Day 13: Bahrain

[phk]

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ba.html

Discuss

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It has no restrictions on abortion, unusual for a Middle Eastern country. And Michael Jackson's moving there.

[minionofmidas]

The old downtown area of Manama is nice. You don't see any Arabs there though, only Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Bahrain is the fourth sane islamic country after indonesia, turkey and pakistan.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Bahrain is the fourth sane islamic country after indonesia, turkey and pakistan.

Well that depends on what PART of Pakistan. Also you could include Albania, although almost all the Muslims there would be considered heretics in any other Muslim country. The percentage of women wearing headscarves in downtown Minneapolis is probably higher than downtown Tirane.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Yes but does anyone hear about/care about albania?

[Platypus]

Manama

Du duu, du du du.

[minionofmidas]

Manama

Du duu, du du du.

Huh?

[Platypus]

Manama

Du duu, du du du.

Huh?

Bad joke. Ever seen the muppet show?

[minionofmidas]

Manama

Du duu, du du du.

Huh?

Bad joke. Ever seen the muppet show?

Not for a while...
Ah, but I get it now ... I think.

[angus]

Lifetime movie last night was "The Princess and the Marine"  It was about that US Marine from Las Vegas, a Mormon, who fell in love with a daughter of the oligarchical Al-Khalifa clan.  True story.  He smuggled her out, using forged documents, and brought her to Las Vegas.  She applied for asylum, claiming that the last Bahraini woman that married a westerner was disowned by her family who refused to recognized her marriage.  That woman was told the only way they'd accept her back is if she underwent an operation to "restore her virginity" and agreed to a lifetime under the veil, etc.  Of course, she and her brit husband hid for eight weeks, and finally escaped Manama and fled back to England.  So this Princess, horrified by that story, refused her family's attempts to cajole her back.  It nearly caused a major international incident, as Bahrain has always made nice with the US, and the US wanted to placate the royal family.  Anyway, eventually this girl received asylum, and permanent residency, and went on to marry her marine in Las Vegas.  The marine got off pretty light, busted from E5 back to E1, but allowed to stay in the marines, wherein he chose to make a career.  Happily ever after.  Yeah, right.  A blurb at the end of the movie mentioned that in 2004, on the day after their fifth wedding anniversary, the couple were divorced.  Man, it must be awful having no marketable skills, being raised in the lap of luxury and therefore used to major comfort, and being a divorced Muslim, and unable to return to your the wealthy family who has disowned you.  I suppose the movie/book royalties must have paid her bills for quite a while.

[Storebought]

Lifetime movie last night was "The Princess and the Marine"  It was about that US Marine from Las Vegas, a Mormon, who fell in love with a daughter of the oligarchical Al-Khalifa clan.  True story.  He smuggled her out, using forged documents, and brought her to Las Vegas.  She applied for asylum, claiming that the last Bahraini woman that married a westerner was disowned by her family who refused to recognized her marriage.  That woman was told the only way they'd accept her back is if she underwent an operation to "restore her virginity" and agreed to a lifetime under the veil, etc.  Of course, she and her brit husband hid for eight weeks, and finally escaped Manama and fled back to England.  So this Princess, horrified by that story, refused her family's attempts to cajole her back.  It nearly caused a major international incident, as Bahrain has always made nice with the US, and the US wanted to placate the royal family.  Anyway, eventually this girl received asylum, and permanent residency, and went on to marry her marine in Las Vegas.  The marine got off pretty light, busted from E5 back to E1, but allowed to stay in the marines, wherein he chose to make a career.  Happily ever after.  Yeah, right.  A blurb at the end of the movie mentioned that in 2004, on the day after their fifth wedding anniversary, the couple were divorced.  Man, it must be awful having no marketable skills, being raised in the lap of luxury and therefore used to major comfort, and being a divorced Muslim, and unable to return to your the wealthy family who has disowned you.  I suppose the movie/book royalties must have paid her bills for quite a while.

Moral of the story: Don't marry for love.