A father in Bahrain grieves after the loss of his son in recent waves of deadly violence against peaceful pro-Democracy protesters.

DEARBORN — While media coverage of atrocities committed
against peaceful protesters in the Gulf island nation of Bahrain has been
spotty at best in the United States and even in many international and Arab
world media outlets, local events have continued to spread awareness.

A string of rallies for Bahrain earlier this year in
downtown Detroit, Dearborn, and in Washington, D.C. from locals were
supplemented by an event at the Islamic Center of America on Thursday, May 26.

Raw footage of events in Bahrain, speeches by local Muslim
leaders, displays showing the devastating and brutal human toll of violence by
government and invading Saudi troops and more were all included as part of the
ICA’s “Bahrain: The Island of Fear” presentation, which drew around
150  guests on the evening.

A glossy booklet describing in detail the events of
Bahrain’s attempted peaceful revolution of hundreds of thousands against King
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was also distributed at the event.

Speakers noted that both the Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya TV
networks were “silent” at key times during the events unfolding in
Bahrain and that the people were peacefully rebelling against a ruling family
that has been in power for more than 200 years.

Footage shown at the event including one scene of a peaceful
protester being shot at nearly point-blank range in the street showed that the
violence perpetrated against Bahrainis deserved more attention from the media
and strong condemnations from world leaders, especially in the U.S., where such
a declaration never came.

Guests were encouraged to write to their local, state, and
national representatives to raise awareness of the plight of the people of
Bahrain.

Quotes from American media members who were able to cover
the atrocities committed in Bahrain were also posted through the halls of the
ICA as part of the event.

The Doctors Without Borders organization noted that
“health facilities were being used as bait to identify and arrest those
who dare seek treatment (from) wounds, especially those inflicted by
distinctive police and military gunfire,” one banner stated, corroborating
numerous reports on the ground about heartless violence against hospital
workers.

Another featured quotes from Pulitzer Prize-winning New York
Times reporter Nicholas D. Kristof on nearly unprecedented levels of brutality
he encountered on assignment.

“A column of peaceful, unarmed pro-democracy protesters
marched through the streets…they threatened no one, but their 21st-century
aspirations collided with a medieval ruler,” Kristof wrote on the
situation.

“I’ve seen corpses of protesters who were shot at close
range, seen a teenage girl writhing in pain after being clubbed, (and) seen
ambulance workers beaten for trying to rescue protesters.”

The popular news website Politico.com was also quoted,
speaking what many believe is a hypocritical stance by the Obama administration
on the situation.

“President Barack Obama calls Syria’s response to its
protesters abhorrent, but he loses his voice when it comes to Bahrain…He is
apparently conceding to Saudi Arabia, whose rulers seem determined to stamp out
any uncontrollable democracy (in the region).”

Human Rights First issued a statement that it is gravely
concerned at reports that peaceful protesters in several locations across
Bahrain have been attacked by security forces using teargas, buckshot and
rubber bullets. This week marked the official lifting of Bahrain’s State of
Safety, but the crackdown appears to be continuing.

“We are hearing reports from Bahrain that protesters
have been attacked by government forces. The wounded are staying away from
hospitals fearing that they will be detained if they seek medical treatment. In
another ominous development, human rights defenders are being summoned to
report to police stations.  The
U.S. government must speak out against any attacks on peaceful demonstrations
with at least the same urgency and level of concern that it has demonstrated
elsewhere in the Middle East when pro-democracy protesters have been
attacked,” said Brian Dooley of Human Rights First.