Opinion Editorials, Readers' Letters, February 18, 2009

The "Arab Bidoon" In the Arab Gulf States: "Bidoon" What?

Part II, An Attempt To Export The Problem

By Ali Al-Hail

ccun.org, February 19, 2009

   After decades – and even centuries in some cases-, the "Arab Bidoon", whose geographical 'statelessness', within the Arab Gulf states of the Gulf cooperation Council (the GCC), does still, pose geopolitical, geo-economic, and more alarmingly, geo-biological concerns, to the GCC's governments. All these patterns of unease anxieties, could be succinctly, summed up in that, the "Arab Bidoon", are placeless within a place, they perceive as the only home.

   Many argue that, these 'geos' apprehentions to the GCC's governments may develop into a recipe for geo-strategic threats. The latter has been widely, assumed especially, since international human rights organizations, started to muddle with the issue. One presumes, as do many that, these organizations do presumably, adopt different agendas, despite declared humanitarian aims.     

     Certain GCC's states, had recently, manifested their alarming concerns with the scale of the social illness of the "Arab Bidoon". However, the type of remedy, they have reportedly, prescribed, was not conceived by many as pragmatic. For example, Kuwait has formally, attempted to export the 'illness.problem' to the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago of the Comoros.

   Some observers, saw in such an initiative, a precedence by the Indian government, when it had exported its dispute with the 'Tamil Tigers' to Sri Lanka. Unlike the Indian move, the Kuwaiti strive has dramatically, failed.

   The Comoran parliament, spearheaded by the opposition, wisely, rejected its government’s bill, to issue Comoran nationality to the stateless "Arab Bidoon". The parliament argued, amongst other things that, why should the Comoros repair someone else's problem? They have also, referred to political and economic pressures, the GCC's states, with varying degrees had put, on Sambi's government, since relations with his government of 2006 have been excellent with the GCC's states.

   According to the grapevine, Sambi's government would have hoped to receive (a one hundred million) $100,000,000 annually, worth of investments from the GCC's states, had it agreed to naturalize the Gulf's "Arab Bidoon.", providing that, Comoros, is one of the poorest state World-wide. Kuwait in particular, which suffers more than other GCC's states from the problem of "Arab Bidoon", was largely, perceived by the Opposition in Comoros, as an attempt to relief itself from such a formidable burden.      

   Sadly, enough, the "Arab Bidoon" in the Arab Gulf states, have seen their apparently, last hope, getting evaporated, as no light at the end of the tunnel, had appeared to them. Their illegal 'indeterminate state', as such, seems to continue, with all surrounding catastrophic limbos (please see part I.)

   As the problem of 'Tamil Tigers', which was exported from India to Sri Lanka, still poised a huge headache to the Colombo's government, the Comoros has a point in turning down the "Arab Bidoon's" request to become citizens of  Comoros though, an estimated 98% of Comorans are Muslims.

   Yet, the "Arab Bidoon", is purely, a GCC's problem. Hence, this problem has to be solved within the GCC.             

Professor, Dr. Ali Al-Hail, Professor of Mass Communication, Twice Fulbright Award Winner, Fulbright Visiting Scholar, Vice-President Of Qatar Fulbright Group, CSR Award Judge and Board Member of AUSACE, ASC, IABD, NEBAA, BEA, IMDA and EAJMC American Associations.