Hundreds rally against lifting ban
Gulf Daily News, 8 October 2005
Hundreds rally against lifting ban
By TARIQ KHONJI
Hundreds of people turned up at two separate sites to demonstrate against Bahrain’s lifting of a boycott of Israeli goods yesterday.
Around 250 people stayed behind for the protest outside the Abdulla bin Darwish Fakhro Mosque in East Riffa while around 250 more took part in a similar rally at the Islamic Society Mosque in Muharraq.
The demonstrations were spearheaded by Al Menbar National Islamic Society and attended by politicians, civic organisations and others.
Al Menbar parliamentary bloc member Shaikh Mohammed Khalid Mohammed led the demonstration in East Riffa calling on the protesters to chant slogans including "Allah is the only God and Israel and America are the enemies of God".
Shaikh Mohammed said that Bahrain shouldn’t go against its principles for mere profit.
"We don’t care about trade. The lifting of this boycott is a crime against the poor Palestinian people, who have long suffered at the hands of the Israelis," he said.
"We need to continue to show our solidarity with the people of Palestine and not give in only for money."
MP Salah Ali said that lifting the ban was an affront to the Palestinians and the Islamic religion.
"We are here to send a message to Bahrain’s government and the leadership to tell them that we are extremely disappointed with this decision," he told the crowd.
"Political decisions should not take precedent over religion and the support we have for the Palestinians.
"But no matter what political decision is made, the people of Bahrain must continue to show solidarity with the Palestinians by refusing to accept Israeli products."
The lifting of the ban is understood to be part of the conditions specified in Bahrain’s upcoming Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US.
Fifteen MPs have signed a request for the government to explain the closure of the Israeli Boycott Office and the removal of the ban on Israeli products and banking links.
Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa are expected to answer questions about the issue at a parliament session this week.
