Habib Toumi

MP Abdul Halim Murad

A conservative lawmaker has urged the Bahraini authorities to boost police presence in the desert camps, saying that police forces were needed to ensure security and ethical behaviour.

“There is a strong need for a higher number of police patrols in the Sakhir camping areas where Bahraini families tend to gather to spend agreeable times. Now that the mid-year school holidays have started, the numbers of those who spend their time in the area is increasing and the mounted police as well as police patrols would have greater tasks,” Abdul Halim Murad, MP for Al Asala, said. “Their presence will guarantee better and tighter security and will ensure moral practices and ethical behaviour are upheld, especially that there are so many teenagers from both sexes in the area,” said the MP whose society is the main Salafi formation in Bahrain.

Thousands of Bahrainis take advantage of the cool weather to camp in the Sakhir area, putting up their own tents or spending time with friends, colleagues or relatives. The “going-back to the roots” tradition lasts until early March when temperatures rise. However, the peak of the camping season is the first two weeks of February when government schools are closed. continue reading…

Mussa Sadr

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri has called for the boycott of the Arab summit next month in Libya, a country that Shiites blame for the disappearance of top scholar Imam Mussa Sadr 31 years ago.

“I personally stand with the boycott, but only President Michel Suleiman can decide on Lebanon’s participation in Libya’s Arab League Summit,” Berri said on Wednesday following a meeting with the Lebanese president. “I do not decide for him, and His Excellency the President knows very well that there is a Lebanese court ruling against Libya and Libyan leaders. His Excellency of course respects the Lebanese judiciary and the feelings of the Lebanese people,” he said.

Berri was referring to a 2008 Lebanese prosecutor’s charging of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi and six other Libyan officials in the disappearance of Sadr and his two companions.

However, keen on the success of the summit, Arab league Secretary General Amr Mussa has been holding talks with Lebanese officials to ensure Lebanon’s participation on March 27 amid concerns that the boycott would be strongly advocated by Shiite leaders and would set a precedent.

Last week, Shaikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, Lebanon’s deputy head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council, urged Lebanon to boycott the Arab Summit, describing Libya as “a hostile and tyrant state.” continue reading…