*Bu Keshmah

The title is not one of a fairytale story, like king of the forest. It is neither a metaphorical nor a commercial nickname like "King of Mandi" [traditional dish]. It is also not a title marking one's achievements like that of football player Pelé who is nicknamed the "King of football". It is simply related to our time and is about a real live king.

He is the king of lies. He lied his way to the throne to attain the title of a king, when he polled the citizens about changing the state into a monarchy and promised them better days to come. However, people discovered that they were the worst days ever. He promised Bahraini citizens a decent lives and democracy. He also described the Bahraini citizen as the real fortune of the nation. Nonetheless, it was discovered later on that he deems the citizen to be a burden on the ruling tribe.

Everybody remembers how he feigned humility and signed with his Interior Minister's pen in the the Shiite religious scholar's council, Sayed Abudalla Al-Ghuraifi, in Al-Nuaim, that the House of Representatives is for legislation and the Shura Council is to provide consultations. After he was given the people's confidence by 98.4% of the votes, he broke his promise like any liar would.

He also lied when he said that the Bahraini citizen is the fortune of this country, but then brought in mercenaries from around the world, gave them citizenships and privileges that were made for Bahrainis, while Bahrainis were rendered unemployed and started begging for the jobs that the foreigners secured.

He lied in front all of the whole world and news agencies when he promised to implement everything that came in the BICI report also known as the report of Bassiouni, whom he appointed himself and chose along with his commission. He practiced oppressive measures and took things too far. Prisons became filled with youths, and extreme judiciary verdicts increased including prison sentences reaching up to more than 100 years, let alone the death penalties, life imprisonment sentences and citizenship revocation which have now become a norm in so-called trials in Bahrain.

The king promotes with his tongue and through the tongues of his men and supporters that Bahrain has scarce resources, and that it is not like its neighbors. In fact, this king, who is almost 70 years old, is one of the richest in the world, with a fortune reaching $220 billion, let alone the palaces he owns in Europe, Morocco and Pakistan. He even appointed security crews and staff to prepare food in his palaces outside Bahrain. He also has six airplanes, considered among the world's most expensive personal jets, worth $270 million, and luxury yachts. He looted all of this from the country's scarce sources.

This king adores himself and his tribe, and has a fondness for ownership thus he simply can't abandon and give up his four mansions in Sharm El-Sheikh and the rest of his palaces in Morocco, as well as his other palaces across the globe, which he visits only once a year.

Frankly, the king is sometimes honest. For instance, when he said that he will continue the journey of [the late Emir] Isa bin Salman [Al Khalifa], he did not lie. His father turned against his promise of openness, crushed the parliamentary experience in the 1970s, and enshrined the notorious State Security law until his demise. As the saying goes, "like father like son"; the king was like his father in his loyalty to the Al Saud family [in Saudi Arabia]. He who knows him wasn't surprised at all when the Bahraini king kissed the nose of the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the summit of Sharm El-Sheikh, because he should show obedience to his master and king and actual ruler of his kingdom.

Therefore, we find that the king of lies inherited the lies from his father and ancestors, and was keen on leaving this inheritance of lies for all his sons, grandchildren, tribe and supporters. Behold, for you haven't lived the big lie yet, as this tribe did not only lie in the diving days, they simply arrived to this safe island with a big lie, they called it a conquest!

Even in the era of transparency, technology, the Internet, satellite channels and social media outlets, the tribe has not stopped their lies they inherited from "Ahmed Al-Fateh" [The Conqueror] in 1783 until "Hamad" [the biggest liar] in present day. The worst is yet to come.

*Bahraini author who writes under an alias fearing retaliation

Arabic Version