Bahrain: Stop Military Court Travesty of Justice
Tribunal Tries Opposition Politicians and Defense Lawyer, Convicts Peaceful Protesters
June 13, 2011

Most defendants hauled before Bahrain’s special military court are facing blatantly political charges, and trials are unfair. The Crown Prince may be sincere in his efforts to promote dialogue, but what good is that while back home the government is crushing peaceful dissent and locking up people who should be part of the dialogue. – Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch

(Beirut) – Bahraini authorities should immediately halt all proceedings before the special military court and free everyone held solely for exercising their rights to free speech and peaceful assembly, Human Rights Watch said today. Civilians charged with genuine criminal offenses should be tried in an independent civilian court that meets international fair trial standards, Human Rights Watch said.

The special military court, the Court of National Safety, on June 12, 2011, held initial sessions in politically motivated cases against opposition members of parliament and a prominent defense lawyer without notifying lawyers or family, and sentenced a young writer to a year in prison. These developments came several days after the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, met with US President Barack Obama in Washington, DC, to solicit support for a “national dialogue” with opposition forces. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa recently announced that the national assembly speaker, Khalifa al-Dhahrani, who has strongly supported the government crackdown on the largely peaceful street protests, and not the Crown Prince, would lead the dialogue.

“Most defendants hauled before Bahrain’s special military court are facing blatantly political charges, and trials are unfair,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The Crown Prince may be sincere in his efforts to promote dialogue, but what good is that while back home the government is crushing peaceful dissent and locking up people who should be part of the dialogue.” …more

[editors note, Asma Darwish tweet three hours ago 3:19 PM MST,USA: – “It’s just that am exhausted now, and not feeling quite well. See you all tmrw. And remember that I love you all. ” Keep Asma in your meditations and prayers and that her brother, Mohamed Ghuloom Darwish will be freed – see more Asma tweets this page]

Bahrain:Student is in danger because of her hunger strike in solidarity with her brother in custody
June 11th, 2011

A 20-year-old Bahraini student is on the eighth[tenth today 13-June] day of a hunger strike.

Miss.Asma Darwish, better known as “eagertobefree” on Twitter, a business student who studies at Bahrain Polytechnic, began an open hunger strike on Saturday the 4th of June.

“I am demanding freedom for my brother, Mohamed Ghuloom Darwish (23 years old), my uncle and my cousin. I had to take this decision because nothing else is left for me to do. I don’t know where my brother is, and I have not heard from him for more than 20 days”. She informed the BYSHR

Mr.Darwish, a professional photographer who owns Abulphoto Photography, was arrested at 2 am on the 22nd of May; masked men and riot police first burst into his parents’ house, and when they did not find him they took his eldest brother , and later released him when they found him in his sister’s house in Sanad. …more

Immigration Detention: The Golden Goose for Private Prisons
Prisoners and People at Risk, Refugee and Migrant Rights, USA | Posted by: Sarnata Reynolds, June 10, 2011 at 3:18 PM

For many months now, states all over the U.S. and the federal government have taken steps to “get tough” on undocumented immigrants of color without taking into account the fact that workers are crossing the border because U.S. employers are desperate for their labor and no visas exist to permit their entry.

Instead of spending their time tackling this reality, which if actually addressed might create a basis for the nondiscriminatory enforcement of immigration laws, legislators are instead continuing to introduce bills, such as Rep. Lamar Smith’s H.R. 1932.

These bills throw more money at detention centers and enforcement operations and ups the ante by making their imprisonment mandatory and indefinite, regardless of Supreme Court precedent finding that it’s unconstitutional. …more

Violence Against Women Is A U.S. Problem, Too
United Nations, USA, Women’s Rights | Posted by: The Editors, June 11, 2011 at 9:00 AM
By Lisa Schechtman, Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group

In preparation for the upcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Rashida Manjoo, recently released a report on her 2011 mission—conducted at the invitation of the U.S. Government—to the United States. This was the first visit of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women since 1998, and her findings suggest both progress and a call to action.

The report affirms that women in the United States experience violence. No surprise there, but it is a clear indication that violence against women (VAW) knows no national, political, ethnic, religious, or socio-economic boundaries; it happens here, it happens everywhere.

In 2008, approximately 500 women were raped every day in the U.S., according a National Crime Victimization Survey. Domestic violence was highlighted as “an extremely underreported crime.” When reported, it is rarely prosecuted and where investigated, has a low conviction rate. This is a global truism.

In 2007, according to the report, 64% of female homicides in the U.S. were perpetrated by a family member or intimate partner. Again, global trends, localized. …source

How Radical are Bahrain’s Shia?
The Real Source of Unrest in the Kingdom
Justin Gengler – May 15, 2011

Article Summary and Author Biography
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has blamed Bahrain’s recent protests on Shia extremists. But close examination reveals that Shia there are more secular than their Sunni counterparts.

JUSTIN GENGLER is a Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at the University of Michigan. This essay is adapted from data from his 2009 nationally-representative survey of political attitudes in Bahrain.

Article
In an April 19 op-ed in The Washington Times, Bahrain’s king, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, wrote that his regime was forced into its ongoing brutal crackdown on political protest and dissent when “the legitimate demands of the opposition were hijacked by extremist elements with ties to foreign governments in the region” — that is, when the movement was hijacked by Shia revolutionaries with ties to Iran.

Such accusations first arose soon after protests began in Bahrain in mid-February. But they took on new momentum on March 7, when several hard-line Shia opposition groups formed an alliance called the Coalition for a Republic, which rejected any political solution short of the wholesale ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family. The very name of the coalition evoked the specter of Iran’s Islamic Republic, and seemed to leave Bahrain’s rulers with no choice but to act firmly if they wished to avoid a Shia revolution of their own.

Yet King Hamad’s argument implies that there is a significant proportion of the Bahraini Shia population that would favor an Iranian-style religious regime in Bahrain and would be willing to take up arms to achieve it. At least as of early 2009, when I undertook the first-ever mass political survey of the country, this was not the case: the vast majority of ordinary Bahraini Shia joined Sunnis in rejecting a system of governance based on or limited to religion.

In my nationally-representative, 435-household study, which employed the widely used Arab Democracy Barometer survey instrument, citizens were asked to evaluate the appropriateness of various systems of government as ways of ruling Bahrain. About a quarter of all Shia and Sunni respondents deemed a parliamentary system in which only Islamist parties could compete “suitable” or “very suitable.” Over half of each group rejected the option outright, declaring it “not at all suitable.”
Far from supporting the idea of Islamic government, the vast majority of Bahrain’s Shia expressed their desire for an open parliamentary system — that is to say, democracy.

A sharia-based system fared even worse among Shia, of which only a quarter felt it was “suitable” or “very suitable,” while 63 percent deemed it “not at all suitable.” Among Sunni respondents, just under half rejected a Bahraini state based on Islamic law, but almost 40 percent felt it would be “very suitable” or “suitable.” Contrary to King Hamad’s implications, then, Shia are no more likely — and, in fact, are somewhat less likely — than Sunnis to favor a religious state. …more

Bahrain:Military court sentences a child for two year imprisonment, without the presence of a lawyer, and allegations of ill-treatment – June 13th, 2011

On June 7th 2011, the court sentenced the child Mohammed Salman Majid Hassan (15 years old) to serve a two year imprisonment.

Mohammed was arrested on the 6th April 2011, and the court charged him with taking part in illegal protests and disrupting public security and rioting.

The court held two hearings for Mohammed:

The first hearing: He was not allowed to inform his family or the lawyer.

The second hearing: Mohammed called his family for the first time since his arrest, to request a lawyer, however his parents could not provide a lawyer in this short notice, and he only met his family for the first time in the court.

“Mohammed was subjected to ill-treatment during the first days of his arrest” Mohammed’s family stated to the BYSHR.

“We searched for a long time until we found a lawyer who is willing to file an appeal for the ruling tomorrow (14th June 2011)”, Mohammed’s family informed the BYSHR.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its deep concern regarding the trial of children, without legal assistance or allowing them to contact their families, and considers that the child Mohammed was subjected to an unfair trial; especially that he was tried before a military court. The BYSHR calls for the Special Rapporteur of Independence of the judiciary to take urgent actions. …source

Attachment #1 – The Pearl Revolution

Attachment #2 – Students Appeal Letter

Attachment #3 – Military Trials

Attachment #4 Brief on Bahrain Since 14-Feb.

From: Colin S. Cavell, Ph.D.
Subject: Bahrain Updates #18: Baby you can drive my car….
Date: 06/11/2011 01:40:22 AM

Too often we honor swagger and bluster and the wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach nonviolence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.

Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleaning of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.

—(Robert F. Kennedy 1925-1968)

Dear Folks,

Strange that the fate of a country is reflected in the cancellation of a car race. Yet that is exactly what is taking place, for as the British chief of the Formula One Group, Bernie Ecclestone, lamented on Wednesday, June 8th, the Bahrain Grand Prix will not be held in Bahrain this year, for the driving teams refused to go along with a decision made just five days prior by the body which governs the sport. And why did the Formula One governing body initially decide to go ahead with the race in Bahrain amidst a brutal crackdown over the past two months against citizenry calling for democracy? Well, we don't exactly know, but as Ecclestone was quoted as saying: "Nothing to do with money at all. Nothing, in any shape or form," the 80-year-old told Reuters Television.

This is an interesting twist to observers who have spent time in Bahrain over the past several years, as the monarchy placed great value on building the Formula One racetrack out in the Sakhir desert just opposite the University of Bahrain and near the Sakhir Air Base. Students and professors would often complain about the noise emanating from the Bahrain International Circuit, or "BIC" as it is popularly known, and some sound filters were later added to muffle the loud buzz of the racing engines though everyone could hear when racing season was approaching as advance teams and local afficionados would bring their fastest and jazziest cars to the track to compete or just show off. Each spring, advertisements would appear months in advance all along the Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Highway announcing the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix racing days and encouraging fans to buy their tickets now. On campus, students would vie with each other to obtain a limited number of free tickets from the UOB Administration while professors would rework their course syllabi around the racing dates. For University of Bahrain students and staff, it meant one day off from school, as the three-day event would fall on at least one school day, and that day was always declared a holiday by the King.

The BIC and its sleek race cars and international driving teams represent a small slice of modernity in the island kingdom, and to not be able to go forward with the Bahrain Grand Prix is indeed a sign of a political impasse. The regime would like the world to believe that all is fine in the Kingdom and that the events that began in February are now over and done with. In some ways they are correct, as most of my in-country reports have dissipated to a trickle, with tales of fear and dread from those brave enough to send out one last email before they go silent. Yes, the regime has succeeded quite handily so far in stifling the main protests through a campaign of arrests, torture, detention, disappearances, harassment, firings, kangaroo trials, murder, surveillance, etc. But force and intimidation will not have the same stifling effect on the hearts of the opposition in Bahrain; indeed, many will harden, and some will begin to question the utility of peaceful protests down the road. Repression may end a particular unwanted behavior for a time, but desire will find an outlet somehow and in some other way. Close off democratic channels in modern society and you are certain to generate an even greater subsequent explosion.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, June 7th, Washington officialdom, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, met with Bahrain's Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, to let him know, presumably, that while Washington will continue to preach non-violence to the Kingdom, no further repercussions will be forthcoming, at least not until after the 2012 elections. Obama and his advisors believe that they will be able to neutralize the Gulf monarchs with–as one of my former Bahraini students used to say–"sweet lies". But, as indicated in a previous missive, i.e. Bahrain Updates #16, Obama has already rattled the autocratic club in the Middle East infuriating them (pardon the pun) royally! As I stated then and repeat again here:

So, this brings us back to my earlier claim that the world ended on Thursday, May 19th, for history will record that date as the beginning of the end of the long-standing cordial relationship between the United States and the Gulf Kingdoms. Faced with an existential battle, Bahrain and the other Gulf Kingdoms will pour every spare dinar, dirham, riyal, etc. of oil wealth into undermining the Obama Administration in the upcoming 2012 election and backing the Republican Party to the hilt. Capitulation by Obama is not an option. Concession to democratic rule by Gulf monarchs is out of the question. Who will be left standing will write the history.

Restructuring the Middle East will be one of Obama's lasting legacies, and the autocratic regimes in the region, rightly or wrongly, see Washington's hand behind the wave of unrest which threatens to undermine their stability. Appeasement, therefore, at this point is a foolish policy for Obama's handlers to follow. Already, retaliation against American officials in Bahrain has begun in earnest. In late May, State Department human rights officer Ludovic Hood, who had worked at the US Embassy in Bahrain was forced to leave the country amidst a targeted campaign against him including anti-Semitic slurs and the publishing of his home address on a web site. Then, on June 2, Bahraini television journalist Sawsan Al Shaer berated US Deputy Chief of Mission Stephanie Williams on Bahrain TV for nearly an hour and a half demanding to know what, if anything, did the Bahraini government do wrong, while Ms. Williams merely reiterated time and again to each charge that the US Government simply wants both sides to engage peacefully.

The Gulf monarchs govern regimes that do not understand the language of peaceful negotiations. For them, either you are with them or against them. This is what Barack's handlers do not understand. The US may want to pursue gradual change in the Gulf region–given our dependence on Saudi oil–but compromise is characteristic of democracies. With autocracies, it is either my way or the highway. Compromise or middle ground solutions are seen as weakness and are to be avoided at all cost. The mentality of monarchy is based on mendacity; indeed, how else can you maintain an hereditary regime for over 200 years? Thus while sweet lies will be traded back and forth between the Obama Administration and the Gulf monarchs over the next period, behind the scenes one can be sure that planning to unseat the other is in full play.

regards,

csc

Latest Updates:

For those following developments in Bahrain closely, I refer you all to The Crooked Bough website for timely updates on the political situation in the Kingdom. As well, The Crooked Bough is now acting as a repository of all prior Bahrain Updates which are accessible at: http://www.crookedbough.com/?page_id=1154.

In addition, I urge you all to sign up to The Pearl Roundabout.org as they are sending the most timely updates as events unfold in Bahrain and are doing a superb job.

And, of course, The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is a mainstay of the struggle, and their regular updates are accurate and reliable.

About the author:

Until February 15th of this year, I was an Assistant Professor teaching in the American Studies Center at the University of Bahrain. I submitted my resignation following the Fall semester at the end of January, as my wife, a Moroccan national, was granted an immigrant visa to the US by the State Department with the proviso that we be residing within the USA by April 1, 2011. Little did we know in January, when I submitted my resignation, that we would be in a race for time before we could leave, as the Arab rebellions were sweeping from Tunisia to Egypt to Yemen and into Bahrain and beyond. We left Bahrain on February 25th, the day of the largest demonstrations in Bahraini history, and have since been residing in Seattle, Washington.

Background on Bahrain:

On February 14, 2011, the citizenry of Bahrain rose up in opposition to the Al Khalifa monarchy and demanded democratic reforms. Their voices were met with stiff resistance from the autocratic regime which has been in power for over 200 years now. Unbowed, the citizenry took to the Pearl Roundabout in downtown Manama with some advocating for a constitutional monarchy and others a democratic republic. In response, the regime unleashed a reign of terror down on the protesters. Meanwhile, the US was directing its focus on Libya and getting through the United Nations a resolution for a no-fly zone over that country, which passed on Thursday, March 17th. One week prior, on Friday, March 11th, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew to Bahrain and met with the King and the Crown Prince, and on Monday, March 14th, approximately 2000 to 3000 Saudi Arabian and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tanks and troops rolled across the causeway from Saudi Arabia into Bahrain to crush the opposition. The next day, March 15th, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued Royal Decree No. 18 for the year 2011, declaring a three-month "State of National Safety". The Bahrain Defence Forces (BDF) subsequently began a systematic crackdown on anyone who was suspected of opposing the monarchy and calling for democracy. On March 18th, the BDF tore down the Pearl Monument, known to locals as either "Lulu" or "the GCC Monument" and to the international press as "Pearl Square" due to its similarity to Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt where protesters had gathered. The regime's crackdown is an attempt to wipe away the memory of the 2011 Bahraini Democratic Spring from the popular mindset, and they are sparing nothing to root out and crush, using force, intimidation, torture, and murder, any further resistance. The silence from most of the mainstream media in America is deafening.

The fact that the US Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain and the fact that the US is completely dependent on and addicted to Saudi-monarchy oil–i.e. oil doled out by a corrupt and sclerotic regime, and that both regimes (i.e. the Al Sauds and the Al Khalifas)–indeed all GCC regimes–in turn, are kept in power by US guns, makes all the difference–for now at least. The US continues supporting the Al-Khalifa monarchy, putting its oil interests ahead of its avowed democratic principles. From all accounts, the beating into submission as well as the subsequent bloodbath continues in earnest. For US citizens, it is another lost opportunity… But with your help and voices, we can eventually rectify our country's policy in this regard and realign it with our country's avowed democratic principles.

US interests in the long term will ultimately be served by supporting democratic elements and, eventually, democratic regimes in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Does that mean we should overthrow existing governments? No, but it does mean that we should not be arming, financially supporting, and enabling corrupt regimes to slaughter opposition forces advocating for democratic rights in their countries, and then remaining silent while it happens. Sycophancy in the service of autocratic rulers with decidedly undemocratic ethos is degrading and demeaning. Such a stance is an affront to humanity. Putting off the goal of aligning ourselves with democratic elements for short-term advantage will have negative repercussions not only on current US foreign policy but, as well, on US domestic policy, as millions of petro-dollars will find their way back into US politics attempting to undermine our democracy here at home. While countering theocratic influence in the region is understandable and necessary, this will require a strategy with quite a bit more sophistication than is presently being demonstrated. As well, implementing such a strategy will necessitate experienced hands who are neither intimidated by the apparent chaos often associated with democratic movements nor infatuated with monarchical tendencies and supportive of elite rule as some bureaucrats appear to be.

NOTE:

Names and other identifying information have been removed and/or redacted in order to protect the safety of the sender[s], unless the person(s) is (are) a reporter or a public activist(s) and want their names to be known, as publicity sometimes gives them some protection from regime retaliation. If you are not a known public activist and/or reporter, please inform me if you would like your name to appear along with your report; otherwise, I will redact it to maintain your anonymity.

regards,

csc

__________________

Colin S. Cavell, Ph.D.

P.O. Box 9087

Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 734-8187

ccavell@gmail.com
http://www.cscpo.com/

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: thepearlroundabout.org <thepearlroundabout@gmail.com>

Date: Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 6:09 PM
Subject: thepearlroundabout.org
To: ccavell@gmail.com

thepearlroundabout.org

---

• Bahraini jails ‘no lonely place’ (audio)
• Bahrain’s unseen protests fall on deaf ears
• M16 Machine gun? Nuwdreat 10 June, 2011 (video)
• Lally Weymouth talks with Bahrain’s foreign minister
• DC law firm defends Bahrain on human rights crackdown
• ‘Bahrain major financial spot for US, UK’ (video)
• Shi’ite cleric warns Bahrain nearing “abyss”
• The US and Bahrain: Sending Ludo home
• Rights body to take Bahrain, Britain to International Criminal Court
• Dozens of Bahrainis on trial after protests

Bahraini jails ‘no lonely place’ (audio) Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:25 PM PDT BBC Radio 4 – Ala'a Shehabi, a British-born woman whose husband Ghazi Farhan has been arrested and is awaiting sentence, told James Naughtie how he was held in incommunicado detention for 48 days before being put on trail.

Bahrain’s unseen protests fall on deaf ears Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:18 PM PDT AhramOnline –

M16 Machine gun? Nuwdreat 10 June, 2011 (video) Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:07 PM PDT YouTube

Lally Weymouth talks with Bahrain’s foreign minister Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:58 PM PDT Washington Post – Two top Bahraini officials visited Washington this week after the country’s king lifted a state of emergency used to counter anti-government protests. The Post’s Lally Weymouth sat down with Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa.

DC law firm defends Bahrain on human rights crackdown Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:56 PM PDT Salon.com – The Bahraini regime has inked a contract with a high-priced Washington law firm to help fight a labor complaint filed by the AFL-CIO about an under-reported aspect of the crackdown: the firing of hundreds of workers and union leaders for participating in strikes and other pro-democracy actions.

‘Bahrain major financial spot for US, UK’ (video) Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:48 PM PDT Press TV – A political analyst says the US and Britain do not talk about human rights abuses in Bahrain because the country is a major banking center for British and American finance.

Shi’ite cleric warns Bahrain nearing “abyss” Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:41 PM PDT Reuters – A top Bahraini Shi'ite cleric said trials of dozens of people and the breaking up of Shi'ite religious marches were dragging the country towards destruction, not reconciliation, ahead of a planned national dialogue.

The US and Bahrain: Sending Ludo home Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:30 PM PDT Al Jazeera – While US denies "recalling" diplomat from Bahrain, larger issue looms about support for American interests over values.

Rights body to take Bahrain, Britain to International Criminal Court Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:29 PM PDT Tehran Times – A Lebanon-based rights body plans to file a case with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Bahraini and UK governments for their collusion in the brutal crackdown on Bahraini protesters.

Dozens of Bahrainis on trial after protests Posted: 10 Jun 2011 04:18 AM PDT Reuters – About 400 people have been put on trial in Bahrain for their roles in weeks of protests that rocked the Gulf island kingdom this year, a leading opposition group said on Thursday, but the government disputed the figure.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Subject: Re: the prince has come…

I guess O was asking for advice on how to treat dissenters…..

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jun2011/bahr-j10.shtml

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 12:31 PM
Subject: Shi'ite cleric warns Bahrain nearing "abyss"
To:

I found this article on Reuters Mobile (us.mobile.reuters.com) and
thought you might find it interesting:

Shi'ite cleric warns Bahrain nearing "abyss"
http://www.reuters.com/article/idAFTRE7594IN20110610

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NYTimes.com <newstracker@nytimes.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 11:46 PM
Subject: My Alerts: Bahrain Alerts (1 article)
To: ccavell@gmail.com

June 10, 2011 My Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT Alert Name: Bahrain Alerts June 10, 2011 Compiled: 1:57 AM SPORTS / AUTO RACING Bahrain Race Is Canceled By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (NYT) Organizers of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix said they would not pursue plans to reschedule the race and stage it in October. More Articles On This Topic »

About This E-mail You received this e-mail because you signed up for NYTimes.com's My Alerts tool. As a member of the TRUSTe privacy program, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Manage Alerts | Create a New Alert | Change Your E-Mail | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact | My Alerts Help

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———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 10:22 PM

Subject: Formula One drivers for democracy

The Wall Street Journal

REVIEW & OUTLOOK EUROPE

JUNE 9, 2011, 3:55 P.M. ET

Bahrain's Crash Course

Formula One drivers for democracy.

Formula One drivers, accustomed to fast cars and luxury locales, aren't the first people who come to mind when we think about democracy campaigners. But maybe we've sold the drivers short, given the controversy that's erupted over whether or not to proceed with this year's Bahrain Grand Prix.

The F1 race has been held in Kingdom since 2004. In February, the Crown Prince canceled the event, citing the need to build a "new national dialogue" after a crackdown on pro-democracy protestors. The protests swelled and Bahrain's security forces shot civilians, jailed several hundred people and instituted emergency law. The emergency law was lifted last week and the ruling family has made noises about national reconciliation. The sport's governing body decided it was okay to race again.

That's when the uproar started. Wrote Australian driver Mark Webber on his Web site last week: "Like it or not, F1 and sport in general isn't above having a social responsibility and conscience. I hope F1 is able to return to Bahrain eventually but now isn't the right time." The drivers' association penned a letter to the Bahrain organizers citing concerns about "security conditions" and "insurance coverage." Fans are up in arms. On Wednesday F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone told the BBC "it's not on" without "the agreement of the participants."

Formula One is a private concern and its owners have never pretended to have higher moral aims other than to make money for shareholders. The drivers race in several undemocratic places, including Bahrain. Their letter noted Bahrain is "a country that has always hosted us with enthusiasm and warmth."

But it's hard to untangle sports and politics; recall sporting boycotts of South Africa during apartheid, or the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Formula One and Mr. Ecclestone may find that good business may involve following drivers like Mr. Webber's lead.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304259304576375282897276062.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: thepearlroundabout.org <thepearlroundabout@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 6:05 PM
Subject: thepearlroundabout.org
To: ccavell@gmail.com

thepearlroundabout.org

---

• Bahraini poet set to face verdict for protest reading
• Bahrain bans seminar about crackdown
• Bernie Ecclestone sides with teams over Bahrain race as revolt grows
• Doctors and nurses ‘tortured with wooden boards studded with nails’ in barbaric crackdown on protests in Bahrain
• Formula 1 call-off would hit Bahrain pride and economy
• Sanctions now against brutal Bahraini tyranny
• Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead, says Ecclestone
• Six One News: Irish-trained doctors on trial in Bahrain (video)
• Gracia defends FIA’s Bahrain report
• Decision to stage Bahrain Grand Prix ‘shameful’ say MPs

Bahraini poet set to face verdict for protest reading Posted: 08 Jun 2011 01:44 PM PDT Amnesty – A Bahraini poet faces possible imprisonment for reading out a poem criticizing the country’s King when a military court rules on her case next Sunday.

Bahrain bans seminar about crackdown Posted: 08 Jun 2011 01:42 PM PDT AFP – Bahrain's main Shiite opposition group said Wednesday it has been banned from going ahead with a presentation detailing abuses committed during a government crackdown on Shiite-led protests this year.

Bernie Ecclestone sides with teams over Bahrain race as revolt grows Posted: 08 Jun 2011 01:39 PM PDT The Guardian – Change of tack may be ploy to win backing for smaller engines. Teams wanting postponement meet in Montreal this weekend

Doctors and nurses ‘tortured with wooden boards studded with nails’ in barbaric crackdown on protests in Bahrain Posted: 08 Jun 2011 10:14 AM PDT Daily Mail – Doctors and nurses ‘tortured with wooden boards studded with nails’ in barbaric crackdown on protests in Bahrain

Formula 1 call-off would hit Bahrain pride and economy Posted: 08 Jun 2011 10:10 AM PDT BBC – If, as Bernie Ecclestone accepts, the Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead in October, it will be a huge and humiliating blow to the tiny Arabian island.

Sanctions now against brutal Bahraini tyranny Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:23 AM PDT Tribune Magazine – The international community has failed in its duty to protect the civilian population of Bahrain. It has sat back and done nothing to rein in the regime of King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa. He stands accused of terrorising his own people, resorting to mass arrest, detention without trial, torture and murder. If the duty to protect civilians applies in Libya, why not in Bahrain?

Bahrain Grand Prix will not go ahead, says Ecclestone Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT Channel 4 News – This season's grand prix in Bahrain, where there has been political unrest since February, will not go ahead after Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone admitted it could not be rescheduled.

Six One News: Irish-trained doctors on trial in Bahrain (video) Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:19 AM PDT RTE News

Gracia defends FIA’s Bahrain report Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:42 AM PDT Autosport – The president of the Spanish motor sport federation, Carlos Gracia, has defended his report on the Bahrain situation after it was leaked to the public, but pressure continued to grow on Formula 1 after more criticism following the decision to reinstate the country's grand prix.

Decision to stage Bahrain Grand Prix ‘shameful’ say MPs Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:40 AM PDT BBC – MPs have criticised the decision to hold the Bahrain Grand Prix in October after the violent crackdown on political protests earlier this year.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Subject: State of Emergency Bahrain makes a desperate attempt to charm Washington — while it declares war on protesters back home.
To:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/07/state_of_emergency?page=0,1

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Tue, Jun 7, 2011 at 3:52 AM
Subject: an article

[redacted]

Please read the report below from the UN. It is obvious the Bahraini officials are going on non-stop with their lies; the problem is that they don't realize that the world is not stupid. Fatma Albolousha said to Bahraini Media that the UN has received "fabricated evidence" that caused "misleading the UN's opinion concerning Bahrain". This is the answer from the UN…

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11116&LangID=E

Just want to know; is there any brains left inside these heads/ do they see the whole world as the audience of Bahrain TV with the "stupid" lies broadcasted everyday? How can we trust their other news concerning the officials meeting US officals and senators for instance…

Press briefing note on Bahrain

7 June 2011

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Rupert Colville
Location: Geneva

BAHRAIN

The High Commissioner would like to make clear that a meeting she had last Friday with Bahrain’s Minister of Social Development and acting health minister, Dr Fatima bint Mohammed Al Balooshi and three other Bahrain government officials, has been grossly misrepresented in a report by the Bahrain News Agency. The BNA article was subsequently picked up by a number of newspapers in the region, including the Khaleej Times and the Gulf Daily News, and even by some Sri Lankan government officials and media for their own purposes.

The Bahrain News Agency, which was not present at the meeting, stated that the High Commissioner had “recognized misinformation” about the Kingdom of Bahrain, and quoted her as saying “Certain information which we received about the developments in Bahrain are untrue.”

The High Commissioner would like to stress that she made no such statement, and is disturbed by this blatant distortion of her words. She will formally request the Government officials who attended the meeting to issue a correction.

The discussions at the meeting with the Bahraini Government delegation focused mainly on the proposed OHCHR mission to Bahrain, as well as a number of other issues relating to the recent protests, including the need for transparent independent investigations into the human rights violations that have taken place there. The mission has been accepted in principle by the Bahraini government but no dates have yet been set.

ENDS

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NYTimes.com <newstracker@nytimes.com>

Date: Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 11:37 PM
Subject: My Alerts: Bahrain Alerts (1 article)
To: ccavell@gmail.com

June 7, 2011 My Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT Alert Name: Bahrain Alerts June 7, 2011 Compiled: 1:54 AM WORLD / MIDDLE EAST Bahrain: Trial Opens for 47 Doctors and Nurses By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (NYT) Dozens who treated injured antigovernment protesters during unrest in Bahrain went on trial on charges that they had participated in efforts to overthrow the monarchy. More Articles On This Topic »

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Copyright 2011 | The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 8:26 AM
Subject: Two more deaths and ongoing military trials. Bahrain Updates.
To: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

Dear Friends,

Hope this email finds you well.

In the past few days there have been several continuous widespread protests across Bahrain which were met with unnecessary excessive force by the security forces. These attacks have resulted in numerous injuries, but we are unable to document how many due to people treating themselves at home because of fear of going to hospitals.

Kindly find attached a report with brief points of all the ongoing violations and numbers since February 14th.

Zainab AlTijairi, 69 years old, died on the 2^nd of June due to a heart attack as a result of the extensive use of sound bombs and teargas in her village. These crowd control arms are being misused in Bahrain in which security forces will shoot continuously inside a village and sometimes even inside people’s homes.

On the 3^rd of June, another death was reported. Salman Abu Edrees had been submitted to the hospital on the 16^th of March, and according to his family had been missing until the announcement of his death. http://yfrog.com/3tzycz

The ministry of Interior has denied responsibility in both deaths, as all other cases.

Mohammed Albuflasah, a Sunni ex-military man who gave a speech at the Pearl square on the 15^th of February and went missing shortly after, was supposed to be released on the 14^th of February as he had been sentenced to two months imprisonment on the following charges:

1- 1. Engage in political activity
2- Participate in the gathering
3- Incitement against the regime

AlBuflasah was not released as the military prosecutor extended his detention for 45 days till further notice which often means to an unknown period without any new charges or clarification. Since June 1^st, according to his family, AlBuflasah started a hunger strike. There is great concern over his health and well-being.

Received from BYSHR http://byshr.org/?p=555

Tomorrow will be the second hearing for the 20 year old poet Ayat AlQurmezi, and the first hearing for the doctors and nurses of Salmaniya hospital. Despite the lifting of the state of national safety, military trials are still ongoing.

Kindly find attached the list of people who are undergoing or were sentenced or acquitted through military trials.

Child Report 2: http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/4186

BCHR Report: Committee on the Rights of the Child discusses the violations against the children in Bahrain http://tinyurl.com/689y9ev

Kindly find attached a letter of appeal written about the situation of students in Bahrain.

Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA) dismisses hundreds of its employees in flagrant violation of domestic laws & international conventions: http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/4178

Amnesty International: Bahrain government failed to conduct independent investigations into alleged abuses by security forces http://ow.ly/5a1Be

Amnesty: Bahrain: human rights briefing http://amn.st/mA9k6m

Regards,
—

Maryam Al-Khawaja
Contact: +44-7587303080 / +1(401)572-6597
Head of Foreign Relations Office
Bahrain Center for Human Rights

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 7:21 AM
Subject: Bahrain

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Continuing-Bahraini-State-by-Stephen-Lendman-110605-783.html

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NYTimes.com <newstracker@nytimes.com>
Date: Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 12:30 AM
Subject: My Alerts: Bahrain Alerts (1 article)
To: ccavell@gmail.com

June 5, 2011 My Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT Alert Name: Bahrain Alerts June 5, 2011 Compiled: 2:33 AM SPORTS / AUTO RACING Driver Expresses Concern About Bahrain By REUTERS (NYT) The Australian driver Mark Webber has spoken out against Formula One’s controversial decision to race in Bahrain this season and said he did not expect the rescheduled race to happen. More Articles On This Topic »

About This E-mail You received this e-mail because you signed up for NYTimes.com's My Alerts tool. As a member of the TRUSTe privacy program, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Manage Alerts | Create a New Alert | Change Your E-Mail | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact | My Alerts Help

Copyright 2011 | The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Sat, Jun 4, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Subject: an important article on Wallstreet

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304563104576363833015079742.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NYTimes.com <newstracker@nytimes.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 11:08 PM
Subject: My Alerts: Bahrain Alerts (2 articles)
To: ccavell@gmail.com

June 4, 2011 My Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT Alert Name: Bahrain Alerts June 4, 2011 Compiled: 1:34 AM WORLD / MIDDLE EAST Despite Protests, Grand Prix Schedules Race for Bahrain By NEIL MacFARQUHAR (NYT) Ignoring pleas from human rights activists, organizers scheduled the Bahrain Grand Prix for October, after it had been delayed because of an antigovernment uprising. SPORTS / AUTO RACING Bahrain Grand Prix Rescheduled for October By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (NYT) Formula One’s governing body, FIA, rescheduled the canceled Bahrain Grand Prix for Oct. 30. More Articles On This Topic »

About This E-mail You received this e-mail because you signed up for NYTimes.com's My Alerts tool. As a member of the TRUSTe privacy program, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Manage Alerts | Create a New Alert | Change Your E-Mail | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact | My Alerts Help

Copyright 2011 | The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: thepearlroundabout.org <thepearlroundabout@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 6:03 PM
Subject: thepearlroundabout.org
To: ccavell@gmail.com

thepearlroundabout.org

---

• ‘International action needed against Al Khalifa’
• Bahrain police fire at protesters marching toward landmark square after emergency rule lifted
• Bahrain protests resume
• Bahrain police open fire at protesters in capital
• Bahrain Formula One grand prix will be run on 30 October
• FIA approves return of Bahrain Grand Prix to Formula 1 calendar
• Bahrain decision not about money – Ecclestone
• Bahrain unrest continues on eve of FIA meeting
• Mosley warns of PR disaster if Bahrain GP goes ahead
• Formula One teams against restaged Bahrain Grand Prix but money talks

‘International action needed against Al Khalifa’ Posted: 03 Jun 2011 07:00 AM PDT Press TV – Press TV has conducted an interview with Maryam al-Khawaja from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights regarding the protests in Bahrain and aggressive tactics being used by the Bahraini army.

Bahrain police fire at protesters marching toward landmark square after emergency rule lifted Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:49 AM PDT Washington Post – Bahraini police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters marching toward the landmark Pearl Square in the country’s capital Friday, eyewitnesses said, just two days after authorities lifted emergency rule in the Gulf kingdom.

Bahrain protests resume Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:46 AM PDT ABC News – Brendan Trembath interviews Nabeel Rajab

Bahrain police open fire at protesters in capital Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:40 AM PDT AP – Bahraini police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters marching toward the landmark Pearl Square in the country's capital Friday, two days after authorities lifted emergency rule.

Bahrain Formula One grand prix will be run on 30 October Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:28 AM PDT The Guardian – • Zayed R Alzayani: "This is welcome news for Bahrain" • Decision went against wishes of F1 teams

FIA approves return of Bahrain Grand Prix to Formula 1 calendar Posted: 03 Jun 2011 06:25 AM PDT BBC – The race, originally due to be held on 13 March, was called off in February because of pro-democracy protests in which more than 20 people have died. The Indian Grand Prix, which originally was due to be held on 30 October, will now be held in December.

Bahrain decision not about money – Ecclestone Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:15 AM PDT Reuters – A decision on whether to reschedule the postponed Bahrain grand prix will have nothing to do with money and is about satisfying safety concerns, Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Friday.

Bahrain unrest continues on eve of FIA meeting Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:14 AM PDT ESPN – On the eve of the decisive World Motor Sport Council meeting, Bahrain looked unlikely to return to the 2011 Formula One calendar as reports of continuing unrest continued to circulate.

Mosley warns of PR disaster if Bahrain GP goes ahead Posted: 03 Jun 2011 02:12 AM PDT ESPN – Former FIA president Max Mosley has said the Bahrain Grand Prix should not take place in 2011 and would certainly not have done had he still been in charge.

Formula One teams against restaged Bahrain Grand Prix but money talks Posted: 02 Jun 2011 03:20 PM PDT The Guardian – • Formula One teams do not want December racing • Financial realities may force teams to race

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Esam Al-Amin <alamin1919@gmail.com>

Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 12:39 PM
Subject: CounterPunch: The Determination of the Arab Revolutions by Esam Al-Amin (6/3/2011)
To: alamin1919@gmail.com

COUNTERPUNCH

Weekend Edition
June 3 / 5, 2011

Autumn of the Autocrats?

The Determination of the Arab Revolutions

By ESAM AL-AMIN

After the relatively swift triumphs of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions in deposing their dictators earlier this year, other Arab dictators drew a different set of lessons than their populations did.

Fed up with decades of repression, corruption, and the break down of state institutions, as well as the complete loss of faith in any meaningful political or social reforms in their societies, people across the Arab world this spring have waged simultaneous mass movements to force sweeping changes.

Arab autocrats, sustained for decades by the powerful security state, were shocked and startled as they observed in horror the dismantling of the security apparatuses in Tunisia and Egypt, facing fearless populace willing to sacrifice their lives to liberate themselves from the yoke of tyranny and regain their freedoms and dignity.

To their credit, in both the Tunisian and Egyptian models, the armies refused to shoot at their people after the failure of the security forces to clamp down. The popular uprisings spread across each country with incredible determination and zeal as the fear barrier of the ruthless regimes completely broke down.

Shortly after the fall of the Egyptian dictator, people across the Arab world took to the streets in peaceful uprisings against their long time repressive rulers. The concurrent massive demonstrations were especially widespread in Yemen, Libya, Syria, and Bahrain, against the decades-old repressive regimes of Muammar Gaddhafi in Libya (41 years), Ali Saleh in Yemen (33 years), the Assad family in Syria (Bashar and his father before him- 40 years), and the minority Al-Khalifah dynasty in Bahrain (230 years.)

The primary lesson learned by the Arab masses watching the revolutions unfold in Tunisia and Egypt was that the people’s collective power and determination can ultimately triumph in the face of isolated regimes that have been ruling them with an iron fist.

However, the authoritarian regimes drew different lessons from the Tunisian and Egyptian experience. They did not see the power and determination of the people but the weakness of the regimes and fragility and indecisiveness of its leaders.

In each case, though engulfed in its own particular circumstances and distinct features, the overall framework of how each regime dealt with its own popular uprising is strikingly similar.

As in the Tunisian and Egyptian models the first response of each regime was to rely on the security forces to put a quick end to the uprisings before they spread. When such attempts fail within the first few days, the next step is to try to contain the demonstrations by embracing the demands of the protesters while asking for a return to calm in order to implement reforms.

The problem with these initial steps is that they are perceived by the people as disingenuous and are almost always too late. Like Tunisia and Egypt before them, in each of the cases in Yemen, Libya, Syria, or Bahrain, the initial brutal response of the security forces had an adverse effect and did not stop the protests. In fact, the increasing casualties in the streets intensified the opposition and the revolts became widespread.

For instance, the initial demonstrations that started in Benghazi in mid-February to protest the arrest of a human rights lawyer quickly spread to western Libya, where they were met with repression. Similarly the protests in Yemen spread the same week from Sanaa to the rest of the country as Saleh’s security forces cracked down on the demonstrators. When the people of the southern city of Dar’aa in Syria protested in mid-March calling for freedom and reforms, the protests quickly spread as the Syrian army shortly thereafter surrounded the city killing dozens and arresting hundreds of protesters.

In the next phase of the confrontation between the people and the authoritarian regimes the dictators would call for dialogue and claim to have embraced the calls for reforms. For example, within days of the fall of the eastern city of Benghazi to the opposition, Qaddafi’s son, Saiful Islam, promised that if the protests ended then all demands were on the table. But then he asserted that no reforms or dialogue would be initiated unless the protests ended. President Saleh in Yemen made similar overtures to his people promising to form a national unity government and initiate political reforms if the protests ended.

In Syria the regime announced several steps for political reforms and the end of the state of emergency, which had been in place for almost a half century. The Syrian people held hope that their president would announce, and immediately take steps for far-reaching constitutional and political reforms.

But when the Syrian president addressed the parliament at the end of March it became clear that the reforms embraced by the regime were superficial and vague while requiring a significant amount of time to implement, a ploy that seemed designed to contain the popular uprising. Moreover, the party officials entrusted to propose and implement these reforms were themselves people known to defend the status quo that has favored them for decades.

As in Egypt, when the trick of calling for dialogue and the embrace of a reform agenda fails to attract the people and the opposition groups – mostly marginalized for decades- the regimes would then mobilize their supporters to mount counter-demonstrations.

However, many of the supporters of these regimes act like goons, bullies, and criminals, as they beat up and abuse the opposition. Such elements supporting the regimes include thousands of security officers or party loyalists roaming the streets in civilian clothes. They were called baltagies in Egypt, balatega in Yemen and Shabbiha in Syria. Their main role is to brutalize the people and punish them for their protests in a desperate attempt to halt them. But often times, the end result is the opposite as the people link these thugs to the regimes and become even more enraged.

As the casualties mount and international condemnations of the regimes become widespread, the dictators employ a new tactic by charging that there are armed “Islamic terrorist” groups tied to Al-Qaeda who are killing the protesters and wreaking havoc upon society.

Ultimately, the main strategy of each regime is to regain the initiative from the streets so they continue to use these different tactics in order to split the opposition or wear down the people. Endless promises, delay tactics, and old style propaganda techniques and maneuvers are utilized. President Saleh employed his infamous delaying schemes to wear down the opposition, thus promising to step down five different times as a result of the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, only to renege each time. Eventually, the GCC itself completely abandoned its own initiative. The Syrian president officially lifted the state of emergency. Yet since then, over 1200 people have lost their lives and over 12,000 have been detained without trial. Electricity as well as water and phone lines were cut off from some cities that were under siege by the military for many days.

Watching Hosni Mubarak, his sons, and other high-ranking officials in Egypt dragged to prison and tried for political and financial corruption solidified in the minds of these regimes the fate that awaits them. In essence, the dictators and their cronies are fighting, not just to stay in power, but also to literally escape punishment for their crimes. But perhaps the most brutal and effective tactic to derail any peaceful revolution is to drag the country into civil war.

Regional players such as Israel and the Saudi ruling family, as well as other international players are very nervous about the popular discontent and the changes sweeping the region. The status quo has benefited these regimes and the international order for a long time.

People in the Arab world are instead determined to rely on themselves with an uncompromising will to continue their just struggle for freedom and dignity echoing the voice of another young leader in the Latin American jungles many decades ago, as Che Guevara reminded his comrades “Until victory always” but “better to die standing, than to live on your knees.”

Esam Al-Amin can be reached at alamin1919@gmail.com

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 12:31 AM
Subject: Alwefaq Society is a partner in the crackdown; it lost its credibility as a society of Opposition

[redacted]

http://mobile.reuters.com/regional/article/idAFLDE74Q1AH20110531?edition=af

Top News

FEATURE-Did Bahrain opposition squander democracy chance?

Tue, May 31 12:20 PM EDT

* Opposition may have lost best chance at winning reforms

* Sunni leaders say opposition was waiting for Iran guidance

* Emergency law to be lifted on June 1

By Andrew Hammond

MANAMA, May 31 (Reuters) – As martial law comes to an end in the Gulf Arab state of Bahrain this week, opposition activists are wondering whether they threw away what might have been the first real chance for democracy in the Gulf Arab region.

Shortly after young Bahrainis, inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, converged on a roundabout in early February, the government offered dialogue with opposition parties on political reforms. But the talks failed to get off the ground.

After weeks of behind-the-scenes discussions during which sectarian tension worsened between the Shi'ite majority and Sunnis who saw the ruling Al-Khalifa family as protection, Saudi troops poured in on March 15, martial law was declared the next day and the roundabout encampment was broken up on March 16.

Critics say the leading opposition party Wefaq, headed by Sheikh Ali Salman, failed to show leadership during the unrest, allowing hardliners within the ruling family and among the Shi'ite opposition to steer events.

"What a massively missed opportunity. Wefaq should have had the conviction to stand ahead of the others and sit at the table. I'm sure they rue it," one Western diplomat said.

When talks eventually resume, he said, "the ceiling will be lower" and reforms could have been set back by a decade.

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa authorised talks on democracy in 2001, but the opposition boycotted elections in 2002 because the upper house of parliament — royal appointees — was to retain key powers.

Seven opposition parties including Wefaq took part in 2006 elections, but hardliners broke away to form the Haq movement.

Haq's exiled leader returned during the protests on Feb. 26 and announced with other groups on March 8 that he wanted to turn the small island kingdom into a republic. That was anathema to Saudi Arabia which financially backs Bahrain to help stave off Iranian influence.

On Tuesday King Hamad called for reform talks "without preconditions" from July 1. But the parameters were vague, and with opposition leaders in jail, protesters off the streets and Wefaq attacked daily in state media, the government will have the upper hand to steer them away from parliamentary reforms.

FEAR OF LOSING THE STREET

Munira Fakhro of secular opposition group Waad says Wefaq was paralysed by fear of losing the street — Shi'ite protesters radicalised by the deaths of their comrades when security forces made a botched attempt to clear the roundabout on Feb. 17.

"My analysis is that after all this anger and death among Shi'ites the street was tilted towards Mushaimaa. Ali Salman was afraid that if he accepted the crown prince's proposal without assurances he would be cheated at the end of the day," she said, referring to opposition anger over the upper assembly in 2002. "I told them, 'the crown prince wants to reach out to you but he's alone because no one is supporting him from his family, you must support him'."

Mushaimaa and the republic supporters are now among 21 men on military trial. The defendants also include Waad's Sunni leader Ibrahim Sharif and some independent Shi'ite rights activists prominent during the protests.

Salman, a young cleric born in 1965, says he didn't agree with the escalation in protests or the open call for a republic, but acknowledges that they complicated the position of Wefaq and the rest of the opposition.

"There is a view that we were late to respond to the call for dialogue, but we had our reasons," he said at Wefaq offices overlooking the waters of the Gulf.

"We did not go to public talks, but we talked behind closed doors. I met the crown prince three times alone during the crisis and my working team was meeting his working team almost daily. But there were no results until March 13."

That day the crown prince said again he was interested in dialogue, but specified this time that it would centre on seven principles, including representative government and a parliament with full powers.

On March 14, Wefaq and six other opposition groups said they wanted clarifications before entering direct talks with the crown prince.

IMPASSE

The government and Sunni leaders have another theory for why the opposition appeared to drag their feet over negotiations: Wefaq was waiting for approval from Iran.

"We think so. How else would you explain them not coming to the negotiating table?" said Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Senior International Counselor at the Information Affairs Authority.

"We need a rational, practical leader who doesn't look for religious blessings before he can embark on a political reform initiative," he said. "We didn't see leadership emerging from their side and they didn't let themselves loose from radical elements or come to the negotiating table."

Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Mahmoud, leader of the mainly Sunni National Unity Rally which emerged as a counter-weight to the Shi'ite opposition during the unrest, goes further.

"In the second week of March their clerics were telling the Shi'ite masses that the Hidden Imam was about to come. That held them up going into talks since they thought the Shi'ite state was coming," he said.

The twelfth Imam of mainstream Shi'ism disappeared in 9th-century Iraq and many believe he will return one day. Mahmoud also suggested the U.S. navy was coordinating with Wefaq and Iran could have been planning a military intervention.

Wefaq leaders roll their eyes at these accusations.

They say they are not interested in Iran's system of clerical rule, and that in any case most Bahraini Shi'ites look to Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Iraq as their reference in religious affairs. Bahrain's most senior Shi'ite cleric is Sheikh Issa Qassim.

Mahmoud, Salman and other government and opposition figures spent all of March 13 at Wefaq offices in what proved to be fruitless last-minute talks before a decisive Saudi intervention.

Wefaq wanted a guarantee from the crown prince on elections to a constituent assembly to write a new constitution before entering face-to-face public talks.

Mahmoud wanted the royal family to have guaranteed representation on the assembly and a high bar on the percentage required to approve constitutional amendments to avoid Sunnis being permanently hostage to Shi'ite numerical superiority.

In a sign of the mistrust now prevailing, Mahmoud says that when news came in that Saudi troops were really coming, Salman stood up and announced: "We will seek the help of Iran."

Wefaq says he never said that. (Editing by Reed Stevenson and Jon Hemming)

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 3:45 PM
Subject: Bahrain TV Interview between Sawsan Alshaeer and Stephanie Williams

[redacted]

First, forgive me for my tone if it is not neutral, and it has been a long while since I wrote such a thing. I feel it is my duty to comment in the interview mentioned above; the interview was between Sawsan Alshaeer, a journalist who has been for two motnh ivolved only in one-sided shows. She spends all the time of her program creting and spreading hatred based on sunni/shiite dialogues. She never interviewed Shiites at all, and her interviews and talks were as follows. She attacks and condemns a certain person or a certain group, and on the same night, early morning, the targetted group is arrested and their house are raided by the thugs – military in civilain disguise. before around three weeks, she publicly condemned BBC network as spreading "iranian agenda", and that "Amnesty, FrontLIne and others" are manipulated by Shiites. In another show, she directly said "Obama, don't think that you will create a new Iraq in Bahrain; we have men to defend Bahrain; and it will remain a Khalifate Kingdom despite your program."

The interview with Stephanie Williams who is the highest post in the embassy right has a couple of points as follows:

1. Since Ms Williams is a diplomat, their should be certain protocols in the dialogue. Throughout the interview, Sawsan was atacking Ms Williams as "conspiartor" against Bahrain. She did not speak with any kind of attequette or respect. I am sure that since Ms Williams is American, she does not see a problem, but from the Bahraini point of view, this treating her with "what she deserve"s as the Sunnis say. She never gave her chance to speak her opinions and she interrupts her to avoid any inconvenience despite the "neutrality" of Ms Williams.

2. The questions were condemning America on all levels. For example, Sawsan claimed that the US does not have the right to state opinion supporting the "oppostion" because this is "direct intervention in interior affairs" and the US should respect "the soveregnty of Bahrain." I wonder then what the hell the Fifth Fleet is doing? Did the US take permission to do that? what would happen to Bahrain if the US only threat to retreat? i.e. we all know that the US is the manipulator of all Arab government, why is this different now? Moreover, she accused the embassy of avoiding and preventing any meetings with Sunni parties. I never thought their are any Sunni oppositions in Bahrain except Waad, headed by Ebrahim Sharif.

3. Sawsan condemned the "sectarian discrimmination" that is commited by the US embassy against Sunnis. She believes that the US embassy advocates Shiites only and belittles the Sunnis. First, as she claims, they talks with Shiite parties only – and although Ms Williams tried to explain that they contact people who respond to them, and this is natural because the majority of Bahrain are SHiites, Sawsan insisted that "the US is practicing Sectarian discrimmination against the Sunnis of Bahrain." In addition, Sawsan claims that the US keeps stating "the majority Shiites are ruled by the Minority Sunnis" and this is not true because the demography of people changes. Sawsan does not know that what the US and all the world is based on the officla site of the CIA of Population count, last updated in 2010. It showed the Shiite ratio withdrew from 85% to 70%; but Sawsan still insisted that this is not true. For those who do not know history; Bahrain was 100% Shiites before the Khalifa family came to Bahrain. Untill the 1990's, the ratio was 85% Shiites and 15% Sunnis. The family carried out a huge top confidential program and nationalized many people from Syria, Jordan, Yemen, and Pakistan to change the religous demography of Bahrain.

4. Sawsan criticized the speech of Mr Obama about the opposition behind the bars of prisons and jails. Ms Williams insisted that the US believes in Obama's speech, highlighted and ascertained by Mr Toner "there cannot be any serious dialogue with the legitimate Oppostion in prison." Sawsan showed selected videos but there was no live video of any protester killing a securty person. So, Ms Williams told her that "we were terrified by what was going on; but we support the freedom of speech and protest."

5. Sawsan attacked the American Sudies Centre and the embassy because they "steal" Bahraini youth and brainwash them with American agendas to destabalize Bahrain, example is Mariam Khawaja and many others – i cant believe that there are still people obsessed with "false conspiracy theories". She accused the States of supporting terrorists like Mriam, Matar Matar and many others who played a vital active role in these events. [redacted]

Although Ms Williams expressed that the US is very proud of these exchange programs, Sawsan inisted on attcaking her and the Congress and Mr Obama himself. Actually, this attack on the ASC was begun by university of Bahrain itself. The Sunni satff wanted to boast and show off with their "patriotism", so they established a site to show the "traitors of UOB." Dr Colin was described a jew who hates Islam. I wonder how American would see this; I geuss they will say "the Sunnis are anti-semetic" :)

6. Sawsan tried to embarrass her geust with a consumed question about Iraq, but Ms Williams answered that Iraq is a baby democracy that is growing fast and that secatrain tensions are doomed to end because people want to live not to fight.

Final note:

There is an important plot behind this scene. As you know, Mr Lodovic Hoods, the inchanrge of Human Rights Reports in the US embassy has returned to Washington DC becuase he has been receiving threats from the Sunnis, loyal to the government. These threats were by messages and on forums. It is thought that the extremist parties of the family are behind this. I belive that this is a threat to any American and not only Mr Hoods. They described him as "the dirty jew" and serving "iranian agenda" – I know this looks stupid but this is the level of the Sunni audience. Now, the Sunnis are threating Ms William. A former Parlaiment Wahhabi member acused he of being a "bitch" and a "dirty Barbie". She is also threatened now, and there was a meeting between her and Dr Abdullateef Almahmood, and the letter was not received well by the embassy in general. Ms Williams said she will send a complaint about this to DC directly but I don't know how far is this from the truth.

All Americans are threatened if these two people are threatened. This incident also shows us an important thing. Although the SHiite party accused Obama of giving the family the green light to this crackdown, they did not threat the security or life of any American. On the ocntrary, the SHiites insisted that it is Mr Obama who will save them. After Obama's speech, Shiites will carry American flags in their protests. Regardless to how pinkish or naiive this look, it shows who sees the world with a dark heart full of hatred and who cannot live without sectarian discrimination.

This interview will condemn Sawsan as a journalist who is spreading hatred and sectarian discrimination and I am sure now Ms Williams understand who these people are really and what they are doing.

[redacted]

[redacted]

hope you are doing great; I have something for you. Yesterday, there was an interview between Sawsan Alshaeer and Stephanie from the embassy; it was paethetic. Sawsan is used to one-sided dialogues, and she is accusing Washington DC directly. I will send you the link now, but I will send a lengthy commentary on it because it is in Arabic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WixonFsvu2w

[redacted]

—

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Urgent: Bahrain targets Abdulhadi Alkhawaja's daughter to put pressure on him
To: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

Dear Friends,

Relieved to let you know that Zainab Alkhawaja has been released. Important to note that their remains to be hundreds of political prisoners who are still kept in prison, many of whom have detained for more than 2 months with no due process.

Regards,

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 8:22 AM
Subject: Urgent: Bahrain targets Abdulhadi Alkhawaja's daughter to put pressure on him
To: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

Dear Friends,

As Zainab Alkhawaja heads to the police station, I write to you in urgency as I just received confirmed news that her father Abdulhadi Alkhawaja was told in prison that if he does not comply with their demands and accepts what they're asking of him, they will get his daughter Zainab as they "already have a file on her". They also told him to instruct Nabeel Rajab and his other daughter Maryam Alkhawaja to stop the pressure on the government.

Zainab Alkhawaja, also widely known as @angryarabiya on Twitter and for her hunger strike which then inspired a mass hunger strike, released this picture minutes before she left to the police station: http://yfrog.com/hsqjywej. If detained, Zainab will be the 6th member of their family to be detained.

Zainab's husband Wafi, was arrested 55 days ago and it is still unknown where his location is or what the charges against him are. He has had no access to lawyers or to his family. Now with Zainab being summoned, if arrested, their 1 and a half year old daughter will have both her parents in detention. Both of their arrests are seen to be a tool used by the regime to put pressure on Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, prominent human rights activist, and his other activist daughter, Maryam Alkhawaja.

It is not new in Bahrain that they use a family member to pressure someone to do what they want. In a testimony I recorded in late February I was told: "They brought my younger brother in front of me and stripped him naked except for a blindfold. They told me if you don't do as we say, we will rape him in front of you. I said ok, I will do whatever you want, and they made me sign documents without letting me read them."

This is clear targeting of a human rights defender's family to put pressure on him and we urge you to do all that you can to put pressure on the Bahraini government to comply with human rights standards and release all political prisoners.

Regards,

—

Maryam Al-Khawaja
Contact: +44-7587303080 / +1(401)572-6597
Head of Foreign Relations Office
Bahrain Center for Human Rights

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NYTimes.com <newstracker@nytimes.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 11:38 PM
Subject: My Alerts: Bahrain Alerts (1 article)
To: ccavell@gmail.com

June 2, 2011 My Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT Alert Name: Bahrain Alerts June 2, 2011 Compiled: 1:54 AM WORLD / MIDDLE EAST Bahrain Ends Martial Law but Renews Crackdown on Protests By KATHERINE ZOEPF (NYT) Security forces attacked peaceful protesters in more than 20 villages with rubber bullets, stun grenades, shotguns and tear gas, according to human rights observers in Bahrain. More Articles On This Topic »

About This E-mail You received this e-mail because you signed up for NYTimes.com's My Alerts tool. As a member of the TRUSTe privacy program, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Manage Alerts | Create a New Alert | Change Your E-Mail | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact | My Alerts Help

Copyright 2011 | The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: s.yousif mohammed <s.yousif1982@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Subject: Urgent Appeal: Daughter of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and internationally known hunger striker summoned to police station
To: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

: Dear Friends,

In alarming news and despite promises of reform by the King, Zainab Alkhawaja (known on twitter as @angryarabiya) has been summoned to the police station tomorrow at 6pm.

Zainab Alkhawaja went on a 10 day hungerstrike in response to her father, uncle, husband and brother in law getting arrested. (read more: http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_62778.shtml) Her hunger strike received worldwide media attention. Her father and uncle are now undergoing a military, (please read: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/15241). Her husband and brother in law are still in detention with no access to lawyers or family, and it is unknown under what charges they are being kept or their location.

The summoning raises great concern as her father, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, told his family a few days ago that security forces inside the prison kept threatening that they had arrested and raped his daughter Zainab. Therefore this is an urgent appeal for international pressure to prevent any physical or psychological harm to Zainab Al-khawaja.

Regards,

Said Yousif Almuhafdah

Bahrain Center For Human Rights

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

Date: Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 8:39 AM
Subject: Urgent: Several attacks on peaceful protests now
To: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

Urgent: attacks on protests right now. Several protests have started today in many parts of Bahrain, all of which have been violently attacked by security forces using teargas, sound bombs and bird shotgun pellets.Due to fear of going to hospitals protesters are treating themselves at home.

Bahrain: Show trial of prominent human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja continues before military court against background of torture and intimidation : http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/15241

Poet Ayat AlQurmezi is due to go on trial tomorrow in a military court. More on her case: http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/3865

Best,

—

Maryam Al-Khawaja
Contact: +44-7587303080 / +1(401)572-6597
Head of Foreign Relations Office
Bahrain Center for Human Rights

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: NYTimes.com <newstracker@nytimes.com>
Date: Tue, May 31, 2011 at 11:34 PM
Subject: My Alerts: Bahrain Alerts (1 article)
To: ccavell@gmail.com

June 1, 2011 My Alerts

ADVERTISEMENT Alert Name: Bahrain Alerts June 1, 2011 Compiled: 1:48 AM SPORTS / AUTO RACING Bahrain Seeks ChangeIn Date for Grand Prix By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (NYT) Bahrain asked Formula One’s governing body to reschedule its Grand Prix race this year and hopes to hold it in October or November. More Articles On This Topic »

About This E-mail You received this e-mail because you signed up for NYTimes.com's My Alerts tool. As a member of the TRUSTe privacy program, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Manage Alerts | Create a New Alert | Change Your E-Mail | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact | My Alerts Help

Copyright 2011 | The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Tue, May 31, 2011 at 8:32 PM
Subject: Bahrain: Bad To Worse

Bahrain: Bad To Worse

Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2011

by Elliott Abrams

Not so long ago Bahrain was considered one of the more liberal Arab states. No longer.

The situation in Bahrain is deteriorating further, despite occasional government claims that things are stable and even improving. The most recent proof is the Bahraini treatment of the human rights officer at the U.S. Embassy, Ludovic Hood, who is being forced to leave the country after a vicious campaign against him. The story is told in a recent Miami Herald item entitled “U.S. Yanks Diplomat From Bahrain After He’s Threatened.” The U.S. diplomat was the target of anti-Semitic slurs and his address was published in a web site tied to the Bahraini government, a sure effort to intimidate.

The Miami Herald story ends this way: “In his final message to his friends in Bahrain, Hood apologized that he had had to assume a low profile in his final weeks and couldn’t say goodbye. In his message, he sounded like a man ordered home on short notice. ‘Hello,’ he wrote. ‘I am leaving Bahrain today and moving back to Washington. I will start my new assignment at the State Department in June. I am sorry I was not able to say goodbye properly. Given recent developments affecting the Embassy, it was prudent for me to keep a low profile during my final weeks in Bahrain.’”

The State Department has said little about the incident, but it is a mark of how bilateral relations have soured and should get more attention. This intimidation of an American official should be forcefully protested and condemned by the United States. It is the kind of incident that should have us thinking out loud about the future of the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 9:49 am and is filed under Bahrain, Democracy and Human Rights, Middle East, Persian Gulf. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: thepearlroundabout.org <thepearlroundabout@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, May 31, 2011 at 6:05 PM
Subject: thepearlroundabout.org
To: ccavell@gmail.com

thepearlroundabout.org

---

• Bahrain set for renewed protests as state of emergency ends
• MSF staff member in Bahrain remains detained
• Silencing Bahrain’s journalists
• Bahrain Lifts Martial Law on a Skeptical Public
• Bahrain king calls for dialogue from July 1
• Bahrain: Bad To Worse
• Bahrain: Tough line remains on protest groups
• Bahraini authorities have sentenced more than 60 demonstrators
• The Battle for Bahrain and the Future of the Middle East
• Mistrust abounds as Bahrain to lift emergency law

Bahrain set for renewed protests as state of emergency ends Posted: 31 May 2011 01:31 PM PDT Amnesty International – Amnesty International has urged the Bahrain authorities not to again use excessive force against protesters, as activists called for mass anti-government demonstrations across the country on Wednesday.

MSF staff member in Bahrain remains detained Posted: 31 May 2011 09:30 AM PDT MSF – An employee of the international medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been detained for weeks in Bahrain after being severely beaten upon arrest by authorities, with no information provided about his condition and whereabouts, including to his family and lawyer.

Silencing Bahrain’s journalists Posted: 31 May 2011 09:11 AM PDT Al Jazeera – Lamees Dhaif tells Al Jazeera: "They can stop us from telling stories now, but they can't stop us forever."

Bahrain Lifts Martial Law on a Skeptical Public Posted: 31 May 2011 09:03 AM PDT The Media Line – Politicians, rights activists, say the military presence is still in full force Bahrain is preparing to lift martial law on Wednesday in a bid to close a brief but controversial chapter in the country’s history. But human rights activists and politicians say they don’t expect life for the country’s one million citizens to change much on the ground.

Bahrain king calls for dialogue from July 1 Posted: 31 May 2011 09:01 AM PDT AFP – Bahrain's King Hamad called on Tuesday for a national dialogue to begin on July 1, as the authorities readied to lift a state of emergency enacted during a crackdown on demonstrators, BNA state news agency said.

Bahrain: Bad To Worse Posted: 31 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT Elliott Abrams – Not so long ago Bahrain was considered one of the more liberal Arab states. No longer.

Bahrain: Tough line remains on protest groups Posted: 31 May 2011 08:57 AM PDT AP – Bahrain's Justice Ministry warned Tuesday that authorities will not ease pressure on anti-government groups after emergency laws are removed even as the nation's king appealed for dialogue.

Bahraini authorities have sentenced more than 60 demonstrators Posted: 31 May 2011 07:54 AM PDT BYSHR – Full list of convicted demonstrators.

The Battle for Bahrain and the Future of the Middle East Posted: 31 May 2011 05:15 AM PDT The Trumpet.com – A massive geopolitical earthquake is shaking the Middle East. For more than six decades, Saudi Arabia has bound itself to America for security. But a series of strategic blunders and missteps in the region has broken Saudi confidence in the United States. Consequently, the Saudis are striking out on their own—cobbling together their own alliance to face off against Iran. That may not sound like such bad news, but it is actually a signal that time is running out for America, Britain, and the tiny nation of Israel.

Mistrust abounds as Bahrain to lift emergency law Posted: 31 May 2011 05:10 AM PDT AFP – Tanks have begun withdrawing from Manama's streets ahead of the planned lifting Wednesday of a state of emergency enacted amid a crackdown on demonstrators but mistrust still abounds in Bahrain.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, May 31, 2011 at 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: Urgent appeal: Nabeel Rajab summoned by military prosecutor
To: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

Nabeel Rajab has been released.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

Date: Tue, May 31, 2011 at 1:30 PM
Subject: Urgent appeal: Nabeel Rajab summoned by military prosecutor
To: Maryam Al-Khawaja <maryam.alkhawaja@gmail.com>

A few hours after the King's speech about reform and dialogue, leading human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, president of BCHR, Deputy Secretary General 4 FIDH, Chairman of CARAM Asia & MENA Advisory member of HRW, was summoned by the military court, and has yet to be released. (Summon letter attached)

http://twitter.com/NABEELRAJAB/status/75547748279132160

The military prosecutor summoned the President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Mr. Nabeel Rajab, to appear before the court today at 6 in the evening and the summon was conveyed to Mr. Rajab at 4 in the afternoon the same day.

Mr. Nabeel Rajab proceeded to go to the Center where he was summoned accompanied by his lawyer, but has since been missing in action and has not made any contact up until the writing of this appeal.

The call by the prosecutor comes 1 day before the lifting of martial law in Bahrain, as it has been ordered by the King. Martial law has been in effect in Bahrain since March 15^th, 2011.

During this two and a half month period of Martial law, Mr. Rajab has been victimized and stripped of his human rights on more than one occasion.

· On March 20^th, 2011, Mr. Rajab was arrested for a few hours by a group of armed government sent men. During his detention, Mr. Rajab was beaten and threatened with rape before releasing him.

· Mr. Rajab was also present at his domicile when his house was showered with tear gas and up to the point of nearly suffocating his mother to death.

This appeal goes out to voice fear of torture and coercion of Mr. Rajab due to the track record of recent documented cases of torture of detainees by the Government of Bahrain and the death of four opposition members whilst in custody of the Government of Bahrain.

Background on Nabeel's case: http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/en/node/4144

Regards,

—

Maryam Al-Khawaja
Contact: +44-7587303080 / +1(401)572-6597
Head of Foreign Relations Office
Bahrain Center for Human Rights

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Tue, May 31, 2011 at 11:57 AM
Subject: Bahrain news

http://www.truth-out.org/us-diplomat-yanked-bahrain-after-threat/1306847750

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Sun, May 29, 2011 at 10:54 PM
Subject: The Pearl Revolution magazine

Dear All,

Attached is the English version of "the Pearl revolution" magazine.

As received

[redacted]

http://www.crookedbough.com/pearl/The_Pearl_Revolution.pdf

It takes about 4+ minutes in the browser, which is faster than most email. The file size is 15mb (my compression), you might mention this in the update.

F.B.I. Agents Get Leeway to Push Privacy Bounds
By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: June 12, 2011

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is giving significant new powers to its roughly 14,000 agents, allowing them more leeway to search databases, go through household trash or use surveillance teams to scrutinize the lives of people who have attracted their attention.

The F.B.I. soon plans to issue a new edition of its manual, called the Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide, according to an official who has worked on the draft document and several others who have been briefed on its contents. The new rules add to several measures taken over the past decade to give agents more latitude as they search for signs of criminal or terrorist activity.

The F.B.I. recently briefed several privacy advocates about the coming changes. Among them, Michael German, a former F.B.I. agent who is now a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, argued that it was unwise to further ease restrictions on agents’ power to use potentially intrusive techniques, especially if they lacked a firm reason to suspect someone of wrongdoing. …more

Ali Abdulla Hassan Al Sinkees and Abdulaziz Abdul Ridha Ibrahim Hassan were convicted on Apr. 28 for killing two policemen – Kashef Ahmed Mandhour and Mahmoud Farooq Abdulsamad – during the protests.

The execution was issued by the National Safety Court, a special court created when Bahrain declared a state of national safety – a close approximation to martial law – in March 2011. …more

A Look Back at Americas Haymarket Executions

Strike at the McCormick reaper plant

On May 1, 1886 (later known as May Day), labor unions organized a strike for an eight-hour work day in Chicago and across the US. By 21st century standards, working conditions in the city were miserable, with most workers working ten to twelve hour days, often six days a week under sometimes dangerous conditions. On May 3 striking workers met near the Cyrus McCormick reaper plant. Chicago police attacked the strikers without warning, killing two, wounding several others and sparking outrage in the city’s working community.

Rally at Haymarket Square

The rally began peacefully under a light rain on the evening of May 4. Anarchist leader August Spies spoke to the large crowd while standing in an open wagon on a side street. According to many witnesses Spies said he was not there to incite anyone. Meanwhile a large number of on-duty police officers watched from nearby. The crowd was so calm that Mayor Carter Harrison, Sr., who had stopped by to watch, walked home early. Some time later the police ordered the rally to disperse and began marching in formation towards the speakers’ wagon. A lit, fused bomb whistled over the heads of onlookers and landed near the police line, killing twelve people including a policeman, Mathias J. Degan [[1]] (seven other policemen later died from their injuries). The police immediately opened fire on the crowd, injuring dozens. Many of the wounded were afraid to visit hospitals for fear of being arrested. A total of eleven people died.

Trial, executions and pardons

Eight people connected directly or indirectly with the rally and its anarchist organisers were charged with Degan’s murder: August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, Michael Schwab, Samuel Fielden and Oscar Neebe. Five (Spies, Fischer, Engel, Lingg and Schwab) were German immigrants while a sixth, Neebe, was of German descent. The trial was presided over by Judge Joseph Gary. The defense counsel included Sigmund Zeisler, William Perkins Black, William Foster, and Moses Salomon. The prosecution never offered evidence connecting any of the defendants with the bombing but argued that the person who had thrown the bomb had been incited to do so by the defendants, who as a result were equally responsible. The jury returned guilty verdicts for all eight defendants, with death sentences for seven. Neebe (who seemed to have been almost forgotten by the prosecution) received a sentence of 15 years in prison. The sentencing sparked more outrage in labor circles, resulted in protests around the world and made the defendants international political celebrities and heroes.

After the appeals had been exhausted Illinois Governor Richard James Oglesby commuted Fielden’s and Schwab’s sentences to life in prison. On the eve of his scheduled execution Lingg committed suicide in his cell using a smuggled stick of dynamite, which he reportedly held in his mouth like a cigar (the blast blew off half his face and he survived in agony for several hours). The next day, November 11, 1887, Spies, Parsons, Fischer, and Engel were hanged together before a public audience. August Spies was widely quoted as having said, “The time will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today.” Witnesses reported that the condemned did not die when they dropped, but strangled to death slowly, a sight which left the audience visibly shaken.

On June 26, 1893 Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld signed pardons for Fielden, Neebe, and Schwab after having concluded all eight defendants were innocent (the pardons signalled his own political end).
…more

New Bahrain visa application form on way
Manama: Sun, 12 Jun 2011

The General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence (GDNPR) will launch a new application form on July 1.

It follows directives from Interior Ministry Under-Secretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and aims to streamline visa and residence applications.

The new-look form will be used to apply for all types of visas and residence permits and features the applicant’s data, rules and regulations governing all types of visas and residence permits as well as the required documents to expedite issuance procedures for citizens and residents. …source

Group to DFA, POEA: Clarify Advisory on the lifting of OFWs travel ban in Bahrain
– June 2, 2011Posted in: Pinoy Global Online News

Group to DFA, POEA: Clarify Advisory on the lifting of OFWs travel ban in Bahrain

As it creates confusion among returning and new hire overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound to Bahrain, an alliance of Filipino migrants’ rights group today urges the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to clarify the Advisory (No.26, Series of 2011) it issued yesterday, June 1.

Issued and signed by POEA administrator Carlos S. Cao Jr., Advisory No.26, Series of 2011 states “Pursuant to travel advisory and report dated 16 May 2011 issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs announcing the forthcoming lifting of the State of National Security in the Kingdom of Bahrain on June 1, 2011, thereby downgrading the security classification of Bahrain from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 1, the processing and deployment of overseas Filipino workers to Bahrain shall thereupon be allowed for both new hires and returning workers/vacationing workers of balik manggagawa..”

“Despite the issuance of the aforementioned advisory by the POEA, we have been receiving reports from Bahrain-bound OFWs that today they were told by POEA officials that the ban is still in effect, hence no processing yet of deployment in Bahrain,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

Monterona noted that the said advisory had just been issued 24 hours ago. This coincided the lifting of the declared State of National Safety by the Bahrain government yesterday.

He added there were OFWs who conveyed that they came today to POEA in order to process their deployment formalities as per the advisory issued by the POEA only to be told that the travel ban is still in effect.

Monterona said if the advisory had been withdrawn, the POEA must arrange to issue a clarificatory note for the guidance of our fellow OFWs, returning and new hires.

“Clarification coming from the POEA is needed to avoid confusion and stir disappointment of thousands of OFWs, returning and new hires, who are hoping for work amid grinding poverty in the Philippines,” Monterona ended. …source

Home / Middle-East / Double whammy for Bahraini peace and prosperity drive
Double whammy for Bahraini peace and prosperity drive

By DAVID E. MILLER | THE MEDIA LINE

Published: Jun 12, 2011 21:00 Updated: Jun 12, 2011 21:00

Bahrain’s efforts to restore peace and prosperity received twin blows over the weekend as opposition forces staged their first rally since martial law was lifted and the governing body of world Formula One racing rescinded a decision to hold the Bahrain Grand Prix in October.

A mass demonstration by the country’s majority Shiites on Saturday was peaceful. Under the slogan “Bahrain, a homeland for all,” thousands of protesters gathered in the city of Sar to demand political reforms and a more democratic legislature. But human rights activists warned that the rally was organized by moderates and that demands for more far-reaching reforms would be testing the government’s tolerance.

“There are opposition groups that demand to topple the regime and others that demand reform. Al-Wefaq demands reform,” Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights told The Media Line, adding that more radical oppositionists were still held in prison.

A day before the rally, Bahrain’s most senior Shiite cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim said Friday is no chance for talks with the nation’s Sunni rulers so long as security forces maintain their clampdown on protests. “We cannot negotiate in such conditions,” Sheikh Qassim told worshippers in a mostly Shiite area outside the capital of Manama, according to the Associated Press.

King Hamad Al-Khalifa is in a delicate position. While many in his government feel threatened by what they say is Iranian interference aimed at toppling his regime, Bahrain is under pressure from the US and from human rights groups to end the wave of arrests and summary justice. Those concerns could jeopardize Bahrain’s role as a regional financial center.

Speakers at Saturday’s rally made a special effort to emphasize national unity and disregard sectarian divisions, and Bahraini police responded in kind by not intervening to quell the protest. …more

Bahrain tries ex-lawmakers, imprisons poet
By the CNN Wire Staff – June 12, 2011

Manama, Bahrain (CNN) — At least two former Bahraini opposition lawmakers went on trial Sunday, as a military court sentenced a 20-year-old poet to a year in prison.

Matar Matar and Jawad Fairooz were charged with “spreading malicious lies in an attempt to overthrow the government,” an official in the Information Affairs Authority told CNN.
Both men pleaded not guilty and will remain in custody until their next hearing, said the official, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak. He said their lawyers have been given more time to prepare their cases.

Both men were seized May 2, family members said.

The trials come after the small, strategically important Gulf kingdom was swept by protests earlier this year as part of the Arab Spring demonstrations.

The legal proceedings began Sunday without prior notice, according to a Matar family member who asked not to be named for security reasons.

Fairooz’s lawyer only found out the charges once he appeared in court Sunday, the defendant’s brother Jamsheer Fairooz said.
Jawad Fairooz said he was being treated well and looked to be in physically good condition but had “aged 10 years — his beard and hair have both gone white,” his brother said.

Matar, 35, was taken from his car by armed men in masks on May 2, according to a relative. He represented the biggest constituency in Bahrain, with approximately 16,000 people.

Elected to the lower house of Parliament in October 2010, Matar resigned along with other Wefaq lawmakers earlier this year to protest the government crackdown on demonstrators. Wefaq is a Shiite party, the predominant religion in the kingdom whose rulers are Sunni. …more

Bahrain: Fear grows for the most prominent opposition figure as woman poet jailed
Bahrain Freedom Movement – 12/06/2011 – 2:41 p | Hits: 54

The most senior political figure in Bahraini opposition is in a serious condition languishing in the Al Khalifa torture chambers. Mr Abdul Wahab Hussain, 55, has lost almost all sense in the left part of his body and is hardly able to walk.

His speech has become blurred after months of extreme forms of torture and ill-treatment. Apart from the quick glances during court appearances, his family has not been allowed to visit him in jail. He is accused, with 22 others, of calling for the overthrow of the Al Khalifa hereditary dictatorship, inciting the hatred of the regime and spreading false news about it. He was repeatedly beaten, tortured with electric shocks and subjected to various forms of physical and psychological abuse. Young prisoners were tortured in front of him in order to break his will. Bahrain’s dictator, his uncle the prime minister and his son, the crown prince, stand accused of committing serious crimes against humanity. Several international writs have been submitted to international bodies with compelling evidence and personal testimonies.

The people’s resolve to achieve a regime change have continued unabated. In the past few days many demonstrations took place demanding an end to the Al Khalifa rule after decades of absolute dictatorship, corruption and human rights violation. Yesterday, the people of Jidhafs went to the streets chanting anti-regime slogans; The people want the downfall of the regime, Down with Hamad… etc. They were mercilessly attacked by the regime’s security forces and Death Squads. Friday witnessed country- wide demonstrations in support of the women detainees many of whom have been subjected to torture, inhumane treatment and abuse. The people of Sfalah, Mhaza, Al Ekr, Duraz, Al Juffair , Bilad Al Qadim and other towns and villages went out to demonstrated against the Al Khalifa regime demanding its downfall and declaring support to the women hostages. Human rights bodies have expressed serious concerns at the lack of access to detainees and called for investigations into claims that some detainees had been subjected to rape and sexual assaults. …more

Tribunal sends Bahrain protester to prison

By Brian Murphy, Sunday, June 12, 4:44 PM

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A 20-year-old woman who recited poems critical of Bahrain’s rulers — and later claimed she was beaten in jail — was sentenced Sunday to a year in prison as part of the kingdom’s crackdown on Shiite protesters calling for greater rights.

The ruling by a special security tribunal sent a strong message that Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy is not easing off on punishments linked to the unrest despite appeals for talks with Shiite groups in the strategic Persian Gulf island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

Ayat al-Qurmezi became a minor celebrity among protesters after reciting poems critical of Bahrain’s king and prime minister during gatherings in the capital’s Pearl Square, which was the hub for Shiite-led demonstrations that broke out in February after drawing inspiration from the Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

One verse, addressed to King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, included the lines: “We are the people who will kill humiliation and assassinate misery. Don’t you hear their cries? Don’t you hear their screams?”

She was convicted of anti-state charges, including inciting hatred, the official Bahrain News Agency reported. Her mother, Sada al-Qurmezi, said an appeal is planned. …more

Bahrain jails woman, 20, for reading poem
Published: June 12, 2011 at 1:30 PM

MANAMA, Bahrain, June 12 (UPI) — Bahrain sentenced a young female poet to a year in prison Sunday for speaking at a protest rally.

Ayat al-Qormozi, 20, was convicted of reading a poem at a banned demonstration in February at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama, CNN reported.

“Freedom of speech in this country has its boundaries and cannot touch on the leadership, and cannot call for the overthrow of the government,” said Sheik Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak of the Information Ministry.

Al-Qormozi’s poem “caused incitement and hatred to his majesty the king and to the prime minister” with lines such as “We are the people who will kill humiliation and assassinate misery,” he said.

Amnesty International condemned the verdict.

Al-Qormozi was arrested March 30 after police threatened to kill her brothers if the family did not surrender her, relatives said. They say she has been tortured.

Meanwhile, authorities Sunday charged two former opposition legislators, Matar Matar and Jawad Fairooz, with “spreading malicious lies in an attempt to overthrow the government,” Mubarak told CNN.

The men, who quit Parliament along with fellow opposition members to protest repression, pleaded not guilty and will be kept in jail until their next hearing.

Thousands attended a protest rally called by their party Saturday. …source

(The Wall Street Journal, Monday June 12, 1995, p A1)

MANAMA, Bahrain — On Friday, armored vehicles rolled through the streets of this offshore-banking capital, as thousands of troops staged a show of force to keep angry Bahrainis at bay.

The crowds were gathered for Ashura, an occasion when Shiite Muslims flagellate themselves in public to mourn the martyrdom of the prophet Mohammed’s grandson. The day passed peacefully. But the transformation of downtown Manama into an armed camp was a grim reminder that this tiny island has recently been the site of the worst civil unrest to hit any of the Gulf Arab monarchies in years

In the past six months, Shiite youths have been rampaging through their villages, setting electricity substations on fire and igniting canisters of cooking gas in giant fireballs. On Saturday night, three cars were burned near Bahrain’s big U.S. military base, headquarters of U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf. The ruling family has responded by unleashing their foreign mercenaries, who have pulled young people off streets at random, beaten and jailed them.

For U.S. policy makers worried about security in the Persian Gulf, the strife in Bahrain could be a harbinger of turmoil to come. The island is connected to much larger and richer Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd causeway, and perhaps more. The same conditions that have spawned instability here — economic decline, uneven distribution of wealth, a hated monarchy — are also serious problems in Saudi Arabia, which has a large, disadvantaged Shiite population in its oil-rich Eastern Province.
[Read more →]

Repression in Bahrain
Ghazi Farhan
The Economist

Jun 10th 2011, 14:23 by N.P. | MANAMA

TO APPRECIATE how all-encompassing the dragnet sweeping Bahrain to quash the island’s Arab awakening has been, consider Ghazi Farhan. A dapper 31-year-old property executive, Mr Farhan manages three restaurants and a set of stables. Amid his pictures on Facebook is one of him at a tea party with Prince Charles.

On April 12th, plain-clothes police blindfolded him in his office car park, and took him for interrogation. This, he told his wife, was punctuated by whippings with a damp hose. Two days later, he was locked in “Dry Dock” jail with hundreds of other suspected demonstrators and given sun-tan lotion and told to rest in the sun to heal the scars. He seemed confident he would be out within 60 days—the period the state is allowed to hold suspects without charge. His wife said she did not want to hire a lawyer, for fear that might provoke the authorities. The announcement of the lifting of the State of National Safety, official-speak for emergency law, on June 1st gave all hope of a mass release.

But on May 31st, after 48 days inside and the day before the lifting of martial law, Mr Farhan was accused of “participating in an illegal gathering of more than five persons”, a charge carrying a three-year prison term. Like tens of thousands of others in this small archipelago of 600,000 nationals, he had occasionally stopped by Pearl Roundabout to observe the largest protest in Bahrain’s history. Driven by the blustery winds blowing from North Africa, opposition demands had escalated. Alongside calls for an elected government to replace the current one, largely filled with the ruling family’s princes, were growing cries for the downfall of the Sunni monarchy.

Mr Farhan was not among those protesting. The closest he came to activism, says a foreign observer, was organising charity galas at the Rotary Club. A month before his arrest, he had opened his latest café, Speed, on the racetrack that the crown prince had built for Formula One racing. But in the crackdown that followed, he came under pressure to sell his shares. On Twitter, a self-professed anonymous policeman sent a series of messages with the hashtag Haraqhum (“burn them”) calling for a boycott of another of his cafés where Bahrain’s streetwise go to smoke shishas. …more

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – Martyr Hani Abdul Aziz was announced as a new martyr of Bahrain. He was kidnapped by Saudi forces from hospital. He martyred yesterday, March 24th, after being shot by Saudi forces, appeared the effects of heavy wounds all over his body especially the face and hands and feet. There is a pictures that shows parts of the bones of the hand and leg scattering as a result he was shot from a short distance and within the room in one of the buildings.

Take a look at Photos Washing Hani A.Aziz

President Obama said in his speech on May 17, 2011, “Bahrain is a longstanding partner, and we are committed to its security. We recognize[no evidence of this other than Iranian Rhetoric] that Iran has tried to take advantage of the turmoil there, and that the Bahraini government has a legitimate interest in the rule of law. ”

Hani Abdul Aziz was neither Iranian or a protester when he was assaulted, kidnapped form hospital and then murdered by Saud and Bahraini security forces, in an apparent bid to cover up their crime. This is the kind of brutal Crime Against Humanity that al Khalifa and Saud commit in the name of National Security for Bahrain. President Obama is well aware of the “real situation” but refuses to intervene and demand cessation to Bahrain’s terror and repression of it’s own people.

[watch for more privacy and surveillance on “security aware page”]

What privacy risks are presented by Gmail?

a. Non-Subscribers Do Not Consent to “Content Extraction.”Subscribers consent to “content extraction” and analysis of their e-mail (“We serve highly relevant ads and other information as part of the service using our unique content-targeting technology,” according to the privacy policy). But non-subscribers who are e-mailing a Gmail user have not consented, and indeed may not even be aware that their communications are being analyzed or that a profile may being compiled on him or her. (See 2.3 “Will Google Build Profiles of Subscribers and/or Non-subscribers?”)

b. Unlimited Data Retention.While the prospect of never having to delete or file an e-mail is an attractive feature for space-hungry users, the implications of indefinite storage of e-mail communications presents several serious implications. Although Google has is held in high esteem by the public as a good corporate citizen, past performance is no guarantee of future behavior — especially following Google’s IPO when the company will have a legal duty to maximize shareholder wealth. Although Google currently saysthat they will not record the “concepts” extracted from scanned e-mails, they could decide to do so in the future and thereby create detailed profiles of users. Building such profiles on years of past communication in addition to current communications is made easier if users never delete e-mails. Additionally, communications stored for more than 180 days are exposed to lower protectionsfrom law enforcement access; with Gmail, many such e-mails could be made easily available. …more

Bahrain:Student is in danger because of her hunger strike in solidarity with her brother in custody
June 11th, 2011

A 20-year-old Bahraini student is on the eighth day of a hunger strike.

Miss.Asma Darwish, better known as “eagertobefree” on Twitter, a business student who studies at Bahrain Polytechnic, began an open hunger strike on Saturday the 4th of June.

“I am demanding freedom for my brother, Mohamed Ghuloom Darwish (23 years old), my uncle and my cousin. I had to take this decision because nothing else is left for me to do. I don’t know where my brother is, and I have not heard from him for more than 20 days”. She informed the BYSHR

Mr.Darwish, a professional photographer who owns Abulphoto Photography, was arrested at 2 am on the 22nd of May; masked men and riot police first burst into his parents’ house, and when they did not find him they took his eldest brother , and later released him when they found him in his sister’s house in Sanad.

Miss.Darwish,stated to the BYSHR: “When the riot police break into our house, I was sleeping. I woke up with shock, and my legs started to shake, I was afraid. One of the masked men was yelling at me and threatening me of arrest as well. They have insulted every religious symbol in the house by removing them and throwing them disrespectfully on the floor. My mom got really sick at that moment as she suffers from a heart disease”

She is one of the brightest students in Bahrain Polytechnic. Although she is on a hunger strike, but that did not stop her from attending all her classes, and passing all her exams.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its deep concern regarding the medical condition of Miss.Asma Darwish, and requests international organizations to immediately intervene to determine the conditions of prisoners in Bahrain. …more

Published on Saturday, June 11, 2011 by Associated Press
US Defense Sales to Bahrain Rose Before Crackdown

WASHINGTON – The U.S. government approved $200 million in military sales from American firms to Bahrain in 2010, months before the autocratic regime was rocked by instability amid a harsh crackdown on protesters, according to a State Department report.

Bahraini Shiite Muslims chant slogans to free prisoners during a sermon Friday, June 10, 2011, in Diraz, Bahrain, when Sheik Issa Qassem, Bahrain’s top Shiite cleric, said Bahrain should free political prisoners and that the nation’s reputation is being damaged by prosecuting doctors, teachers, youths, women, clerics and other professionals arrested during the crackdown on anti-government protesters. Many Shiite Muslim clerics, including Sheik Ali Salman, leader of the largest opposition party, attended midday prayers in Diraz, an unusual move to show their solidarity with Qassem. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali) The annual report, which provides totals of U.S.-authorized arms sale agreements between American defense firms and foreign governments, showed a $112 million rise in licensed defense sales to Bahrain between the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years. The U.S. had green-lighted $88 million in military exports to Bahrain in 2009.

Much of the flow of military hardware to Bahrain was for aircraft and military electronics, but the U.S. also licensed $760,000 in exports of rifles, shotguns and assault weapons in 2010. Since mid-February of this year, the Persian Gulf kingdom has confronted demonstrators with cordons of armed military and police firing live ammunition. At least 31 people have died and hundreds more injured in the clashes. …more

Anti-government protesters flee after riot police fire rounds of tear gas to disperse them in the mainly Shi’ite village of Diraz, west of Manama, March 25, 2011. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

By Erika Solomon

MANAMA | Sat Jun 11, 2011 4:00pm EDT

(Reuters) – Thousands of Bahrainis shouting “we are victorious” gathered for a rally for political reform on Saturday, in the first large demonstration since the Gulf Arab state crushed a democracy protest movement in March.

Bahrain brought in troops from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in March and introduced martial law, which ended last week, to stop the protests against the Sunni Al-Khalifa family that rules over a Shi’ite majority population.

The government said the protests had a sectarian agenda and help from Shi’ite power Iran, just across the Gulf waters. The opposition denies this.

“Some try to manipulate our demands, to make them Shi’ite demands. This is not true. We are not calling for an Iran, but to build up our political reforms together, Shi’ite and Sunni, which will benefit all Bahrainis,” said Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the Wefaq opposition group which organized the event.

“We will continue peacefully and we will continue our peaceful demonstrations,” he said, as the crowd roared back: “Peaceful, peaceful!”

The rally will likely be seen as a show of strength by Wefaq, Bahrain’s leading Shi’ite opposition group, as it heads to a national dialogue called by the king for next month.

“Wefaq wants to encourage people to get back out after months of fear. It’s a good sign ,” said protester Fatima.

The government said it granted permission for the rally, held in a large square in the Shi’ite district of Saar, west of the capital and away from central Pearl Roundabout, epicenter of the earlier protests inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Protesters waving Bahraini flags spilled out into the streets and dozens watched from nearby rooftops.

People drove in from around the city, causing traffic jams of more than 2 km long. State helicopters buzzed over crowds raising signs that read “The nation is for everyone.”

Opposition figures more than 10,000 people attended the rally. The Interior Ministry said 4,000 people were gathered.

NATIONAL DIALOGUE

Barbed wire and armored vehicles guard Pearl Roundabout in Manama, where protesters camped out for about six weeks, to prevent it from becoming a focal point for protests again.

But protesters in Saar described a new sense of optimism.

“I think the crowd speaks for itself,” said Fadel, carrying his small son, wrapped in a Bahraini flag. “Hopefully, this will be the next Pearl Roundabout.”

King Hamad bin Isa has offered a new dialogue with opposition groups starting in July. Wefaq said it would organize more rallies until then, and may plan a march for next week.

“The dialogue should offer real political solutions, it should not be cosmetic talk. We are serious about this dialogue,” Salman said in his 30-minute speech.

“They say the Shi’ites want a special government for themselves. No, we want a civilian state and an elected government for all… This is what we demanded in Pearl Roundabout and it is what we will again call for here.”

Wefaq organizers quietened those in the crowd who tried to chant “Down with the government,” frustrating some protesters.

“I think the people want the fall of this regime. After the repression and the killings, how can we go back?” said protester Amal, swathed in a black veil.

The government appointed its parliament speaker on Saturday to lead the national dialogue, the state news agency said, but the opposition said Crown Prince Salman — seen as leader of a moderate wing of the ruling family — should head the talks.

Khalifa al-Dhahrani, speaker of the Council of Representatives, said he hoped to bring “all parties concerned with matters of the state” into the dialogue.

Wefaq’s Khalil al-Marzooq said Dhahrani was opposed to many of the opposition’s core demands.

“He has previously objected to discussing reforms over elections, constitutional amendments and the issue of discrimination,” he said. “Genuine dialogue must be with the prince or the king because we need to discuss the central issues which are between the people and the ruling family.”

Bahrain’s cabinet is dominated by the ruling family and the king also appoints all members of an upper assembly, minimizing the powers of the elected parliament.

At the rally, Shi’ites said they broke a barrier of fear after over two months of military rule, when hundreds were detained or dismissed from their jobs and dozens were put on trial on charges from incitement to trying to overthrow the system.

“This needed to happen. The government thought they could suppress everything with the state of emergency. It seems they did not,” one protester said.

(Reporting by Erika Solomon, writing by Andrew Hammond and Erika Solomon, editing by Alison Williams)
…source

[watch “security aware page” on The Crooked Bough for more interesting security tips]

June 9th, 2011
How to Disable Facebook’s Facial Recognition Feature
Announcement by Eva Galperin EFF

Back in December of 2010, Facebook debuted its tag suggestion feature, which works by using facial recognition technology to examine photos in which you’ve already been tagged, and then creating what Facebook calls your “photo summary” or “photo comparison information,” or what we’ll call your “facial fingerprint.” Using this information, FB suggests your name to your friends when they upload a photo of you, and invites them to tag you in that photo. Over the last few months, Facebook has been slowly rolling this feature out to all of its users, which caught the attention of security firm Sophos, The New York Times, and the European Union, which has launched a probe to investigate the new feature.

Like most new Facebook features, this one is turned on by default. If you would prefer not to have Facebook store your facial fingerprint and use it to suggest photos in which your friends can tag you, you will need to opt out manually. The following video will show you three ways to delete your facial fingerprint data from Facebook, and show you a privacy setting that lets you ensure that you are the only person who can see tags identifying you in photographs.

…source