Local Arab and Muslim groups to rally against Bahrain’s brutality

DEARBORN – As Bahrain’s King Hamad declared a three-month state of emergency on Tuesday, March 15 and troops from Saudi Arabia (and the United Arab Emirates) entered the country to quell anti-government protesters, local Bahraini Americans continued to watch from afar with great concern.

Ahmed Saeed of Dearborn said he was “really shocked” by the deployment of Saudi troops and is worried for the safety of family members after numerous incidents of deadly violence against protesters. Saeed, a doctor in America training in a residency program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said he plans to head back to Bahrain in the next few days to be with his family.

Meanwhile, other local Bahrainis like fellow Henry Ford doctor Osama Alaradi of Canton, planned to leave the state as well, but for a different reason.

Alaradi was expected to travel on the night of Thursday, March 17 to Washington, D.C. to protest in front of the Saudi embassy at noon on Friday, March 18 along with a busload of fellow local Bahrainis and supporters of anti-government protesters in Bahrain. They also had coordinated with other groups across the country in support of Bahrain and hope to meet with fellow demonstrators in Washington. Leaders from the Islamic Center of America, Islamic House of Wisdom, and Islamic Institute of Knowledge were planning to join as well according to Alaradi.

The itinerary also called for a trip to Lafayette Park to protest across from the White House.

In Bahrain, the ruling Al Khalifah family has been in power since the late 1700’s in the country and protesters have been emboldened by the successes of Tunisia and Egypt in taking to the streets. They have been met with heavy violence from government forces, however.

Saeed came from the country’s largest hospital, Salmniya in the capital of Manama. He said he’s been getting calls from workers from the hospital saying that a military blockade has gone up around it, stopping ambulances in their tracks and preventing badly wounded protesters from being treated.

“The doctors and patients are trapped inside and they can’t get out,” he said. “There’s no respirators inside, no food, and the people are running out of hospitals, most of them are already destroyed.”

Reports from various international media outlets backed up the claims of Saeed’s colleagues, who have been posting Facebook pictures of the carnage as well.

He said he supported the protesters heading to Washington.

“Protesting is the least we can do, to deliver this message for a stronger word from the U.S. government

and to tell them to stop the Saudi troops.

“It’s time for them and the government police forces to pull back and give the people the rights they’ve been asking for the past 30 or 40 years.”

One of Saeed’s brothers has been out on the streets among the protesters and another was trapped in Salmniya Hospital as of Wednesday, March 16.

Saeed said he couldn’t concentrate on work and went home earlier because he was thinking too much about his family.

“The situation is getting worse and my family is there so I think I have to go back (to Bahrain) and stand with them,” he said.

Rally in Dearborn

In addition to the Washington protest, a rally will be held at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn at 19500 Ford Rd. on Sunday, March 20 at 6 p.m.; it will be attended by various local Arab and Muslim organizations.