Many people have been reaching out to me since the horrific attack by Hamas in Israel to see if I am safe. The short answer is yes! I feel very comfortable that Bahrain is a very safe country and that I am in no immediate danger. Remember Bahrain is home to the 5th Fleet of the US Navy!
That being said, the Department of Defense takes this situation very seriously with regard to our relative proximity to the events (we are about a three-hour flight from Israel) and requires some adjustment to Force Protection Conditions (FPCON).
According to the Defense Department instruction (DODI 0-2000.16 V-2) The DOD Force Protection Condition System states that FPCON is defined as a terrorist threat system overseen by the U.S. Defense Department and describes a number of measures that need to be taken by an installation commander in response to a terrorist threat. There are five levels:
When I arrived in Bahrain we were at Bravo. We remained at Bravo until a few days after the Hamas attack. We are now at Charlie. The only indications that one would notice that there has been a change in FPCON is that the base and the school FPCON sign have changed to indicate that we are now at Charlie, and more noticeably the guards are wearing flack jackets and helmets. I am sure there are other security measures that we do not see or have not been made aware of.
The Hamas “incident” is certainly the factor that caused our installation to move to “Charlie” The base command reiterates quite often that there is no “immediate threat” targeting our installation.
As the chart indicates under “Considerations”, there are a few measures that have created a hardship for us.
We are allowed only to travel to and from work, medical appointments, and grocery shopping. We are not allowed to attend public gatherings, eat at restaurants, or participate in community events or activities. We cannot fly anywhere without getting permission from the base command and DoDEA. I am not sure what that will mean for Christmas travel. We were briefed yesterday by our command (aka principals). It sounds like travel to the US will likely be approved. But, they also reiterated that this is a fluent situation and things that are true today, may be different tomorrow. Understandable.
I am definitely feeling a little deja vu from my GTMO days as far as being restricted in movement and travel. But all of this goes with the job I signed up for. My most immediate concern is teaching and keeping the kids engaged in meaningful activities (yep, I am directing another play!). I feel that I am a part of the mission (in fact if the government shut down, my job is considered essential, and I will continue to work as if I were getting paid… and eventually, I will get paid.) So my part of the mission is to ensure that the children of military-connected families get a good education in a safe environment. I also feel like the most essential part of our mission will be to keep their morale up as they are also under the same restrictions that I am under. No going to the beach, or water park, or go-carts, or malls for them either. We will all get through this together.
Dylan is on a deployment in the region. I had hoped to fly to see him when he had liberty, but that will not be possible now. But we talk frequently and he is in good spirits and has indicated that since the attack it has pretty much been “business as usual”.
Thank you for keeping us and the people of this region in your prayers. These are ancient wounds and are not easily or quickly healed.
Happy Easter to all my friends and family back in the States. As we look forward to the resurrection of our Lord, may you feel renewed and affirmed in your faith in life everlasting. Peace be with you.
Ramadan Kareem
Ramadan Kareem (May you have a generous Ramadan). It is Ramadan in the Muslim world. Most of my readers are very familiar with the Easter story and tradition, but you may not know much about the Muslim tradition of Ramadan. That was certainly me before I arrived in Bahrain.
Many of our students and staff members at Bahrain School are Muslim and observe Ramadan. It also affects daily life in the Arab world, so even though as a Christian, I am not obligated to follow it, I do need to respect the traditions and beliefs of this country, so I needed to learn about Ramadan. Luckily my friend and colleague, Samira Danouni created a wonderful PowerPoint presentation for our staff I have put a link to it on the Bahrain page and have quoted from it for this blog.
Bahrain is a very moderate Arab nation. They are very respectful of their citizens from different countries and faiths. When I visited the Bahrain National Museum, the very first exhibit a visitor sees upon entering the museum is a display about the Pope’s visit to Bahrain last year. That sends a very strong message to me that respect is given to Christians here, but it is a Muslim country, so Muslim traditions are, of course, followed here.
So what is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. It’s when Muslims all over the world spend 29 or 30 days fasting and bettering themselves in principles of faith. The Muslim calendar is lunar (354 days), so each year, Ramadan occurs 10 – 11 days earlier than the previous year, which allows fasting in various seasons and weather throughout a Muslim’s lifetime. Ramadan moves through all of the months of the year and takes about 33 years to traverse the entire calendar. (Danouni)
In Islam, fasting is when a person abstains from eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, or indulging in intimate acts, from dawn to dusk. The fasting is only observed during daylight and it is for 29 or 30 consecutive days. And yes, this fast includes any liquid, even water. (Danouni)
Why do Muslims observe Ramadan?
Ramadan is a special time for reflection, self-improvement, kindness, and spirituality. Muslims use the month of Ramadan to start afresh and give their life and their relations with everyone a new direction. The reason for fasting is to discipline the body, the mind, and the instincts, to be more compassionate with the needy and the poor, and to boost community charity and togetherness. The absence of food, drink, and other pleasures is used by Muslims to concentrate on meditation, introspection, prayer, and worship. (Danouni)
This reminds me very much of the Christian tradition of sacrifice during the Lenton season.
For Muslims Ramadan is a blessed month ordained by God. God has promised those who observe Ramadan that the reward for good deeds and actions during the holy month will be multiplied greater than usual. This naturally encourages many to increase their level of worship and prayer. The same rule also applies to sins and unacceptable actions (lies, deception…) with greater punishment than usual. (Danouni)
Ramadan in Bahrain
Seddiqa is an Arabic teacher at our school and a true Bahraini!
During Ramadan, I have observed many changes in the way things are done in Bahrain. The most notable is that most restaurants are closed during the day. They open after sunset and stay open later. Many businesses have changed hours during Ramadan opening later in the day. There is no eating or drinking in public during fasting hours. This must be observed by non-Muslims as well. There is no eating or drinking in your car during this time. You can be ticketed (about 110.00 USD) for the offense. Everyone is expected to dress more modestly: women should not have their shoulders or knees exposed.
At School, we still have lunch in the cafeteria. Students who are fasting have a special place they can go for reflection and prayer during this time. We are asked to not eat or drink in public areas of the school, and to show respect for those who are fasting.
There are some exceptions. Children who have not gone through adolescence are not expected to fast. Pregnant and nursing mothers do not have to fast. The elderly or those with medical conditions are exempt from fasting. There are also exceptions for other things and fast days can be made up.
Gargaaown
We have just passed the halfway mark in Ramadan. Children in the Gulf States (of which Bahrain is one) participate in a practice known as Gargaaown (although each region seems to have a variation of this name). After the evening prayer on the 14th day of Ramadan, children will dress in traditional attire and go knocking on the doors of their neighbors for sweets and nuts. They may even sing traditional songs. (Sounds a lot like Halloween which also has its roots in a religious tradition: All Hallows Eve.)
What does Easter have to do with Ramadan?
This coming Sunday is Easter which is probably the most important Christian holiday. The days leading up to Easter remind the faithful of the betrayal, death, and resurrection of our Lord. This year, as Ramadan travels through the lunar calendar, Easter falls amid Ramadan. Both holidays are a time of self-reflection of undertaking a sacrifice to grow spiritually.
It is easy to see all that separates us, but truly more connects us. I would encourage you to read the following book. The three major religions that have roots in the Middle East are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All have a common ancestor: Father Abraham.
Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths
By Bruce Feiler
The following review is from Goodreads:
Both immediate and timeless, Abraham is a powerful, universal story, the first-ever interfaith portrait of the man God chose to be his partner. Thoughtful and inspiring, it offers a rare vision of hope that will redefine what we think about our neighbors, our future, and ourselves.
In this timely, provocative, and uplifting journey, the bestselling author of Walking the Bible searches for the man at the heart of the world’s three monotheistic religions — and today’s deadliest conflicts.
At a moment when the world is asking, “Can the religions get along?” one figure stands out as the shared ancestor of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. One man holds the key to our deepest fears — and our possible reconciliation. Abraham.
Bruce Feiler set out on a personal quest to better understand our common patriarch. Traveling in war zones, climbing through caves and ancient shrines, and sitting down with the world’s leading religious minds, Feiler uncovers fascinating, little-known details of the man who defines faith for half the world.
Both immediate and timeless, Abraham is a powerful, universal story, the first-ever interfaith portrait of the man God chose to be his partner. Thoughtful and inspiring, it offers a rare vision of hope that will redefine what we think about our neighbors, our future, and ourselves.
It has been a long time since I posted on my blog. I have moved from the “Pearl of the Antilles” (Cuba in the Caribbean) to the “Pearl of the Gulf” (Bahrain in the Persian Gulf) and thought I would share with you my thoughts about living in Bahrain.
Bahrain is a tiny island nation located in the Persian Gulf just off the shore of Saudi Arabia. It is approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. Much smaller than the county I live in Montana. Unlike my county, which boasts a population of somewhere around 18,000 people, Bahrain has 1.8 million inhabitants. Of these, approximately half are true Bahrainis. The rest are considered ex-pats.
I have to share my own ignorance here. I always thought “ex-pat” stood for the word “expatriot”. And as a proud American, I would never want to be called an ex-patriot. So when I heard this word bandied about here in Bahrain, I thought I should look it up. So, the word is actually spelled, expatriate… and literally means someone who lives outside their native country. So, that is me, and apparently about 900,000 other individuals here.
The island has a truly international flavor. And because of the large ex-pat population, almost everyone speaks English. It is the common denominator. So far I have met people from Pakistan, the Philippines, Holland, Russia, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Sri Lanka. Occasionally, every once in a while, I meet a true Bahraini.
Many people have said to me that they think I am brave to do this … which is not at all how I feel. First, Bahrain is a very moderate Muslim country, and from all accounts, it is very safe. Second, if the situation changes, I am confident that the 5th Fleet of the US Navy (for which Bahrain is the home port) will keep me safe and sound. Finally, if I am ever homesick, I have access to a slice of America every time I go to the base. I can even get Taco Bell and Baskin Robbins.
I have many first impressions of living in a Muslim country and I will share those in blog posts to come. As well as what my day-to-day life is like.
Going to GTMO in September of 2013 gave me a chance to metaphorically start over. After a difficult transition in my life, I was an emotional wreck. Living in Libby was a constant reminder of what I thought I had lost and what was broken and could never be repaired. I am so blessed that my dear friend Kim Lee gave me the suggestion to apply to the Department of Defense Education Activity. As soon as I applied, it was like a weight had lifted from me. I realized I did have options. Sometimes when we are so mired in the muck, we can’t imagine there is a way out.
So with great trepidation and a solid escape plan should moving south really go south, I ventured to the Caribbean. And there on a quirky little Navy Base on the end of the island nation that rejected our very existence there, I found my escape from a life that had rejected me.
I always knew that GTMO was not a forever home which probably made me love it more and I sought to know every inch of that place and to experience it fully for the time I had there.
Deciding to leave was complicated. I loved so many aspects of my life there. It was not an easy place to live as anyone who has lived there can attest, but it gets in your heart and you learn to accept the bad with the good. And there was so much good.
I met so many good people there. Really, really good people. People who are now part of my life forever. They are my GTMO family, my Guantanamigos. Something about sitting in an air terminal for 6 hours with people is a bonding experience. Something about sharing the frustration that we are out of eggs, had no candy canes at Christmas, and when is the diet coke going to be restocked? It was all on a barge somewhere… or on the delayed produce flight or the delayed mail flight… or in Spain with my mail…A lot of lost things are eventually found in Cuba.
I found myself there. My heart healed and my sense of self-worth was restored. It is impossible to put into words how transformative my time there was. I will forever be grateful for this special place in my life and especially for the people who were brought into my life there.
So why leave, you might ask. Something in me decided that it was time. It was time to face the inevitable. It was time to experience a new adventure. I applied for an opening in Bahrain. I was not even sure it was an option I wanted to consider, but as soon as I submitted my application, I felt the spirit gently nudging me to “lean into Bahrain”.
I have always told my children that if the doors open easily, the path is probably the right one. If you have to push and shove your way through the door, there is probably a reason it is difficult, and maybe you should step back and re-evaluate. All the doors opened for me to go to Cuba and it was the right path and all the doors opened almost effortlessly for me to come to Bahrain.
I have no idea why I am supposed to be on this path. I can only tell you that I have had many confirmations that this is the right path for now. Who would have thought ten years ago as I was walking through the shattered pieces of my former life, that I would be sitting here in the middle east listening to a gentle rain fall on my beautiful garden with the Muslim call to prayer echoing in the distance?
shawberget 