Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): A new sample of official government statements and media reports directed at the Bahraini citizen has emerged. The situation is demeaning to Bahrainis to say the least. Here comes another government action insulting the intelligence of citizens and not giving them any consideration.

The comments of the Housing Minister Basem Al-Hammer were the most provocative. Not only did he underestimate the intelligence Bahrainis, but also their dreams of receiving their house for which they have been waiting for decades.

Certainly, Al-Hamr's statement will not be the last statement denying Bahrainis the realization of their dreams. Under this rule, the time for realizing dreams is in the past. All Bahrainis have to do is imagine that their tiny dwelling is one of the lavish palaces in Riffa.

"If your heart is wide, your house will be wide," Al-Hammer is telling Bahrainis. With this ‘logic', there is no need for the state to build houses. The Bahraini families living in one room house should just imagine living in a nice home, and that's how they can make their dream house a reality!

Some Bahrainis are not exaggerating when they comment on such statements, saying the government wants to "push us away." Is it possible for a self-respecting official to respond to citizens' complaints about the the narrowness of their housing units, by telling that if they convince themselves that it is narrow, it will be narrow!

Also, how could a Bahraini official, amid widespread frustration among Bahrainis and feelings of alienation due to the preference of foreigners and naturalized citizens over them in employment, come out and praise Bahrain's transformation to the world's top destination and best choice for expatriates to live and work in?

At this particular time, the Immigration and Passport Undersecretary, Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, should look for numbers confirming the Bahraini citizens' happiness in their own country, not celebrate that more foreigners want to stay in Bahrain for work.

He is thrilled that he is addressing the demands of more foreigners to come to Bahrain to take Bahraini jobs and compete with them in the kingdom's tiny labor market, while offering citizens limited services. He is rejoicing as Bahrainis suffer and taste the bitterness of alienation in their homeland.

Yes, they rejoice in the pain of Bahrainis, otherwise, how can the government let go 9,000 of its finest cadres in various fields under the ‘voluntary' retirement program while keeping 9,000 foreigners working in jobs that don't even require university degrees?

That wasn't enough for the government, as the official state news agency published a fabricated report attempting to fool Bahrainis speaking of what it called voluntary retiree success stories in business. One of them says that he started a project in the sports sector thanks to voluntary retirement, and is considering expanding his project, opening new branches and hiring Bahraini nationals.

"I am now trying, after becoming able to be fully dedicated to my project, to expand my business base and hire a number of young Bahrainis for the benefit of my country and its citizens," claims another named Saud Al-Subhi.

Who is this Al-Subhi person? When did he retire? And when did he start his project to begin expanding it and hire Bahrainis? This person may be a fictional character that does not exist at all, and this is just an attempt to ‘outsmart' and insult the intelligence of Bahrainis in order to polish an improvised project thinking that "Bahrainis are easily manipulated."

Arabic Version