Students of the University of Bahrain… A Collective Withdrawal
Local Editor
Alintiqad - Bahrain
When it comes to advocating for the legitimate political rights, everything here becomes violable; sanctities are revered only when they belong to that being and to the sacredness of his glorious court. Amid the subsequent events, the University of Bahrain has been the stage for bloody scenes and unjust decisions that have been the first ever through the history of the educational record in Bahrain.
On the 13th of March, the students of the University heard the news of the security forces' heading towards Lulua (Pearl) Square; thus, a peaceful, spontaneous march went through the campus, whereby the students shouted angry expressions denouncing what was going on; the blood of their colleague, the University's Martyr (Ali al moamen) had still been fresh, for he had been martyred on the bloody Thursday. After this march had ended, the students were stunned with the attack of the "Regime's Bullies". One of the students who were present there has reported that he saw nearly a hundred persons having stones, sticks, and clubs in their hands. In fact, what seemed odd to him was that the security car of the state was going slowly right behind those persons as if it was protecting them! Hereupon, a big question appears on the students' faces concerning the role of the security system of the University, which was unable to provide the least level of protection for them.
The anarchist students were attacked as the University's administration and most of the staff witnessed that. Likewise, with the bless and support of the national security forces, tens of students were injured, buildings were messed up, the students' cars were broken, the University's gates were shut, and even ambulances weren't allowed into the place. The witness student has told us that a group of female students hid inside of the University's mosque; hence, the "Regime's Bullies" struck the mosque's door, trying to attack them. This occurred while the armed security forces watched and supported the assailants' movements.
The University studies were hung up until an undefined time, and the University's Chairman Doctor Ibraheem Janahi promised to carry out an investigation to find out the circumstances of the events. He added, "What happened in the University of Bahrain on Sunday (the 13th of March) won't pass unnoticed without us punishing whoever caused it; who did these disgraceful acts of terrifying the students, spoiling the progress of the educational conduct, and participating - whether in a way or another - in the incitement, provocation, threatening, violence and breaking acts, and breaking the rules of the University and of the conduct list, must receive his or her fair punishment.
Hereupon, hundreds of students were called for investigation, whereby whoever had been photographed while participating in the University's peaceful demonstration was subjected to interrogation, whereas who carried white weapons, did acts of breaking and messing up, and terrified the students were excluded from the investigation - even though photographs documented what they had done, too.
As a matter of fact, the investigation committees, which were assigned the mission of investigation of the University's incidents, exceeded their authorities by investigating the students' activities outside of the University.
They would keep asking, "Have you gone to the Square?"And it was Lulua (Pearl) Square that they meant - the center of the public protests. They would even ask some students, "How much did you donate to the protestors of the Square?"
Several days later, hundreds of students, who had been summoned for investigation, were astonished upon calls they received from the University, which called them to receive the letters of their final discharge even though some of them had only one last academic semester to graduate. More than 400 students were discharged from the University, all of whom had advocated for political reformations.
Not only did the investigators discharge the students, but also they arrested some of them. One of the students was stunned with an attack against his house at 3:00 AM, whereby he was taken to a police center for investigation, and he was beaten and insulted. This was merely because he was a student of the University of Bahrain! Upset and angry, he wondered, "Am I a criminal or a guilty person because I've participated in some peaceful marches? Is it enough so that you break into our house at this time and beat and torture me?"
Such conspiracy against the opposing University students reached the extent of dismissing any employee or educational staff member of the University who sympathized with them. According to Janahi's statements, at least eleven academics, forty administrators, twelve security keepers, and hundreds of students were detached. Yet, the investigation is still going with some students.
Furthermore, the University schedule was announced starting with the previous Sunday (May 15, 2011), and, thus, the parents are worried for their student daughters and sons, for nothing guarantees them that what happened is not going to happen again. The other students have returned to their seats, on condition that they sign a document named "A Pledge and Reiteration of Allegiance Document", whereby the students had to pledge "perfect allegiance to Bahrain's Monarchy." The Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa was meant by that, and this has been the habit of the tribal, tyrannical regimes that consider the people as their flock. In accordance with what the students say, the University has grown similar to a big prison; an atmosphere of depression masks it, whereby some colleagues have been discharged, and some others are confined in prisons. Still, checkpoints are spread, and cameras are distributed everywhere in the faculties that have been separated from each other with a fence-like material. The students are treated rudely while being checked, too.
Consequently, a number of students have decided to carry out a collective withdrawal from this academic semester; however, the condition of signing the document involves them, too, whereby they won't be able to quit or continue their studies without signing the document of humiliation and slavery to the monarchic being! Yet, many of them have decided to quit on Thursday (which was yesterday), for the circumstances that mask the University foster no security.
The confusing question remains: Why haven't the wreckers been punished? The photographs and video tapes show them not only with white weapons, but also with guns! And why are they discharging this big number of students that has advocated for rights guaranteed by the constitution and by the National Labor Convention? Besides, why isn't the University of Bahrain giving the discharged students their university report cards even though some of them have been about to graduate? This means it wants to prevent them from further pursuing their education in private universities.
It's been said the government was applying the policy of hungering people by dismissing thousands of employees from their jobs, so has the University of Bahrain been applying the "ignorance building" policy? Nothing actually justifies depriving the students opposing the regime from their right of education. In the blink of an eye, oppression destroys their future, and tyranny takes astray years of hard work and cleverness.
