As if the internet wasn’t enough, Akhbar Al-Khaleej gets blocked!

People around Bahrain, in their homes, in their offices and NOT on Gulf Air flights will notice something missing today..

No Akhbar Al-Kahleej newspaper!

The following was published on the newspaper’s website http://www.aaknews.com and its sister newspaper the English speaking  Gulf Daily News

على ضوء أوامر من السلطات المختصة تم ابلاغها إلى الأستاذ أنور عبدالرحمن رئيس تحرير “أخبار الخليج” بعد منتصف ليلة أمس تقرر وقف صدور جريدة “أخبار الخليج” حتى اشعار آخر لأمور لها علاقة بمخالفة قانون المطبوعات.
وعلى ضوء ما تقدم تم حجب الجريدة عن الصدور ليلة أمس بعد أن كان العدد الذي من المفترض أن يصدر صباح اليوم على وشك الطبع.

MANAMA: Bahrain’s concerned authorities informed Akhbar Al Khaleej Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Anwar Abdulrahman late last night that the daily newspaper has been suspended until further notice for reasons related to the Press law.

The suspension order was received a few minutes before the newspaper went to Press.

Mr Abdulrahman was holding negotiations with the concerned authorities over the issue early this morning.

What has led to this ban is not yet known and what’s it connection to the Press law. This comes as another blow to freedom of speech in Bahrain, after seeing a wide spread of web censorship with the aim of ‘a clean web’ which conveniently blocked everything from opposition websites, pornography, gambling, anti Islamic websites, web proxies and Google Translate, it seems that the ever enlongating arm of censorship has hit the mainstream media!

The strangest and most shocking thing about this ban is that it is Akbar Al-Khaleej, a newspaper which is predominately pro-government and most of it stories cover either one of two things.. What’s going on in Muharraq or What PM Shaikh Khalifa is doing…oh and I forgot, about Shaikh Khalifa and his undying love for the people of Muharraq…

So what has this clawless kitten of a newspaper done to ruffle a few feathers in government?? Only time will tell but for now this is a very sad day in Bahrain history and its attempt in becoming a democratic country..