Don't destroy nation urges chamber chief
Manama, September 8, 2012
A top Bahrain businessman has slammed some political societies in the kingdom for being adamant on holding rallies in the heart of capital Manama's commercial areas with the intent to damage the economy.
Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Dr Essam Fakhro said such acts have nothing to do with freedom of expression guaranteed by the law.
Staging unlicensed sit-ins and marches in the capital targeting main commercial locations that represent the country's vital economic artery is unacceptable to the majority of Bahrain's business community, he told our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej.
He warned of the repercussions of such acts on citizens.
Dr Fakhro said the private sector, which suffered huge losses during the past two years, is now recovering and most of the dismissed workers have been reinstated.
Any attempts to pull people back again will negatively affect the workforce and will lead to the closure of more small companies and sackings of Bahraini and expatriate workers, he said.
He appealed to the Interior Ministry to ban such rallies in Manama, pointing out that this escalation causes damage to the economy and disrupts cohesion, safety and security of society.
Dr Fakhro also urged the ministry to assume its responsibility in maintaining law and order to safeguard the interests of citizens and residents.
Meanwhile, in a survey conducted by Akhbar Al Khaleej, respondents described yesterday's incidents as a heinous violation of people's rights.
People are afraid to go out for a walk or shopping due to these incidents which made weekends a hell, they said.
They urged Al Wefaq to stop tampering with vital interests of the country and citizens, warning of the impact of such acts on all sectors including tourism as Gulf nationals are now refraining from visiting Bahrain due to security concerns. - TradeArabia News Service
