February 14, 2012
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Formula One: Human-rights groups call for boycott of Bahrain Grand Prix
By: Quentin Spurring on 2/12/2012The 2012 Bahraini Grand Prix looks so insecure that the latest attacks on its validity, including one by a group of British lawmakers, could be enough to force cancellation of the event.
The controversial Formula One race is scheduled for April 22. However, pressure on the FIA and Formula One Management (FOM) is increased by a regulation stating that any event that is canceled within 12 weeks of its scheduled date will be excluded from the following year’s schedule. The deadline for this rule to apply to this race passed at the end of January. If the 2012 race is cancelled, FOM and the Bahraini promoter (effectively the royal family) would have to convince the FIA of their case for force majeure, equivalent to a natural disaster. Otherwise, they would also lose the 2013 event.
Civil unrest in the nation caused the cancellation of the April 2010 race after weeks of similar controversy. Efforts were made to reschedule it later in the season, but it was ultimately canceled in June after protests from some of the teams and their sponsors.
Various lobbying groups are campaigning against the race, notably the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, which last month called on the teams to implement a boycott. This week, members of the House of Lords joined with Caroline Lucas, a Green Party MP in the House of Commons, to write an open letter to theTimes newspaper in London to express their concerns about the race.
The British politicians wrote: “We note with concern the decision by Formula One to go ahead with the race in Bahrain scheduled for April. The continued political crisis in Bahrain is a troubling source of instability in the Gulf region, and the lack of any move towards political reconciliation concerns those who wish to see Bahrain move in the direction of greater democratic accountability.
“It was hoped that the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) would provide a starting point for political reform which both government and opposition forces could agree upon. Two months on, we see an entrenchment of the positions of both sides, which risks letting more extreme voices dictate the progress of the conflict. Given the current dire situation, with daily street protests and the deaths of more civilians, we do not believe that the time is right for Formula One to return to Bahrain.
“Bahrain is a major trading hub and financial center in the Middle East, but this brings greater responsibility. Human rights and economic stability go hand in hand, and the government of Bahrain must do more to persuade international events and corporations that Bahrain is a stable place to do business. Until it takes concerted measures to reform the electoral, penal and judicial processes, international observers as well as ordinary Bahrainis can have little confidence that Bahrain is on the path to reform and political stability.
“We urge the FIA to reconsider its decision to continue with the race.”
Meanwhile, the ongoing civil unrest in the nation has created controversy directly connected to the Bahrain International Circuit, which is owned by the Sunni royal family. It has emerged that last year the management of the venue fired 29 members of the staff, most of them from the suppressed Shia majority, apparently for participating in antigovernment protests.
BIC announced last month that, as a reconciliatory gesture, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was responding to a recommendation in a BICI report by reinstating all of them. The CEO of the circuit, Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al-Khalifa, said: “The reinstatement of our BIC colleagues is part of an important initiative towards national reconciliation and unity for the kingdom as a whole. I now look forward to working with all BIC colleagues to ensure that we continue to provide world-class track events, which every citizen of Bahrain can be proud to support.”
But according to a report at arabianbusiness.com, only three people are actually back in their previous jobs. The Web site cannot say how many have simply refused the offer. Nabeel Rajab, the vice president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said the offer was a cynical attempt to deflect the calls for a boycott of this year’s race.
“I very strongly believe that this was just to get Formula One back,” Rajab said. “They should not have just reinstated those people; they should have launched an investigation. The staff don’t know why they were sacked, and now they are expected to come back to work without answers.”
In the final analysis, this year’s Bahraini Grand Prix will happen only if the big brands in F1–automobile manufacturers Ferrari, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz and Renault, specialists such as Caterham and Marussia, sponsors from diverse commercial sectors such as Kingfisher, Marlboro, Mobil, Petronas, Pirelli, Red Bull, Santander, Total, Virgin and Vodafone–are convinced that they will not damage their image by taking part.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120212/F1/120219965#ixzz1mPXH9XFU
Copyright. 2012. Autoweek Magazine. All Rights Reserved
Comments (1)
It would seem to present an almost “perfect storm” security nightmare, as the entire Grand Prix enterprise provides an irresistible setting to exploit for global media attention. There is an underlying danger, to which Mr. Ecclestone is surely sensitive. With the Formula 1 racing calendar showing events in many different sovereign nations, there is always the threat of internal political strife using the Grand Prix as the whipping post platform to bring attention to their cause.
This is similar to the debate as to the efficacy of accepting the demands of hostage takers, or negotiating with them at all., And by so doing, increasing the potential for danger to all passengers on airlines, or Embassy staff, as the perpetrators are emboldened by the expectations that they stand to gain traction for their cause in taking such action. I am not denying the importance or severity of the Bahrain political tensions, but if this race is cancelled, there is a very real danger that a precedent may encroach on the ability of this truly most International of all sporting events, to remain non partisan and insulated from the internal political strife that is bound to be a reality in some country or another in the future.
You may rest assured the Mr. Ecclestone is not being short sighted, or driven by monetary considerations. His number one concern is the safety and well being of everyone directly or indirectly affected by this problem. However, he is vitally aware that this decision should not be taken lightly, nor should Formula 1 be used as the stalking horse to advance the foregone conclusions or particular political philosophy of any particular group. This is a situation easy to use as a platform, and Formula 1 is not a political tool to be deployed or whipsawed in this process.