Concerns Rise as Sunni Endowments Acquire Land in Diraz, Sparking Fears of Identity Shift

2024-01-19 - 12:15 م

Bahrain Mirror: A Bahraini Member of Parliament has brought attention to government actions through the Sunni Endowments, revealing the seizure of investment land in Diraz as part of a larger plan to alter Bahrain's identity.

In a council session intervention, the MP disclosed details about an investment land on Budaiya Street in Diraz, purchased by an investor for 4.5 million dinars. Notably, 70% of its rear area was designated for residential use, while the remaining portion was earmarked for four commercial buildings.

Providing documentation, the MP revealed that the state had assigned two properties-one which was a parking lot serving Diraz residents, and a third was allocated for the construction of a petrol station. Shockingly, during the session, he presented a document indicating municipal approval to transform the project, originally four buildings, into 112 parking lots.

Expressing concern, the MP highlighted that the parking lots had been constructed but were now sidewalks and shops. He questioned the mysterious transformation of the documents from their intended purposes into religious and investment land. The four buildings property was turned into commercial shops, he added, and the 112 parking lots had been cleared and converted into housing units.

The MP, seeking clarification, approached relevant authorities, who explained that the Sunni endowments had taken control of the properties to convert them into a mosque and clear the parking lots. This raised further questions, especially as citizens faced difficulties obtaining approval for mosque construction on their lands.

Emphasizing the absence of mosque construction applications from the Sunni community in the area and stating that no Sunni community members reside in Diraz, the MP questioned the legal justification for dismantling these buildings and transforming investors' properties into mosques.

Furthermore, he revealed that the investor, who had sold the buildings and donated them for public service, had agreed to surrender an area worth one million dinars for state expansion of the parking lots. However, the state apparently took both the million dinars and the land, turning it into a second property, raising eyebrows about the transparency of the process.

Arabic Version