15th Apr, 2013 –
In recent weeks, Citizens for Bahrain has talked to dozens of Bahrainis about the Grand Prix. Predictably, all loyalists expressed complete support for the event. However, many of the most interesting opinions came from moderate opposition sympathizers, who often noted their reservations about the political situation, but universally acknowledged the importance of the Formula One for the Bahraini economy and Bahraini unity. Here is a sample of some of these voices:
“The one-and-only event that brings people together”
“For the past decade the Grand Prix has been one of the main events that I feel have promoted Bahrain, giving it a positive international image. It is certainly the one-and-only event that brings people together, even if they are not sports fans. It creates a positive environment in the country as we celebrate and welcome our guests from across the globe to show them what the real Bahrain is all about; the hospitality we are historically known for and the great things our country offers,” said Salman, aged 27, from Manama
“I have my reservations towards the Government; and I am a firm supporter of reform and the fact that things need to politically change in my country. But I still support the F1 and other events that enhance our economy and further develop our nation. If we keep cancelling events such as the F1 and the Spring of Culture festival then we would end up with nothing but a drowning economy that would affect all our lives,” said Hassan, age 32, from Saar
“Our duty to support each other”
“Many people are defying the F1 since they have turned it into a political issue. In my view the F1 is purely an event that creates a positive environment. By burning tyres and terrorizing people the extremist elements of the opposition will not achieve anything but damage to their own country and hence damage to their own lives. Even though my views are inclined towards the opposition’s calls for democracy, I do not look at this event as a government initiative. I believe that this is a Bahraini event held in Bahrain and organized by hundreds of Bahrainis who have put effort into making this a success for the whole nation. It is our duty to support each other by not ruining it since it also creates job opportunities for many of our fellow countrymen,” said Aisha 38 from Isa Town
“The media propaganda of the opposition which aims at cancelling the F1 defies all principles of democracy and the basic rights of many Bahrainis who would like to enjoy the F1 far away from tear gas and burning tyres. There is an ongoing dialogue between the opposition and the government and our concerns should be addressed on the dialogue table, not by trying to cancel an international event that has positive effects for our economy through several means,” said Sarah 28 from Riffa
“Bahrain is going back to normal”
“International journalists should be let into the country to cover the Grand Prix and the terrorism in the villages. This would help the media in further understanding that it is nothing but groups of young thugs who are damaging their own areas and attempting to create chaos across the country. I am enjoying a normal life even though I get stuck in traffic every once in a while, because of burning tyres or Molotov attacks on policemen. Bahrain is going back to normal and the opposition led by Al Wefaq is participating in the dialogue. Hence it is pointless for these exploited youth to try to damage our country’s reputation,” said Khalid 40 from Budaiya
“Opposition supporters – yet they are looking forward to the F1”
“We should not give into extremist behaviours that try to bring our country to a halt, the Sunni Salafis don’t want the Spring of Culture and the extremist Shia Ayatollahs don’t want the F1, we cannot accept this and there’s no sense of democracy to such attempts. Extremism should be brought to an end. We need to move forward and build our nation, instead of damaging its image. Bahrain is a liberal country and these events bring a sense of relief that our country is not being left in the hands of extremists who want to prevent us from every sense of life enjoyment in our country. Many of my friends support reform and are opposition supporters, yet they are looking forward to the F1 as they feel that this has nothing to do with politics;” said Amal 36 from Sanad
“Our country has gone through a rough economic phase during the past few years due to the global economic crisis of 2008, which we surprisingly survived as a nation with minimum damages. Yet the real estate sector and the banking sector were highly influenced by the political unrest of 2011. Now our economy is going through a recovery phase and it’s our duty to set our political differences aside and support initiatives such as the F1 that bring millions of dollars into the country;” said Khalid 30 from Juffair
“The F1 supports our economy”
“The F1 supports our economy which was certainly damaged by the 2011 unrest. It enhances tourism and investments hence from an economic perspective this serves us as Bahrainis. Many Bahrainis lost their jobs following the economic damage caused by the unrest. It is the lives of ordinary Bahrainis that will be harmed if we cancel such an event and it would affect our standard of living whether we support the opposition or the government. Even Al-Wefaq’s leader, Shaikh Ali Salman, stated that his society is not against holding the event but they will try to take advantage of the press presence to present their cause to the world. I believe that as long as this is being done through peaceful means then it is the opposition’s right to express its views to the world without fabricating stories, terrorizing the nation and preventing us from our basic right to enjoy an international sports event being held in our country,” said Abdullah 42 from Muharraq
“Only an extremist minority is fighting the F1”
“It is a normal thing to go through political unrest and divisions in any country, yet this should not influence events such as the Grand Prix. All we keep hearing about Bahrain in the international media nowadays is that people are protesting against the F1 but what about a major segment of the society that is excitedly waiting for this event, don’t we also have the right to be proud of our nation and host the international community for a few days. Only an extremist minority is fighting the F1; even major opposition figures have expressed that this event has nothing to do with politics;” said Marwa 27 from Manama
“If the F1 did not succeed this year, it would influence the country for the coming few years on all levels. This single event has put Bahrain on the international map and this is a privilege that we should not lose. The government, NGOs and individuals should work together towards presenting the true positive image of the country. In my views, it is not the big businesses that would be damaged if we cancel the F1 but it’s the small and medium enterprises which ordinary Bahraini families benefit from that would suffer the most. As we all know, the Bahraini market is struggling and we need to work together far away from our political agendas to make our country survive;” said Amina 41 from Saar
Citizens for Bahrain wishes everybody a peaceful and celebratory 2013 Formula One Grand Prix