A BAHRAINI television director has asked for police protection following a Molotov cocktail attack on his home.
Mohammed Al Qafas told the GDN yesterday that it was the third attack in a month on the house he shares with his wife, 70-year-old mother, five siblings and two children, aged three and five.
The GDN reported on Sunday that men hurled Molotov cocktails at his Sanabis home, completely destroying a car and damaging the walls of his house.
"What frustrates and frightens me is that this is not the first attack we have endured," said the 44-year-old yesterday.
"We have been subjected to periodic attacks - this one is the third in less than a month."
Mr Al Qafas, who described the incident on Saturday as "attempted murder", claimed he did not know who was behind it.
A community leader has pointed the finger at a group of individuals who claim they were defrauded by his brother. However, the brother suffers from mental problems and Mr Al Qafas insists he is innocent.
"When the (court) case against my brother started he was referred to the Psychiatric Hospital," he added.
"They found that he has a slight mental health disorder, learning difficulties, a slight hearing handicap and that he is mentally incapacitated. There is no way he did this (committed fraud)."
The fraud allegations centre on a business deal that Mr Al Qafas's brother was allegedly involved in.
However, Mr Al Qafas claimed his brother was manipulated into applying for a Commercial Registration under his name by a group of people who took advantage of his mental condition.
"My brother, Ali, has been mentally disabled since he was born," he said. "He has had a file in the Psychiatric Hospital since he was a child. He does not even know how to read or write. It is inconceivable that he would be behind this scam."
However, Mr Al Qafas added that even if his brother was at fault it did not justify Molotov cocktail attacks on his home.
"Even if I harboured a murderer at home, does it justify what these people are doing?" he asked.
"Would you try to kill a whole family, including women and children, just to seek revenge against one person?
"Why do we have laws if people are taking matters into their own hands?"
He went on to criticise the way authorities respond to emergencies in Sanabis, which has been a hotbed of tension between police and stone-throwing youths.
"Sanabis has been plagued by problems and attacks," he added.
"When I called the Civil Defence to come and put out the fires, they took 20 minutes to get here.
"In other areas they need only five or 10 minutes, but when they enter Sanabis they need their own protection (by police).
"What about us? We need protection too. Other countries protect their citizens, especially people in the public eye or celebrities.
"I am a well-known Bahraini director and my family is in real danger. We're under threat of being murdered - where is our protection?"
The Interior Ministry confirmed there had been many complaints filed against the brother of Mr Al Qafas, but said investigations into the latest arson attack were still ongoing.
algarf@gdn.com.bh
