During Ramadan hundreds of policemen are seen praying on roadsides and breaking their fast under shaded police checkpoints across Bahrain. Special Security Forces Command (SSFC) officers have spoken to the GDN about the difficulties of preventing attacks waged by anti-government thugs while fasting in the scorching summer heat…

POLICEMEN stationed at key locations in Bahrain have spoken out about fears of being attacked with firebombs while praying on street corners.

They described barricading themselves behind cement blocks to break their fast, which often consists of a bottle of water and a single date.

The holy month has coincided with one of the hottest times of the year, meaning the officers are spending long days under the blistering sun while patrolling trouble hotspots including Sitra, Bilad Al Qadeem and villages on the Budaiya Highway.

Earlier this month, the GDN reported about the death of Special Security Forces Command (SSFC) officer Mahmood Fareed, who was killed by a homemade bomb that exploded while he was prayingÊnear his patrol vehicle in East Eker.

One policeman, from the SSFC, told the GDN Ramadan is challenging because they could not eat or drink during the majority of their 24-hour shifts.

ÒRamadan is the same as normal days for us and we work 24 hours Ð the only difference is that we cannot eat and drink,Ó he said on the condition of anonymity.

ÒWe perform duties near checkpoints, especially in troubled areas, and have to stand or sit outside under the sun.

ÒSometimes we stand behind cement barriers, inspect vehicles and question the drivers, while we also keep an eye on thugs, who attack us with Molotov cocktails.

ÒWe break our fast and pray on the roads, and sometimes, we donÕt even have prayer mats, so we pray on our vests.

ÒThe weather is hot and we are fasting, and some of us suffer from dehydration, weakness and cannot sleep properly after working 24 hours.Ó

Another SSFC officer said they spend majority of their time on roads confronting saboteurs, who hurl homemade firebombs and block roads with burning tyres Ð even during Iftar time.

ÒSometimes, we donÕt even get a chance to break the fast, especially during the weekends, as thugs go on rampage and block roads to distract worshippers, who go to mosques for prayers,Ó he said.

Challenge

ÒThey do it to keep us busy at Iftar time so we donÕt break our fast peacefully, and to disturb others.

ÒWe cannot pray in groups Ð at least one of us needs to keep an eye on whatÕs happening around us.

ÒWe miss sitting with our families during Iftar and evening gatherings during Ramadan while we are on duty.

ÒSome motorists, who rush for Iftar, are stuck in traffic for hours after roads leading to major highways are blocked with burning tyres. We go to the site, douse the fire and remove debris, to ease traffic movement.

ÒWe are putting in a lot of effort to ensure security during Ramadan and stop thugs from going ahead with their plans of violence.Ó

The officers said dehydration and fatigue were some of the main problems they faced while fasting on the job.

ÒWe are standing under direct sun for hours and thatÕs because we want people to be safe,Ó explained one policeman.

ÒItÕs hard during summer and Ramadan as we are fasting, and feel thirstier standing in the sun.

ÒVandals hurl Molotov cocktails and attack us with homemade explosives, even during this holy month.Ó

However, they said they had to carry on to perform their duties.

ÒWe Muslims have been fasting since childhood and cannot leave it just because of our tough job,Ó said one policeman.

ÒWe donÕt get time to break the fast or pray while we are on duty.

ÒSometimes, we break our fast quickly, have some dates and water and then go back to work.

ÒWe cannot perform taraweeh prayers (special Ramadan prayer) and sometimes reduce the number of rakaÕat (unit of prayer) to go back to our position.Ó

More than 2,500 policemen have been injured during clashes with rioters since the 2011 unrest, said Public Security Chief Major General Tariq Al Hassan in December last year.

He said 90 per cent of rallies approved by the authorities turned violent with groups rioting and attacking security forces with firebombs.

He said several cases against policemen had been referred to the Public Prosecution and some of those cases were already in court.

aneeqa@gdn.com.bh