Freedom in Bahrain

Bahrain may have elections, but the whole freedom thing is taking a while. A human rights activist named Abd al-Hadi al-Khawaja called for the Prime Minister's resignation, so the government has closed the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. The center has apparently closed their FAX line so as to avoid receiving the official letter on the matter, but it's only a matter of time before things are official. This shows how Gulf governments continue to see rights as something given by the ruler to the people. Parliaments are called by the ruler's good graces as an official forum for people to express themselves. Criticizing the government too strongly or holding it responsible for problems in the country, however, remain off the table. These countries embody the term "paternalism," as what passes for free expression is like the father consulting his kids on what they want to do on a weekend or letting them decide how to arrange their rooms.

Mahmood of Mahmood's Den has more on this, focusing on the idea that the Prime Minister is not actually responsible for poverty in Bahrain and the center's political tactics are off.