Prominent Bahraini opposition activist Maryam Al Khawaja has condemned the Scottish Qualifications Authority because of its continuing support for educational institutions in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
We see here a woman who has lost all touch with reality. Effectively she is calling on the outside world to boycott schools and universities, because of her partisan opposition to the leaderships in these countries.
It is not clear why Al Khawaja thinks that preventing Bahraini children from getting a decent education would further her cause. It is also not clear why she feels that it is appropriate to interfere in Saudi Arabian internal affairs. Is it not enough that she devotes her life to trying to damage Bahrain’s international reputation?
Teaching is one of the most respected public sector jobs in Bahrain. In recent years it has been a matter of concern to ensure that highly-qualified Bahraini graduates don’t lose out to teachers from abroad in being recruited for teaching places in universities and schools. Al Khawaja’s dangerous efforts would make it even more difficult for Bahrainis to aspire to professional careers if they were cheated out of internationally-accredited qualifications.
Would Al Khawaja like to see more children failing to get a decent education and resorting to becoming foot-soldiers for the militant wing of the opposition? Out throwing Molotov Cocktails and bricks each weekend at the police?
Bahrain’s opposition in the recent past has mounted similarly damaging campaigns to try and prevent Bahraini health graduates from gaining the accreditation they deserve.
There was a prolonged campaign against accreditation of the “Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland –Bahrain” by the Medical Council in Ireland. The campaign failed, but the only losers would have been talented Bahraini medical students who would have been robbed of the necessary qualifications for saving lives and easing suffering.
Back in 2013, a charity belonging to Prince Charles of Great Britain signed a deal to build 4,000 homes for the poorest communities in Bahrain – and as a result, opposition groups united in condemnation of Prince Charles. However, Bahrain is in desperate need of more affordable housing for low income families. What is the opposition’s logic for seeking to deny Bahrainis of this right?
Opposition radicals like Maryam Al Khawaja – under the guise of human rights activists – have done everything they can to make lives worse for Bahrainis. The 2011 unrest severely harmed Bahrain’s economy and led to a significant rise in unemployment among the most vulnerable sectors of society.
By targeting the domain of professional qualifications and attacking any foreign institution which seeks to invest in Bahrain – Al Khawaja wants to rob young Bahrainis of hope and opportunity. This creates an environment of desperation where unemployed and disenchanted young people are ready to listen to the self-defeating narrative of her father, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, whose own coup attempt failed under the banner of the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain.
Our message to the Scottish Qualifications Authority, the Irish Medical Council and any other institution which seeks to invest in Bahrain is – “thank you!” Thank you for putting you confidence in Bahrain’s valuable human capital, for giving our young people hope and opportunities for a better future.
This truly is the most effective way of guaranteeing that Bahrainis enjoy their human rights to the full; for health, happiness, prosperity and hope.