Bahrain Mirror (2023 Portfolios): Could Leila Abdullatif have predicted Bahrain's role in an international coalition to secure the flow of goods to and from Israel during the genocidal war on the people of Gaza?

The answer today is a resounding no-not because it's beyond the realm of possibility, but because it's not about prediction; it's about expectation. To illustrate the distinction between prediction and expectation, consider the following hypothetical scenarios: Suppose a group of homosexual people seeks an island in the Muslim world for a solidarity conference-where might they turn? Or imagine the World Zionist Congress seeking an Islamic state to host its annual conference on global Zionist policies-what location springs to mind? And what about the International Federation of World Peace Organizations searching for an Arab country to put forth an initiative for polishing Israel's image in Arabic and Islamic educational curricula-where would they likely go?

The expected answer, unequivocally, is Bahrain. The outcome of the policies adopted by the ruling family have transformed Bahrain into a service provider on demand, rather than a sovereign nation. This notion of being "on demand" implies being at someone's beck and call; when sovereignty is forfeited, decisions are no longer yours to make, and you become subject to the whims of others, placed wherever they see fit.

A state embodies the collective will of its people, manifesting as sovereign power. However, Bahrain has relinquished this sovereign power; its people are on the path to Al-Quds, while its government veers towards Tel Aviv. These two paths are irreconcilable. The fallen in Gaza are martyrs in the eyes of the people but barbarians in the eyes of the government. This is a government "on demand," one that defies the will of its people and submits to its employers and sponsors.

This is the culmination of disdain for popular will and its demands, as the state becomes a dangling tail on the body of the powerful, a small pocket within the garments of the elite, and something insignificant in the wallets of the affluent.

The proof of this is? Bahrain has become weak-a playground for the greedy and a subject of ridicule for the gloaters. It holds no weight, no power, and commands no respect.

Furthermore, the ruling family and its authorities are now objects of derision on social media and television programs, with no one spared from the mockery. They lack political significance, wield no regional influence, and possess no moral authority.

Disregarding the popular will has led Bahrain into a moral abyss, even within the Arab world. The Palestinian cause, a unifying moral and political touchstone for the wider Arab populace, no longer guides Bahrain's choices or informs its political discourse.

Hence, Bahrain does not require a predictor to anticipate its descent into abnormal behavior or its descent into shameful action; everything is foreseeable from an authority that sidesteps the will of its people and its nation.

Arabic Version