Mohammad Al-Ubaydli’s blog

Cato would be proud – Islam is used to back libertarian principles:

Bahrain trade union officials and religious leaders have slammed the government’s 1% salary tax, claiming it goes against the principles of Islam.

Jamal Ateeq, head of the Communication, Posts and Civil Aviation Authority trade union, said on Tuesday it was considered “un-Islamic” to deduct money from people’s salaries without permission, reported Gulf Daily News.

The problem is big:

According to the government, the country’s unemployment rate stands at below 4%, with around 20,000 Bahraini citizens jobless.

There are currently about half a million people working in Bahrain, but only around 200,000 of these are nationals.

But the next stage in the government’s plan is causing protests.