Protestors in the main market of Manama, Bahrain run for cover from riot cops chasing them. They were protesting to demand the release of those incarcerated by the regime--which must feel like it’s the one on the run. Try as they do, the media can’t make the revolution in Bahrain look like a religious conflict between Shi’ite rebels & the Sunni monarchy (they haven’t played the al-Qaeda scare yet). At one point, the king tried to bribe protestors with a few bucks, a promise to sack some politicians, & some other puny blandishments. That didn’t work, so he brought in Saudi tanks & troops to use excessive violence. Now they’ve come up with a stunt to merge the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia & Bahrain in an attempt to save Bahrain. The protestors aren’t buying any of it. They continue to protest against all these schemes despite the violence. Some writers have tried to minimize the central role played by women in the Arab uprisings by pointing to continuing misogyny in these countries. These writers either don’t know their political ass from their elbow or they’re trying to feed Islamophobia & undercut these revolutions. These revolutions have just begun & have a long way to go. Social transformations of such a profound nature that can uproot centuries of misogyny (along with racism & other tyrannies) are not completed in a year & certainly not before the revolutions have demolished oligarchy. (Photo by Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters)
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