Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): If imperialism is the highest level of capitalism, then Palestinian Yousef Hamed Mashal is the highest level of naturalization, i.e.: bullying Bahrainis! This is not something new coming from people from that part of the world or that culture, where Mashal comes from. These kinds of people have always seen Gulf Arabs as sedentary, idle and lazy people, who are not so civilized, thinking that only people like themselves and the likes of the flatterer Mashal can chime in to lift the bed sheets off  what they consider to be indolent Bahraini people.

This is the picture of the ancient racism of "some" Levant Arabs towards this region, which has been constantly repeated and demonstrated in different colors and forms. Mashal does not express an individual case, nor any level of improvisation, but a deep-rooted old attitude.

Mashal's move, with his redundant slurs, was made to turn this attitude to a form of bullying. Yes, protracted bullying of all Bahrainis. If naturalization in Bahrain is a problem, Yousef Mashal is the tip of the iceberg.

A naturalized greedy person like Mashal refuses to only express his newly-made identity and that of his group, leaning on the imbalance of power between the authorities and the people, but goes as far as presenting it as a sweeping force that eats up everything in its path. Who are Bahrainis? To people like him, they're nothing; they're nothing but lazy in their jobs, who have no value and who have no feather on their head [i.e. privileged]. This is, in short, a summary of the image Mashal holds in his mind about the Bahraini people "who have no authority and are not in the position of authority".

It's the disdainful look they give to the Gulf Arabs.

Bahrain has treated him and his family well, since they arrived as immigrants, all granted citizenships and freedom to practice trade. But all these long years did not teach him how to politely speak to Bahrainis, and respect them. Everything Bahrain offers him will never satiate his hunger. This place and its people will always remain marginalized in his mind. To Mashal, it is just an oasis of investment where he puts on a mask to fool the authorities and enjoy all the privileges he can put his hands on. It is fine if it is filled with naturalized people.

Yousef Mashal is nothing but an dated notion and prejudice against Gulf Arabs rooted in the minds of Levant Arabs.

Arabic Version