Thoughts on the Protests: News Sources

It has been 11 days since the first protests started on February 13.  A lot has happened.  Lots of new experiences, emotions and decisions that have to be made.  I've been reading "1776" by David McCullough recently, a book about George Washington's first year leading his army in the American Revolution.  I've been a little taken aback in how I've responded to some of the events - things I never would have responded to before. So I thought I'd put together some of the thoughts I've had over the last week and a half.  This first one is specifically about where we've been getting our news from.

My Facebook news feed is literally my news feed:  Things happen and change so fast - and the mainstream media doesn't keep up.  I found that CNN, the BBC and the NY Times were always about 12-18 hours behind.  Therefore, to check the news, I first went to Facebook and checked status updates, and the pictures and links that people posted.  It was on Facebook that I learned about the tanks rolling towards the Pearl Roundabout - about an hour after it actually happened (someone had uploaded it to YouTube).  Eventually, Al Jazeera (out of Qatar) started a live blog that was pretty up to date (though they've since shut that down and focused their reporting on Libya)

Even though the military has pulled out, there have been large demonstrations (both pro-government and pro-reform) and so I often check Facebook to see if/when protests are happening.  Even tonight, before we went to the mall for a coffee and a stroll, I posted a status update asking if anyone had any pertinent information on traffic and protests.  Not 5 minutes after I posted, I received a call from a friend who updated me on the security report he gets from his company.

I still check the news networks, though I find their articles a little tedious (often the first paragraph or two is the "new" news, and the rest is background).  They are great if you don't live here, but since I do, much of the background information is kind of like me picking up a book and the book starting out with the ABC's.  Its also been interesting to see how they portray the island. Here are some of the things I've noticed:

1. Pearl Roundabout:  The BBC, NY Times and CNN just can't get away from calling it the Pearl "Square".  It's not a square in the sense that it's a natural place where people congregate.  It's a big roundabout with a monument in the middle.  Until the last week and a half, I've never seen more than three or four people standing there.  I'm trying to decide if they still don't know its not a square, they now now after making a mistake but don't want to look stupid, call it a square to make the connection to Tahir Square (in Egypt), or have decided that it is now functioning like a square.  
2. Population:  News sources are still saying that Bahrain has a population of about 750,000-800,000.  Those reporters are still getting their information from the out-of-date CIA world fact book.  In the last year or so, the government has admitted that there are about 1.1 million people here, and only 500,000-600,000 are Bahrainis (a sore point for many as there his a relatively high unemployment rate among young men). 

I imagine that a lot of the observations about outside news organizations are commonly found in any situation. People in Egypt and Libya are undoubtedly thinking similar things.  And I think that the reporting is a necessary way to break down a very complex situation into pieces that are easily digestible (I have found CNN's similarly formatted reporting of the Wisconsin demonstrations particularly helpful).  Really, correcting the reporters makes me feel intellectual. 

Bahrain Protests - Videos

Lots of joy last night as the army and police pulled out of the Pearl Roundabout and the protesters moved back in.  The Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman, gave two interviews yesterday, one to Bahrain TV and the other to CNN.   By all accounts, things are fairly peaceful in the roundabout, with stories of protesters serving tea and breakfast to police who are there.  I don't know if that particular story is true, but quite a few friends from church went down to the roundabout and said that things are jubilant.  We will probably swing by today before doing some grocery shopping.

Praise God:

• Peace has returned to the Pearl Roundabout
• The Crown Prince has taken a humble stance and started engaging in dialog 

Please Pray:

• That the situation would remain peaceful 
• That meaningful dialog would take place between the government and the protesters 

CNN Interview with Nic Robertson

Bahrain TV Interview

Pray for Bahrain

Our church has set up a Pray for Bahrain website.  On this site you can do 3 things:

• Post a prayer on the site's blog.
• Volunteer to sign up for a time slot to pray
• find links to up to date information about what's happening in Bahrain. 

If you are inclined to sign up, please visit the site.

pray4bahrain.weebly.com

Update on the Bahrain Protests

If you follow this blog, it means that you are probably aware of the protests and demonstrations in Bahrain.  In case you are wondering, Alison, Eva and I are doing fine.  If you weren't wondering... well, now you know.  Most of the demonstrations have been away from our normal stomping grounds, and we are avoiding areas where demonstrators are gathering.

If you are aware that things are getting a little heated in Bahrain, it probably means you have a news source. However, I'll give you another one.  I currently have a blog feed that automatically gives me any online news article that mentions "Bahrain".  You can view a search on Google news for "Bahrain" here.  Most of the articles are about the protests, and there are a lot of good articles.

Christmas and Easter Irony

One of my favorite comic strips is "Non Sequitur".  The characters are witty, the humor is biting and the author likes poking fun at the absurdities of society.  Today's strip is as follows:

Ok, so I get the joke.  Two players playing for competing holidays spending time together.  But the irony is, the holidays actually do go together.  It's not just in secret in the off-season that they 'canoodle', but by their nature they are inseparable.

The problem is that the holidays that were once cornerstones of the Christian identity in the United States have become secularized and commercialized.  This is true particularly in Bahrain.  Stores catering to westerners stock up on Santa figurines and Easter egg decorating kits.  The holidays have a very secular flavor.

But the two holidays are inherently intertwined.  Christmas, you see, is the holiday in which we celebrate God coming to earth, in the form of Jesus.  The primary purpose of Jesus coming was to atone for our sins, to provide an avenue to wash away our shame and make it possible to has a real relationship with God.  That process happened during the death and resurrection of Jesus - Easter.  Without Christmas, we cannot have Easter.  And without Easter, Christmas is meaningless.

Update on Tiny-Tiny

We've decided to give the nickname of our second child Tiny Tiny (Eva's womb nick-name was Round 2).  We have lots of nicknames for Eva that we toss around.  Chunkus is probably the most common one, but Tiny (or little tiny or baby tiny or ____ tiny) is another common one.  However, Eva is not the tiniest any more.  This has become even more apparent as more babies are being born at church and she now looks enormous, particularly compared to our friends Ross and Emily's newborn, Laila.  So we have now nicknamed the second one Tiny Tiny.  

Other than that, there really isn't a whole lot to say.  As you can see on the counter just to the right, Alison is about 23 weeks along (you'll need to go to the blog to see the pregnancy widget).  To be honest, I haven't kept that close attention.  Or at least not like I did with Eva.  With Eva, I followed the week-by-week part vigorously.  I was up-to-date with the development and how things were moving along.  I usually knew how many weeks and often how many days Alison was along in the pregnancy.  Not any more.  I (and Alison as well!) have to check my blog to see how far along Alison is.

In a couple weeks, we have big scan of some sort.  I think its the one that COULD be 3D if you're willing to pay for it.  We, however, are quite happy with a few extra dinars and a 2D picture of our child.  I'll post that picture when we get it.

And now the update from the Baby Center:

• At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, 
• your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums.  His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. 
• If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. 
• Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Thoughts on Egypt

Egypt seems to be holding the attention of much of the world - or at least the media's attention, recently.  The papers have pictures of protesters all over the front pages, and the "international" section is littered with articles and analysis.  It's an important part of the Arab world.  What happens in Egypt has huge impact on the rest of the Middle East.  Others in the Middle East have been motivated by what they see in Egypt.

And as people discuss the protests, many people - including myself - tend to talk about it as they would a football game.  Or a political contest.  Detached analysis that looks at the broad strokes.  There is certainly use for this kind of discussion.  However, the discussion often gets limited to that.  It's natural, of course, if you don't have any personal connection.  I talk the same way about the uprising in Kazakhstan last year, or the protests in  Thailand the year before that.

However, with the Egypt situation, we (Alison and I) have some connections that brings it closer to home.  We have some Egyptian friends in our small group who have family in Cairo and Alexandria.  A couple teachers who are from Egypt also worry about their families in Cairo.  I also have a few students who are from Egypt, living abroad in Bahrain.

These friends have strong opinions about Mubarak and what should happen if (when?) he resigns.  They (both Christians and Muslims) have strong opinions about the Muslim Brotherhood.  However, they are more concerned about the safety of their families, particularly as the police have abandoned many areas of the city.  They speak with a tired, concerned pride of how the people in their community have come together to provide for one another as the economy continues to suffer.

Of course, no one knows what will happen.  The protests seem to have waned and it looked as if Mubarak might be able to out-wait the protesters.  However, as I read CNN this morning, it seems as if new life has been breathed into the protests, for better or for worse.  Obama, I'm sure, wants to help move things along, but I'm sure he's aware that if makes the wrong step, he may make things worse rather than better.  Caution is the order of the day, and he's wise to heed that order.  (No matter what he does, there will be much criticism.  If he does nothing, he will be accused of not supporting the "freedom agenda".  If he tries to move things forward too much, he will be accused of using US power to bully).

Whatever happens, God is in control.  He appoints rulers and he removes rulers.  In our small group on Tuesday night, we prayed the following:

• God would grant wisdom, compassion and humility to those involved in the power transition (or whatever that may be) 
• God would provide comfort for those who live in Egypt, and those abroad who worry about their families

Weekend in Qatar

This weekend, I took 6 students to a Model United Nations conference in Doha, Qatar.  If you are unfamiliar with Model United Nations, students simulate a United Nations meeting where each student represents a different country and discuss an issue and try to determine what the UN should do about the issue. Issues range from human rights issues such as migrant workers to security issues such as the crisis between North and South Korea.

At this particular conference, students from all over Europe, Africa and Asia attended, with one school even coming from the US.   It's great because the kids get to meet and interact with a wide variety of cultures and perspectives.

One of the best things about MUN is that the students need to represent their country from that country's perspective.  For instance, it is difficult for a student from a Persian (Iranian) background to speak from the United Kingdom's perspective regarding nuclear weapons!

A conference like the one in Doha is great for a couple reasons.  First, the students spend multiple days in their respective committees debating and negotiating with other delegates.  It's great to see them persevering over the long haul.  Second, because the conference is multiple days long, I get to float between the various committee sessions, listen to the debates, and get a good chunk of reading done!  Really, it's a lot of sitting around, but I'm a-ok with that.  Third, we stayed at a four star hotel (with cable!) and great restaurants.  The breakfast buffets were fantastic.

All in all, a great time.  The students were challenged, got to see Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Qatar (the hosts of the conference) and have a generally fun weekend away from home!