Bahrain is one the Middle East countries that has a US military base for the US Navy. This makes Bahrain a country where the sins of the flesh - alcohol, prostitution, and even hashish, are said to be relatively easier to access than most Middle Eastern countries with their strict Islamic laws as laid down by the religious orthodoxy who work hand in hand with the king and the rich businessmen who form the upper classes. It is for this reason that hordes of people are said to flow into Bahrain from surrounding countries over the weekend to put aside the orthodoxy and indulge in a bit of good times before returning back to their countries.
Bahrain typifies the hypocritical behavior of most Islamic countries. While the elites have every drug that they wish for, the poor and the working classes are likely to be imprisoned, deported or even put to death for their association with these drugs or sins of the flesh. In this way, the elites keep a tight grip on the working classes. Besides alcohol, prostitution and hashish, I am sure that heroin and cocaine does the circles among the upper classes. The Middle East is reported by the United Nations Office of Drug Control (UNODC) to be preferential to amphetamines as a stimulant. UNODC states that 'The type and form of amphetamines used vary considerably between regions and subregions. In North America, the non-medical use of pharmaceutical stimulants and methamphetamine is most prevalent; in East and South-East Asia and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), it is methamphetamine; and in Western and Central Europe and the Near and Middle East, it is amphetamine. In the latter subregion, amphetamine is commonly known as “captagon”.' UNODC says 'In the Near and Middle East/South-West Asia, the quantities of methamphetamine seized increased markedly in 2018. However, the marked decline in the reported quantities of amphetamine seized in recent years (-37 per cent in 2017 and -80 per cent in 2018) seems to be largely a statistical artefact. Some of this decline may have been related to changes in the categorization of stimulants seized, for example, “prescription stimulants” instead of “amphetamine”. Even more important has been the hiatus in the reporting of seizures to UNODC by some countries known to be affected by major amphetamine trafficking activities. There is plenty of evidence that trafficking in amphetamine, in particular of “captagon” tablets, has also continued in the Near and Middle East in recent years. INCB, for example, in its most recent annual report noted the following: The manufacture and trafficking of counterfeit “captagon” continued to seriously affect the countries of the Middle East, which not only are destination markets for those drugs but are also increasingly becoming a source of counterfeit “captagon”…Political instability and unresolved conflicts, poverty and the lack of economic opportunities in some parts of the subregion have contributed to increased trafficking in…“captagon”' There is the likelihood that many persons seeking cocaine, and paying for cocaine, receive methamphetamine or at least cocaine laced with methamphetamine, is my guess.
It is likely that heroin, cannabis and methamphetamine flows in from Afghanistan on the one hand, and cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin flow in from Mexico through the US on the other. The presence of the US Navy in Bahrain facilitates the movement of all these drugs between Bahrain and other countries. In the Middle East, UNODC reports that 'Methamphetamine appears to have emerged in the Near and Middle East/South-West Asia as the main ATS used in the Islamic Republic of Iran (2009– 2018) as well as in Iraq (2016 and 2017), Lebanon (2014–2017), Bahrein (2016), Afghanistan (2015 and 2016), Israel (2014 and 2015) and Kuwait (2003, 2009, 2013)'. Regarding the Middle East, UNODC reports that 'In the past few years, the manufacture and use of methamphetamine have emerged in the Near and Middle East/South-West Asia, subregions that until recently were dominated by use of “captagon”. Methamphetamine manufacture and consumption used to be largely unknown in those subregions. Initially reported by only one country in the subregion (Israel), the number of countries reporting seizures of methamphetamine has increased in subsequent years. Overall, eight countries in the Near and Middle East/South-West Asia reported seizures of methamphetamine in the period 2000–2009, rising to 14 countries in the period 2010–2018. The bulk of the methamphetamine seized, however, continued to be seized by the Islamic Republic of Iran.'
Regarding the hypocritical behavior of the clerics who make the laws along with the king so as to suit the rich businessman and oppress the working classes, we see that there is a particular fear of cannabis in these countries. It is cannabis that the king-priest-businessman hierarchy fears the most since cannabis is the herb that is most likely to empower the working classes, making them speak about dangerous subjects like equality and democracy. Opium does not seem to be such a concern for the upper classes, most likely because it is mostly they who can afford the opium. This is also the case with amphetamines and other legal and illegal synthetic pharmaceutical drugs. Alcohol is most likely used only by the westerners, primarily because of the religious sanction against it in Islam. The religious sanctions prohibiting smoking ensures that cannabis is kept banned, while the drugs that one injects, snorts or pops as pills do not face much religious resistance. This perfectly suits the upper classes and castes. Also, the association of cannabis with Siva, the god of ganja, may be a factor that makes the clerics say that ganja is evil.
In general, the hypocrisy of the world's elites when they use religion to prohibit cannabis from the people who form the working classes and the poor is quite absurd. In the Islamic countries, cannabis is prohibited for the working classes possibly due to the fear that the Hindus use it for spiritual purposes. In India, cannabis is banned primarily due to the belief that Muslims are the key consumers. Many of the Indian Muslims from the poor and working classes, as well those belonging to the Sufi sects, are cannabis consumers. The note submitted to the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission of 1894-95 by Mr. J. M. Campbell, C.I.E., Collector of Land Revenue and Customs and Opium, Bombay, on the subject of the Religion of Hemp, says, 'In this devotion to bhang, with reverence, not with the worship, which is due to Allah alone, the North Indian Mussalman joins hymning the praises of bhang. To the follower of the later religion of Islam the holy spirit in bhang is not the spirit of the Almighty. It is the spirit of the great prophet Khizr or Elijah. That bhang should be sacred to Khizr is natural. Khizr is the patron saint of water. Still more Khizr means green, the revered colour of the cooling water of bhang. So the Urdu poet sings 'When I quaff fresh bhang I liken its colour to the fresh light down of thy youthful beard.' The prophet Khizr or the Green prophet cries 'May the drink be pleasing to thee.' Nasir, the great North Indian Urdu poet of the beginning of the present century, is loud in the praises of his beloved Sabzi, the Green one. 'Compared with bhang spirits are naught. Leave all things thou fool, drink bhang.' From its quickening the imagination Musalman poets honour bhang with the title Warak al Khiyall, Fancy's Leaf. And the Makhzan or great Arab-Greek drug book records many other fond names for the drug. Bhang is the Joy-giver, the Sky-flier, the Heavenlyguide, the Poor Man's Heaven, the Soother of Grief.'
The fact of the matter is that it is not the religious beliefs that determine cannabis policy in every country, it is what should be done to ensure that the poor and the working classes are subjugated that drives cannabis policy. In all places around the world, the fear of cannabis legalization by the ruling classes is a fear of losing their grip over the lower classes.
We can see Bahrain's hypocrisy during the vote to remove cannabis from the UN's Schedule IV in 2020. Morocco, another Islamic country, but one with some of the finest cannabis, and a much more liberal attitude towards cannabis voting in favor of removing cannabis from Schedule IV, but Bahrain, and all other Islamic nations in the Middle East and North Africa voted against it. Morocco World News reports that 'The statement does not provide further details on the bill. However, the announcement about the bill comes just a few months after Morocco voted in favor of removing cannabis from the list of the UN’s Schedule IV category of drugs that have limited or no therapeutic use. Morocco was the only member of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND) in the Middle East and North Africa region to give a nod to the removal of cannabis from the list of toxic substances. Algeria, Bahrain, and Egypt have all voted against the move.'
One of the biggest problems for Bahrain, and the Middle East in general, is the presence of the US in this region though the US military, and the US association with petrochemicals, opioids, methamphetamine and synthetic pharmaceutical drugs. While the US claims to be in Bahrain for the protection of its allies, I think the fact of the matter is that it is there to protect its own interests, which include the trafficking of various drugs around the world using its military. For Bahrain, and the Middle East, in general, getting out of the influence of the US - the world's biggest opponent of cannabis legalization - and adopting the path of sustainability that cannabis legalization brings. This will make the nation stronger and move towards independence and maturity. The people of Bahrain need to understand that the king-priest-businessman hierarchy only want to suppress the majority and lead the nation down the path of economic, environmental and public health ruin...
Related articles
The following list of articles taken from various media speak about the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article.
'The statement does not provide further details on the bill. However, the announcement about the bill comes just a few months after Morocco voted in favor of removing cannabis from the list of the UN’s Schedule IV category of drugs that have limited or no therapeutic use.
Morocco was the only member of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND) in the Middle East and North Africa region to give a nod to the removal of cannabis from the list of toxic substances.
Algeria, Bahrain, and Egypt have all voted against the move.'
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