As one approaches the roundabout from the souks, the monument is striking. It is a simple but elegant piece of architecture. Six tusk-shaped, snow-white pillars rise from the ground up and meet at a central point holding a pearl. The pillars symbolize the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE. From a distance it looks as if someone is holding a ball in his palms. The pearl signifies Bahrain’s past when it used to be the pearl capital of the world.
The roundabout has a lush, green lawn, and it is fringed by a series of well-rooted palm trees. The surrounding area is open. Since it is the center of the Bahraini capital, no tourist arriving in the country can miss it. It is the main traffic intersection. Since it is early morning, all arteries, large and small, that lead into the roundabout are open. There is a sense of trepidation in the shadow of the giant pearl, perhaps because of the recent carnage.
Minutes later you feel like you are among well-behaved people. All those fears that initially raise a lot questions are gone. You feel at ease in what is being described as the Tahrir Square of Bahrain. Two weeks ago, this was the place where the authorities stormed the circle in the early hours of the morning firing on protesters killing seven of them and injuring scores. Telltale signs of that violence remain. Lampposts anchor posters of those slain. The pictures are graphic, and they are accompanied by the names and ages of victims. Some pictures carry verses from the Holy Qur’an, and others carry highly emotional Arabic poetry. Curious onlookers stare.
Tents dot the landscape creating a scene reminiscent of the Haj pilgrimage. Some tents now are media centers and press conference places. Verses from the Holy Qur’an blare from branch-hung loudspeakers. Everything is very well organized, and the place is clean. Volunteers wearing fluorescent green jackets guide incoming vehicles.
Each palm tree that rings the roundabout now sports a number to ease coordination among the protesters. New arrivals at the roundabout are invited to have a cup of tea at one makeshift camp. At another, volunteers offer cans of juice, sandwiches and scrambled eggs — all free of cost. It seems like a picnic spot.
In one camp a young man snores soundly making up for sleep lost the previous night. At another tent, three elderly men in nightgowns pore over the morning newspapers, and at another tent, artists translate ideas into drawings and cartoons that capture in a few strokes what thousands of words from a journalist cannot.
As the sun climbs the crowd builds. Families arrive with children in tow. At the far end, the sunrays blaze on Bahrain’s iconic skyline. It is these buildings the outside world recognizes; however, now the eyes of the world focus on the roundabout — what was just a traffic interchange a few weeks ago.
“This is not just a roundabout; this is the place where the seeds of a new and vibrant and all-inclusive Bahrain have been sown. We will emerge stronger from this place,” said a Bahraini high school teacher who came along with her husband and three children from a far-off district. “We all want to hold this country just like those pillars that hold the precious pearl.”
