Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): When Turkish author Orhan Pamuk gave the floor to the color "Red" to be a narrator in one of his greatest novels (My Name is Red), he gave the most powerful and symbolic color the honors of being an insider, and telling the tale.

If anyone understands the power of the color "Red" and lives it, it is the people of Bahrain. They have, for years now, symbolized the color of peace, sacrifice, freedom, belonging, identity, and love. It is "Red" that told their tale.

For Bahrainis, Red is longing for home, the village, and people. Red is eager love for the soil nourishing palm trees, and for scattered seashells at Bahrain's shores, or what's left of them.

Red is 7 years of Bahrain on peaceful frontlines defending, demanding, and voicing out the right to live, and willingness to resist and sacrifice. Red is one for all, and all for one.

Red is when 3 brave martyrs march with their souls towards an altar, to have their hearts pierced with 3 bullets each. With souls at peace, they mocked death and marched on. Red is when 3 beautiful martyrs find their freedom at sea. Red is when 6 selfless martyrs stand firm in defense of their beliefs, and fall just as firm in the face of their oppressor.

Throughout this year, Bahrainis proved to the world their resilience in the face of all calamities. 2017 witnessed record executions, arrests, shootings, crackdowns, and prison and citizenship revocation verdicts.

In the streets of Manama, and around the corners of Diraz and all Bahraini areas, police patrols and armors park, awaiting to defend themselves against a peaceful rose you once handed them with a heart of gold. They are always on their mark, fearing your beautiful minds, while you only hope that one day, your eyes would land on the same page, to write a future for a united Bahrain. They aim sharp at defeating you, and you aim sharp at a triumph of a nation.

This is nothing but proof that those who are trying to silence you are failing, and are too angry to talk. They try to bury you, yet from beneath the ashes you rise! You rise towards freedom, seeking it past detentions, exiles and live bullets. "What you seek is seeking you" - Rumi.

It is you who proved to the world that "Red" is the color of love, not because of flags, roses, or heart-shaped boxes, but because of the blood that was shed in the name of the beautiful country, in the name of freedom.

To the people of Bahrain; despite all attempts to thwart your determination, uprising, and leave you in despair, you stood tall and made it clear that what remains is hope of life, and desire to live in peace, with freedom and dignity.

* Lebanese Translator

Arabic version