#Palestine Branch detention facility

[nationnow]

Haunting words of Syrian prisoners on walls inside 'Human Slaughterhouse'

New photographs from the Palestine Branch detention facility in Damascus show the chilling graffiti edged onto its cold and dark cell walls. One message quoted an 800-year-old poet who defied a tyrannical caliph that said, “My country, even if it oppresses me, is dear. My people, even if uncharitable to me, are generous.” “Trust no one, not even your brother,” another bleak message reads.…

[ohnohetaliasues]

Country/City/State Information- Name: مملكة البحرين / Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn Kingdom of Bahrain Age: 46 { From Dec. 17 1971 on } Capital City (if country): Manama Biggest City: Manama Boss (Mayor/President): Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Flag (Coat of Arms): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Bahrain.svg / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emblem_of_Bahrain.svg Biggest Ethnic Group: Baharna Language(s) spoken: Arabic (Bahraini, Gulf) English Armenian (Armenians) Balochi Hindi Malayalam (Indians) Pashto Persian (Ajams) Punjabi Tamil Urdu Population: 2016 estimate - 1,378,000 Religion: Islam Government: Constitutional Monarchy Climate: WWF classifies Bahrain’s ecoregions as Persian Gulf desert and semi-desert, and the landscape is mostly arid desert. However, the marine habitats are very diverse, including seaweed beds, marshes and coral reefs as well as coastal islands. There are no mountains of importance except for the Jabal ad-Dukhan, at the centre of Bahrain island. Farming – date palms and fruits – is made possible, only to the north and north-east of this mountain, by the use of artesian wells, springs and desalination plants. The rest of the territory is desert, with some small lagoons. Economy: According to a January 2006 report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Bahrain has the fastest growing economy in the Arab world. Bahrain also has the freest economy in the Middle East and is twelfth freest overall in the world based on the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal.

In 2008, Bahrain was named the world’s fastest growing financial center by the City of London’s Global Financial Centres Index. Bahrain’s banking and financial services sector, particularly Islamic banking, have benefited from the regional boom driven by demand for oil.[210] Petroleum production and processing is Bahrain’s most exported product, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. Aluminium production is the second most exported product, followed by finance and construction materials.

Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing price of oil since 1985, for example during and following the Persian Gulf crisis of 1990–91. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to a number of multinational firms and construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. A large share of exports consist of petroleum products made from imported crude oil, which accounted for 51% of the country’s imports in 2007. Bahrain depends heavily on food imports to feed its growing population; it relies heavily on meat imports from Australia and also imports 75% of its total fruit consumption needs. Since only 2.9% of the country’s land is arable, agriculture contributes to 0.5% of Bahrain’s GDP. In 2004, Bahrain signed the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement, which will reduce certain trade barriers between the two nations. Due to the combination of the global financial crisis and the recent unrest, the growth rate decreased to 2.2% which is the lowest growth rate since 1994.

Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. In 2008, the jobless figure was at 4%, with women over represented at 85% of the total. In 2007 Bahrain became the first Arab country to institute unemployment benefits as part of a series of labour reforms instigated under Minister of Labour, Dr. Majeed Al Alawi.[217]

Human Information- Name: Ruqaiya Ali Nickname(s): Ruqia Age: 23 Gender: Female Birthday: December 17th Current Residence: Manama Language(s) spoken: Bahrani Arabic English Armenian Balochi Hindi Malayalam Pashto Persian Punjabi Tamil Urdu Bad Habit(s): { N / A ATM } Like(s): Pearls, Seafood { TBA } Dislike(s): { TBA } Hobbies: { TBA } Fear(s): { TBA } Equipment/Weapons: { TBA } Culture Favorites: { TBA } Personality: Ruqaiya is very hospitable and friendly towards expatriates. Shes very conservative and very patriotic and proud of her country. { TBA }

Appearance- Height: 5'1 { Average Height of Bahraini Women } Weight: 106 lb Hair: Semi Long and Curly, Goes around to her Shoulder Blades. Black in color. Eyes: A dark brown, appearing black. Skin: 23 in Von Luschans Skin Chart/Scale Accent: Bahrani Anything on your body that represents your country?: { TBA } Outfit(s): { TBA } Scar(s): { TBA } Accessories: Pearl Bracelet, { More TBA }

Relationships- Ancestor: Dilmun / Telmun Family: Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia Friends: India, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, Turkey, Russia, U.K and Saudi Arabia Rivals: { TBA } Enemies: { TBA } Pet: { N / A ATM } Potential Love Interest: Kazakhstan { May chnage in future } Foreign Relationships: Embassies: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, P.R China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Oma, Pakistan. Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, U.K, U.S and Yemen. Non Resident Embassies: Argentina, Australia, Armenia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, North Korea, Fiji, Georgia, Kosovo, Ireland, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Singapore, Slovakia, Tanzania, Vietnam.

History: The site of the ancient Bronze Age civilization of Dilmun, Bahrain was an important center linking trade routes between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley as early as 5,000 years ago. The Dilmun civilization began to decline about 2,000 B.C. as trade from India was cut off. From 750 B.C. on, Assyrian kings repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the islands. Shortly after 600 B.C., Dilmun was formally incorporated into the new Babylonian empire. There are no historical references to Bahrain until Alexander the Great’s arrival in the Gulf in the 4th century B.C. Although Bahrain was ruled variously by the Arab tribes of Bani Wa’el and Persian governors, Bahrain continued to be known by its Greek name Tylos until the 7th century, when many of its inhabitants converted to Islam. A regional pearling and trade center, Bahrain came under the control of the Ummayad Caliphs of Syria, the Abbasid Caliphs of Baghdad, Persian, Omani and Portuguese forces at various times from the 7th century until the Al Khalifa family, a branch of the Bani Utbah tribe that have ruled Bahrain since the 18th century, succeeded in capturing Bahrain from a Persian garrison controlling the islands in 1783.

In the 1830s the Al Khalifa signed the first of many treaties establishing Bahrain as a British Protectorate. Similar to the binding treaties of protection entered into by other Persian Gulf principalities, the agreements entered into by the Al Khalifa prohibited them from disposing of territory and entering into relationships with any foreign government without British consent in exchange for British protection against the threat of military attack from Ottoman Turkey. The main British naval base in the region was moved to Bahrain in 1935 shortly after the start of large-scale oil production. from all aggression by sea and to lend support in case of land attack.

In 1968, when the British Government announced its decision (reaffirmed in March 1971) to end the treaty relationships with the Persian Gulf sheikdoms, Bahrain initially joined the other eight states (Qatar and the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms now the United Arab Emirates) under British protection in an effort to form a union of Arab emirates. The nine sheikhdoms still had not agreed on terms of union by 1971, however, prompting. Bahrain to declare itself fully independent on August 15, 1971.

Bahrain promulgated a constitution and elected its first parliament in 1973, but just two years later, in August 1975, the Amir disbanded the National Assembly after it attempted to legislate the end of Al-Khalifa rule and the expulsion of the U.S. Navy from Bahrain. In the 1990s, Bahrain suffered from repeated incidents of political violence stemming from the disaffection of the Shi’a majority. In response, , the Amir instituted the first Bahraini cabinet change in 20 years in 1995 and also and increased the membership of the Consultative Council, which he had created in 1993 to provide advice and opinion on legislation proposed by the cabinet and, in certain cases, suggest new laws on its own, from 30 to 40 the following year. . These steps led to an initial decline in violent incidents, but in early 1996 a number of hotels and restaurants were bombed, resulting in several fatalities. Over 1,000 people were arrested and held in detention without trial in connection with these disturbances. The government has since released these individuals { She’s a still a work in progress, but i wanted to submit what i had so far for review }

I didn’t say anything because all of this is really good! I’d say keep at it!

~Kat