MPs pushing again for beverages ban on GF
MPs pushing again for beverages ban
By GEOFFREY BEW and RASHA AL QAHTANI
MANAMA
MPs want to ban alcohol from Bahrain International Airport and on all Gulf Air flights, saying it breaches Islamic values, it emerged yesterday. A proposal by five MPs from all political blocs was submitted on Tuesday to parliament chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani, who will now present it to the relevant committee before it is discussed in the chamber.
The five MPs are Al Menbar bloc's Mohammed Khalid, Al Mostaqbal's (Future) Hassan Al Dossary, Al Asala's Abulhaleem Murad, Al Wefaq's Abdulhussain Metgawie and independent Jassim Al Saeedi.
Mr Metgawie said that the ban on alcohol would not harm the airport and that other GCC airports, which implemented this policy, were never affected.
He said that it is in line with Muslim rules and that Bahrain was an Islamic country that should reflect an Islamic image.
"The airport belongs to the government, so it should stop the breaching of Islamic values," said Mr Metgawie.
The MPs also say that since Gulf Air is fully owned by Bahrain, it should behave in a "respectable and decent" manner.
"We are proposing to ban the sale or consumption of alcohol on Gulf Air because it causes physical, emotional and psychological damage," the MPs said in a joint statement.
"Alcohol is also related to crime and makes people act inappropriately. It gives people a bad reputation and they are looked down upon."
The statement said allowing the airline to serve alcohol also hampered recruitment.
"Many Bahraini men and women do not work in Gulf Air as air stewards because it is against their values to offer alcohol," it said.
Mr Al Saeedi yesterday told the GDN that the proposal was in line with the country's constitution.
"Bahrain is an Arab and Muslim country and the constitution says that alcohol is forbidden," he said.
"This is not the first time we have given the proposal. We presented it in 2002, but it was not discussed at that time, so we are proposing it again."
Mr Al Saeedi denied that the proposed policy would harm Gulf Air or Bahrain's tourism industry. "There are other airlines that do not have alcohol on board and it does not affect them, so why would it affect Gulf Air?
"The whole idea is we want to ban this because you never know what is going to happen and maybe someone will do something silly or stupid and might be a hazard on the plane."
Mr Al Saeedi said the proposal had widespread support among MPs and no one had voiced any objections.
A Gulf Air spokesman said if the proposal became law it would unfairly hinder the airline against its competitors.
"While we respect the parliament and the politicians' views, as an international carrier we are catering to a global market and for us to be an airline of choice, we have to maintain a certain level of standards and service required by our customers," he said.