenders, and other prisoners of conscience are kept “as a result of dangerous, inhumane conditions and medical negligence.”
His body was later laid to rest in his home village of Nuwaidrat, located about 10 kilometers south of the capital, Manama. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Omran Salman is a writer and journalist focusing on issues of reform and enlightenment in the Arab world. Salman writes weekly for Al-Hurrah, and has worked in Arabic media for more than 25 years. He is a contributor to Fikra Forum.
Brief Analysis
Qatar must adequately manage its ties to the Brotherhood if it wants to ensure sustainable Gulf ties.
Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood and its various branches is one of the central reasons behind its crisis in relations with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain.
Now that these four countries and Qatar have finally resolved this crisis diplomatically, the Qatari government’s ongoing relationship with the Brotherhood may serve as an indication of whether the diplomatic solution will be durable in the future.
David Pollock is the Bernstein Fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on regional political dynamics and related issues.
When polled, Sunni and Shia Bahrainis have strikingly similar views on a number of key foreign policy issues, from Israel to Iran.
A new public opinion poll completed last month in Bahrain on behalf of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy reveals that the country’s 700,000 citizens are almost evenly divided about its new peace agreement with Israel: nearly half approve, while half disagree. Only one-fourth, however, “strongly” oppose the Abraham Accords. The data is very similar in simultaneous surveys conducted in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, suggesting that major internal tension over this previously taboo issue is actually unlikely across the Arab Gulf states.