okay to trample israeli flag

Bahraini MP flays law against burning of flags
gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10009690.html
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
01/06/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)

Manama: Lawmaker Shaikh Mohammad Khalid on Thursday deplored the passage by Bahrain's Lower House of a penal code amendment that reinforced the protection of flags of countries with diplomatic representations in the kingdom from desecration.

Article 215 of the revised Penal Code now stipulates a two-year jail sentence and a 200-dinar (Dh1,270) fine for anyone guilty of desecrating the national flag or official logo of a country that has political relations with Bahrain.

The Islamist MP argued that people had the right to express themselves by burning effigies and flags during demonstrations.

"It is a matter of free speech and the right to protest against actions and attitudes by nations that have little respect for other nations and people's feelings," Shaikh Khalid told Gulf News.

"We all know that the only flags that are burned or trampled in Bahrain are those of Israel because of its savage aggressions against Arabs and Muslims and the United States because of its blind support to Israel. There were protests against France on the hijab issue in December 2003, but no French flag was ever burned," he said.

Council of Representatives Speaker Khalifa Al Dhahrani last week told the MPs that Bahrain should be respectful of other countries' flags and emblems if it wanted the reverence to be reciprocated.

Protestors in Bahrain in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war and throughout the armed conflict often burned US and Israeli flags, prompting calls from the government to issue pleas to stop the practice.

The American flag was also burned at rallies staged against Israel and its perceived supporters after Israeli forces launched military operations in the West Bank.

Officials then said that burning the US flag harmed Bahrain's interests and its relations with Washington.

The amendment, passed by the elected MPs despite the opposition of Shaikh Khalid effectively rules out the desecration of the US flag and emblems, but will have no effect on people's propensity to burn or trample the Israeli flag since Bahrain has no diplomatic relations with Israel.