So who is
getting excited about the approaching Jubilee celebrations?
No I am not
either. Although the extra day off is nice. Now I’m not saying we should not be
commemorating a long reign of 60 years – although in tough times the
expenditure seems a bit insensitive.
But we should be concerned about the banquet that is
planned to take place in the magnificent St. Georges Hall at Windsor Castle.
This is the major event for the great and the good. It will be grand gathering
of royals and heads of state from across the world. What is worrying is that Hamad al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain seems
to be on the guest list. We all know that Bahrain has been in the news lately
because the civil unrest there almost stopped this year’s Grand Prix.
There has been a
catalogue of complaints about Human rights abuses since the unrest began in
2011 as part of the ‘Arab Spring’.
We should be using
our diplomatic influence to pressurize such abuses to end.
Do we rally want
to see the King taking his place at the table of our monarch at an event that
will be witnessed by the world?
Opposition Foreign
Office spokesman Dennis McShane is quoted in the Guardian – "Many in Britain
will regret that the foreign secretary, who approves all invitations sent in
the Queen's name as head of state, has decided to include a representative of
the Bahraini regime which has done such terrible things to its own people since
the Arab awakening a year ago."
What message is
this sending about our commitment to or interest in Human Rights?
And what other ‘honoured’
guests with questionable histories will be welcomed. And do we want them
welcomed in our name?
Fighting for your
rights
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