Gulf Daily News  

Bahrain, Nov 25: UNLICENCED churches in Segaiya have been given two weeks to either close down or prove they are authorised to operate in the area.

The ultimatum was given by the Manama Municipal Council, which is planning to have up to seven churches relocated.

Councillors say that seven out of eight churches operating in the area don't have a legal licence from the Manama Municipality, the Social Development Ministry or the Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry.

The churches are officially registered as residential villas, offices or warehouses, without a licence to operate, they said.

Area councillor Abdulmajeed Al Sebea'a said that the council has nothing against non-Muslims practising their religion, but it should be done properly in authorised areas without causing disturbances to neighbours or traffic congestions.

"We have nothing against licensed churches and we encourage their existence but when religious practices cause problems then they should be relocated," he said.

"Seven of them are registered and listed with the municipality and the Electricity and Water Ministry under the names of individuals.

"This means that even the collection of money goes to those individuals' bank accounts.

"Money collection is only allowed through a special licence from the Social Development Ministry, which is not the case here, considering that those churches are not licensed in the first place.

"Official documents from the Electricity and Water Ministry show that four churches are listed under the same name, which raises a lot of questions.

"We plan solving this issue in the coming two weeks, with an ultimatum to those churches to either close down or prove they are official."

Mr Al Sebea'a, who is also the council's technical committee chairman, said that police would be alerted today to be on standby whenever the council calls them to seal the churches if they fail to provide legal documents.

"I have spoken to the owner of those villas, offices and warehouses, and he has backed me in any decision I take because he doesn't accept any harm against residents, whether expatriates or Bahrainis.

"He doesn't even know that some have built additional facilities without consulting him or the municipality and is now planning to investigate the issue."

Mr Al Sebea'a claimed that people providing religious services at the churches were entering the country on visit visas or bogus work permits.

"I am planning to write to the Indian Embassy in particular and other embassies concerned to take action on this issue," he said.

"There are brochures being distributed by the churches announcing their events and activities but I encourage Christians who follow their disciplines to go to authorised churches where proper services are being offered."

Mr Al Sebea'a said their neighbours in the area have reached "a boiling point" because worshippers were parking their vehicles in front of their garages. "It is difficult to know whose car it is and even if traffic policemen are called, it normally takes them two hours to be there. By that time residents get fed up and tired, and the religious ceremony is over.

"Some even refuse to remove their car, saying that they were parking in a public place and no one has the right to tell them to move."

Mr Al Sebea'a said there was no differentiation between churches, ma'tams and mosques.

"We have sent several warnings to ma'tams and mosques telling them to lower the volume of their speakers and they have complied willingly, because if they did not, they would have been closed down too," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Al Sebea'a said the council was planning to meet officials from the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam, who are building a BD300,000 multi-purpose hall in Segaiya to use as their new headquarters, to learn what types of functions will be held there.

"The construction work was licensed, but under the condition that the place uses building materials that doesn't bother neighbours, in addition to adequate car parks," he said.

"The place is licensed as a multi-purpose hall and not a full time club, which means that they can't have their offices moved there.

"Basically, it is just a hall where they can have their weddings, sports and cultural activities."

Mr Al Sebea'a said the parking area could only accommodate up to 60 cars, but 2,000 are estimated to attend events organised by the club.

"They have already received their water connection, but it seems that they will be facing difficulty getting electricity, unless they fulfil our conditions."

Samajam president G K Nair said that they would investigate the issue.

The Kerala Catholic Association, meanwhile, has been given more time to "clean up its act".

The GDN reported early this month that residents were complaining that the KCA was too noisy and creating traffic problems in the neighbourhood.

The last straw was when a show marking the anniversary of Kerala's formation could be heard in people's homes on November 1.

KCA officials reportedly agreed to tone it down, but accused the eight churches in the neighbourhood of creating more problems than the club.

The KCA has now installed signs in front of its premises banning its members from parking their cars outside its gate, with an usher being assigned to guide them where to park.