Bahrain Slams Foreign Media for Description of Protesters Sentenced to Death — Official Statement Objects to Calling Them ‘Protesters’
by Jason Ditz, May 01, 2011

The Bahraini government’s Information Affairs Authority (IAA) issued a statement this weekend angrily condemning the global media for its coverage of the trial of several Shi’ite protesters sentenced to death.

According to Bahrain’s state news agency, the IAA objected to the foreign media referring to the protesters as “protesters.” The state media referred to them only as “criminals” or “terrorists,” and those seem to have been the government’s preferred terms.

The IAA insisted it was unprofessional for media outlets to refer to them as protesters, saying that it gave the impression that they “have the right to protest.” The seven charged were in fact protesting at the time and were accused of killing two police during the crackdown against Shi’ite protests. …more

[this letter has been authenticated and published as a public record of it’s exisence]

Dear Mr President,

I am writing to you from Bahrain. First, I would like to congratulate you concerning Bin Ladin.  However, I am writing to you concerning my country Bahrain. I am the daughter of Sheikh Moahmmed Ali Almahfoodh, the chairman of Amal Islamic Society.  I would like to tell you that yesterday he was detained with my two brothers to an unknown destination. A month ago, my husband was arrested as a hostage.

Mr President, This action is your full responsibility, since your policy is to spread democracy.  Your administration condemned the dissolve of the societies, and therefore, you have the upper hand to release my father and brothers, and husband.   My mother has collapsed as to the news.  I beseech your help and protection, and whatever happens to my detained family is under your responsibility.

Finally, I strongly urge your administration to prove to the world that the US respects their values and morals, and not double standards as many people are pointing out currently.  I always looked at the US constitution as my aspiration to a better world.
I want to thank you for your time, and I hope something happens to reunite my family again.

Best wishes,
Hajar Mahfoodh

We have received information from reliable sources that Bahrain’s Amal Islamic Society Chairman, Sheikh Moahmmed Ali Almahfoodh and his sons, Hussein Almahfoodh, 26 years old, and Hasan Almahfoodh, 17 years old, who have been in hiding since the al Khalifa regimes crackdown to eliminate democracy and human rights advocates, were detained around 3:00AM May 2nd, Bahrain time. …more information to follow.