Just Ban It

Just Ban It... The new slogan for the Kingdom of Bahrain?

 Our 'parliament', in their infinite wisdom, have decided that they can best serve society by banning everything and anything that they disagree with, for reasons that they clearly invent. 

 Alcohol on Gulf Air? Ban It. Why? This is a good time for a quote from one of our elected peers...

 "Bahrain is a Muslim country, so why would we serve alcohol to customers?" ... "The money spent on alcohol should be put to better use. Most of the Muslim staff feel ashamed to serve alcohol."

 Deep. What a solid reason. Economically sound, well researched and morally dignified. Not. What utterly ridiculous bullshit. Yes, Bahrain is a Muslim country, but it is a Muslim country that has built its reputation on its cosmopolitan lifestyle and (somewhat partial) lack of stupid judgementalism. Furthermore, Gulf Air, while officially the national carrier of Bahrain, doesn't just fly people to and from Bahrain. In these times of economic woe, and with the Golden Falcon losing what few feathers it has left, lets alienate the few customers Gulf Scare are struggling to sell themselves to by turning it into a mosque in the sky. Next up: Segregation with Wings. 

 "Most of the Muslim staff feel ashamed to serve alcohol"

 Really? REALLY? First of all... how many of the cabin crew (sky waiters & waitresses) are Muslim. Secondly... of those Muslim cabin crew, how many are practicing, devout, will-be- offended-by-doing-their-job-that-puts-food-on-the-table-and-gives-them-a-place-to-live type Muslims. Maybe two?

 Would those Muslim staff (all both of them) feel better if they were out of work? Would they be more spiritually sound after being made redundant thanks to dovetailing bookings courtesy of 'democracy'? Did they not know, when applying for and training for the position of Cabin Crew, that they would be serving alcohol? Yes, they did. Did they object then?

 If parliament want to be able to dictate policy to a corporation worth hundreds of millions of some type of currency, do some research first. Read something. Get a professional to do a study of how it would affect bookings. Do something for the love of god. Don't just invent a reason and then get on your high horse. Don't you have better things to do?

 Obviously not. 

 So, Airplane alcohol bad. Up next, Airport alcohol. Surprised? Here are some more wise words from the elected dimwits: 

 "We have received a lot of complaints, especially from women, who are being forced to serve drunken men at bars and lounges and others are complaining that they are being forced to sell alcohol at the Duty Free, despite the management knowing they are Muslims"

 Whatever. First of all, how many bars are there in Bahrain's airport. One. And last time i was there, which was not long ago, there was a solitary male staffer. And he was from the subcontinent. As for the lounges... they employ the staffers of their respective airlines. Staff who, for the most part, spend their downtime in Bahrain's bland, booze-filled nightspots. Staff who, if they had serious concerns, would complain to their employers or unions and not to their all-knowing parliament. And FORCED? Has anyone ever seen a supervisor holding a knife to a Muslim serving person... "either you give that bloke his whiskey or I'll knife you." Yeah, right. Where are all of these complaints you claim to have received oh great wise parliament? Did they come to you in you sleep perhaps? Maybe they are voices in your head. 

 Yes, duty free does sell alcohol. And yes, there are a good deal of Muslim checkout staff swiping bottles of anything and everything to happy departees. But they are not selling the alcohol. They are processing the transaction. The transaction that, in absence of said alcohol, would not require checkout staff. I seriously doubt legions of Duty Free workers are lining up to make themselves redundant. 

 Next up... PORK. 

 "The first thing Jesus Christ - the saviour of all mankind - would do is break the cross and kill the pig," Wow. This is some deep stuff. And he goes on."The reasons for killing the pig are many, but recent studies have found that pork has a huge negative impact on people's health - among other complications."... "Pig products, or pork, should be kept away from our markets because it is clear they are harmful and have no other benefit."

 Recent studies? Citations needed. Other complications? Citations please. And the whole thing with Jesus? Speculation I would assume, unless you have some awesome future-telling time-travel resurrection device. 

 Just picture it. Jesus Christ returns. Not to save humanity from itself. Not to right wrongs and do all his good Jesusly deeds. No, he's back to kill them pigs. Maybe he's hungry. Perhaps he can turn water into wine to wash down some of that tasty swine? No, he'd probably end up in jail for that. 

 I've had enough. Democracy, at least in this country, is looking more and more like a failed experiment.