Dr. Osama Alaradi with his nieces during a visit to Bahrain.

CANTON – As protests continue in Bahrain against the ruling Al Khalifah family, which has been in power since 1783, and its government, local Bahrainis are worried about family back home.

Dr. Osama Alaradi of Canton, a 46-year-old gastroenterologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, is among those with a vested interest in the events of the island country of just over 1.2 million inhabitants as government officials have ordered an end to protests and sent tanks onto the streets. Seven have died and hundreds have been injured. He and four co-workers have followed the events through social media and contact with family members.

“I have seven brothers, two sisters, my mom, cousins, uncles and aunts over there, they were at the protests during the day but not at night (when deadly violence was unleashed against demonstrators early Thursday morning),” Alaradi said.

“The people don’t know exactly what they’re going to do now but that the government has shut down Pearl Square (where the protests occurred)…they may be successful in inflicting severe damage but the people won’t forget.”

Alaradi said that hospitals have been overwhelmed by gruesome injuries and in some cases deaths, and added  that relief workers were not allowed to help the wounded and were even injured by government forces, prompting a strike by hospital workers in the capital of Manama. His friend, a plastic surgeon, was also beaten during a protest. Alaradi said demonstrations have been going on for years, and he was caught off-guard by the fierce government response this time.

“I was very surprised with how aggressive and how brutal the action is…I thought they would have some negotiations with the crowd but I’m very surprised and shocked by how aggressive and brutal the government’s actions were.”