Ali Al Jallawi: The Poet's Voice From Bahrain

| © Ali Al Jallawi/YouTube
Culture Trip

Bahraini poet Ali Al Jallawi has struggled against state censorship and repression throughout his career, and his outspoken critique of the Bahraini regime ultimately forced him into exile in Europe. This article from InterNations looks at Al Jallawi’s tumultuous career and his message of peaceful resistance.

In the wake of the Bahraini uprising in 2011 and 2012, expatriates living in Bahrain as well as international observers could not have failed to notice that something is indeed rotten in the tiny kingdom on the Persian Gulf. Before the political unrest highlighted the grievances of many Bahrainis, casual visitors or expats coming to live in Bahrain for a couple of years would mostly have seen the comparatively high quality of life and the vibrant atmosphere of Manama. For oppositional voices from Bahrain, however, such amenities no longer matter in the light of their country’s political failures, a flawed homeland giving rise to poetic prophecies like this: ‘We celebrated your death / Until you became great.’

speech icon man in bubble

Destinations Unlocked:

Let our travel expert Stefano help you find your perfect Culture trip

Looking for an expert's perspective?

Uncover my top 3 recommended places from each continent on the map.
speech icon man in bubble
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

GORGEOUS GUATEMALA

Gorgeous Guatemala

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

1. Guatemala

An express adventure for those with limited time off. Prepare yourself incredible experiences. You will hike a volcano, visit mayan temples and witness a ceremony and take in beautiful colonial Antigua.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

BEACHY BELIZE

Beachy Belize

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

2. Belize

A quick trip not too far away for those seeking a relaxing mini break. You will have plenty of free time to relax but also some awesome activities to experience the rainforest and the caribbean sea.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

COLONIAL MEXICO

Colonial Mexico

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

3. Mexico

An exciting mini trip exploring the lesser known colonial towns of central Mexico. This is hte perfect trip for someone with limited time off and still wants to turn on explorer mode and do something different.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

SouthAmerica

ADVENTUROUS ECUADOR

Adventurous Ecuador

8 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Ecuador

A remarkable 8 days adventure through the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. The best choice for adventure seekers wishing to visit the 2 most iconic areas of South America, in only 1 week and no flights.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

SouthAmerica

ANCIENT PERU

Ancient Peru

9 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Peru

An alternative itinerary to classic Peru, from Cusco to Arequipa. This itinerary is great combination of highlights Cusco and Machu Picchu with the lesser known Arequipa and Colca Canyon.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Europe

SEDUCTIVE SOUTHERN ITALY

Seductive Southern Italy

10 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Italy

The ultimate Italian experience from the vibrant streets of Naples to the breathtaking sceneries of the Amalfi Coast followed by Matera and down to Puglia with its golden beaches, intense flavours and fascinating destinations.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Europe

EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN

Edinburgh And The Scottish Highlands By Train

7 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

2. Scotland

Embark on this great adventure starting from London all the way to Scotland with a true Scottish experience made of breathtaking sceneries, whisky tasting and ..lots of fun! Ideal for train lovers and explorers.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Europe

COMPLETE PORTUGAL BY TRAIN

Complete Portugal By Train

8 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

3. Portugal

A wonderful train journey around Portugal, from the romantic city of Porto to the Douro Valley, to the beautiful Aveiro all the way to Lisbon and Sintra. The perfect trip to train, culinary and culture lovers.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Asia

SOULFUL SOUTH KOREA

Soulful South Korea

10 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. South Korea

Discover incredible temples, mountains and modern cities on this 10 day adventure. This trip is perfect for those seeking immersion in the cuisine, culture and natural wonders of South Korea.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Asia

THAILAND, CAMBODIA & VIETNAM

Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam

11 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Thailand

From Bankgok to Angkor Wat to Ho Chi Minh City and everything in between - adventure through the heart of South-East Asia. Taste the delights, see history brought to life and unwind on a Mekong River cruise.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Asia

SECRETS OF SRI LANKA BY TRAIN

Secrets Of Sri Lanka By Train

10 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

3. Sri Lanka

A fantastic adventure that showcases Sri Lanka's fantastic landscapes, wildlife and flavours. With 3 epic rail journeys, 3 UNESCO heritage sites and time to relax, this trip has loads to offer at a great price
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Africa

EPIC MOROCCO

Epic Morocco

11 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Morocco

An epic journey across Morocco: from Casablanca to Marrakech, through the blue city of Chefchaouen to the wonders of the desert and deep to the High Atlas Mountains - this trip has it all! Ideal for true explorers!

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Africa

ULTIMATE EGYPT

Ultimate Egypt

9 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Egypt

From Cairo to Aswan, this trip brings the land of the pharaohs to life. You'll visit the Pyramids, Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple and cruise down the Nile in style. This is the perfect way to explore Egypt.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Africa

IMMERSIVE KENYA

Immersive Kenya

8 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

3. Kenya

An immersive blend of culture and wildlife for first time travelers to Africa. Learn about Nairobi, sample local coffee in the Aberdares and finish up with a fantastic safari stay in the Masai Mara.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

These lines were penned by Bahraini writer Ali Al Jallawi in his volume of poetry Al Isyan (Arabic for ‘revolt’, ‘disobedience’) – which was published years before the Arab Spring. Al Jallawi is not only one of the Gulf region’s most notable modern poets, but he has also been an outspoken critic of Bahrain’s government for the last two decades. Born in Manama in 1975, as the eighth child in a large family, he started writing poetry at the age of 14: A mere three years later, he ran into trouble with Bahrain’s authorities for the first time when he was arrested for publishing a poem critical of the ruling monarchy.

His seven volumes of poetry and his numerous appearances at national as well as international festivals garnered him praise in literary circles while his political ideas and humanitarian ideals led to his political persecution at the hands of the Bahraini state. In 1995, after his second arrest, he was incarcerated for three years and suffered torture in prison. This harrowing experience is at the centre of his recent memoir, God after Ten o’Clock, which nonetheless reaffirms Al Jallawi’s staunchest beliefs.
In an absurd, almost comical anecdote, one of the prison officials tries to become god for the people at his mercy. He writes ‘God’ on a scrap of paper, locks it in the desk drawer, and tersely states: ‘God is there. I am here.’ With guards like that, the poet’s passionate speeches fall on deaf ears – and yet they serve to remind him of his core values. Even though his jailer may consider himself a willful, vengeful deity, the writer remains committed to a human, even animal existence. Comparing himself to a ‘seagull’ (which has wings, even when caged, to rise in the air), a ‘jellyfish’ (soft, luminous, thriving in water), and a ‘son of the first nucleus, which could be considered clay’ (as the first man in Abrahamic religion, created from simple earth), he disdains to derive his own status from tribal interests, religious authorities, social class, or a feeling of racial superiority towards people from different ethnicities.

This radical humanitarianism becomes apparent in many facets of Al Jallawi’s work. He has written two books on religious minorities in Bahrain (the Jewish community and the Baha’ i faith), and from 2005 to 2007, he contributed as a journalist to coverage on local arts and culture and to the country’s only oppositional newspaper. His lyrical oeuvre keeps coming back, again and again, to what he calls the three biggest taboos in Bahrain’s literature: sexuality, religion, and politics. ‘If Earth were higher / I’d appeal for / God’s hat to be hung on the moon / and the clothes line of heaven to be stretched between two rhymes,’ Al Jallawi writes in the poem provocatively titled ‘Letter to Quaraish’ (the name of the tribe the prophet Mohammed belonged to). Such challenges to religious and secular hierarchies alike are, however, not likely to find favour in a politically volatile climate and under a regime routinely criticised for suppressing freedom of speech.

While Al Jallawi rejects violence as part of anti-government protests, he did peacefully participate in mass demonstrations in 2011, publicly reciting some of his poems during gatherings at the Manama Pearl Roundabout. When security forces then paid a visit to his family and he heard about the fate of two fellow writers (a publisher and a blogger, both of whom mysteriously died in prison), he decided to leave his country. As he already had a visa for participating in a literary festival in Germany, he set out from Bahrain prematurely and finally arrived via the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, and the UK. Ironically enough, he was arrested at Heathrow Airport and held in custody for several weeks, since his visa was not considered valid for Britain.

A support network for persecuted journalists and authors helped Al Jallawi to get to Germany after all and organized a PEN fellowship to save him a lengthy asylum application. He thus resided as an official guest in the city of Weimar for half a year and now lives in Berlin as a fellow of the Akademie der Künste. The poet has expressed both his deep gratitude to the individual people in Europe who offered him their help and his disappointment with feeling like ‘a second-class human’, due to his non-European passport, dark skin tone, and Arab name. On the one hand, Western government and organisations, as Al Jallawi does not tire of pointing out, celebrate freedom of speech – and then export military equipment to nations such as Saudi Arabia, which played a vital part in putting down Bahrain’s popular opposition with brute force.

As relieved as he was to leave Bahrain unhindered and unscathed, he also wants to return some day. His wife and his ten-year-old son were not able to join him, and while exile is a better option than prison, it is ‘the slow murder of your memories.’ Al Jallawi uses his exile in Germany for further appearances at literary events and political lectures on the Arab Spring, for interviews with German media outlining his hopes for a democratic Bahrain, and for working on a novel called Yadallah’s Shoes, another meditation on the ways that society and ideology can influence people, for better or worse.

‘Your nation is not a piece of land, though,’ he states. ‘Your nation is your sense of belonging. I still belong to my country.’ And Al Jallawi will still wrestle with questions like ‘O Lord… / How have you allowed children to dispatch all this death?’ (‘Letters for Those to Be Slain’) and come to the resounding answer, ‘there is no one worthy of worship but Man’ (‘Letter to Quraish’), a conclusion that is less cynical than it is ultimately hopeful.
This article has been provided by InterNations, the leading online community for expatriates worldwide. InterNations is present with Local Communities in 322 cities and with currently over 500.000 members across the globe and aims to help expats socially integrate into their new cities abroad, both online and offline.

culture trip left arrow
 culture trip brand logo

Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

women sitting on iceberg

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?

I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

culture trip logo letter c
group posing for picture on iceberg
group posing for picture on iceberg

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

map of volcanic iceland trip destination points
culture trip brand logo
culture trip right arrow
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

X

Holiday Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

Edit article