U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern: Statement on Bahrain
10 February, 2012 – Office of Congressman McGovern

Washington—Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA) today urged the Bahraini government to allow Bahrainis to assemble and express their political views on February 14 in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the outbreak of major demonstrations in Bahrain.

Congressman McGovern also urged the Bahraini security forces and Bahraini protesters to refrain from the use of violence on the anniversary. Violence by either side only serves to strengthen those opposed to genuine peace and reconciliation.

“The rights to assemble peaceably and express political views are fundamental human rights,” said Congressman McGovern. “The Bahraini government should respect these critical rights, and all Bahrainis should reject the use of violence.”

Congressman McGovern is Co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. …source

Courageous defender of human rights Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja says from Jaw prison in Bahrain: Freedom or Death
9 February, 2012 – Gulf Center for Human Rights

Beirut, 09 February, 2012 — Courageous defender of human rights and the main founder of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, announced from jaw prison, on Wednesday, 8 February, 2012, that he begins an indefinite hunger strike. The distinguished human rights defender told his family in a telephone call, that he is starting a hunger strike to “freedom or death.”

On 22, June, 2011, Human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja has been sentenced by the National Safety Court -a militarry court- to a life imprisonment . On 29 January 2012, human rights defender Abdulhadi Al- Khawaja and 13 other prisoners, including human rights defender Abduljalil Al- Singace and prominent activists, started a hunger strike to protest against their imprisonment and demanding respect for people’s human and civil rights in Bahrain.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights urges the authorities in Bahrain to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally free human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and the other 13 activists, and drop all the charges against them.

2. Carry out an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into the reported torture and ill-treatment of defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, with a view to identifying those who are responsible, and bringing them to justice;

3. Ensure that all human rights defenders in Bahrain, carrying out their legitimate work in the defence work of human rights, are able to operate free of restrictions and reprisals.

For more information, please contact:

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is an independent centre and has been registered in Ireland. The Centre works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. …source

Veteran US Diplomat Questions Syria Storyline
By Sharmine Narwani -Al Akhbar – 9 February

The problem with US policy in the Middle East is that it now operates almost entirely at the political level: gone are the days when area experts were the heavyweights in the command center, weaving historical context, relationships and nuance into vital policy decisions.

Today you are more likely to have single-issue interest groups, commercial projects and election cycles impact key deliberations. It’s a short-term view: tactical more than strategic and black and white in its approach. Like a high-octane marketing campaign, it is heavily focused on key phrases, scene-setting, and narrative building.

The spotlight on Syria in recent weeks has been intense and the propaganda has been incessant: Regime massacres in Homs, evil Russia and China, a benevolent UN Security Council trying to save Syria, 1982’s Hama slaughter resuscitated, and an American ambassador left “disgusted” at the gall of others using veto power.

But take the hysteria down a notch or two, bring the debate back into the hands of measured, experienced observers, and the storyline may be tangibly different. Over the weekend, I had the privilege of receiving an email that reminded me of a time when area experts at the US State Department delivered honest assessments of events so that wiser decisions could be taken.

The missive was from a former US diplomat with service experience in Syria who has asked to remain unnamed. I am publishing the email below in its entirety for the benefit of readers:

I have serious problems with all the talk about military intervention in Syria. Everyone, especially the media, seems to be relying solely on anti-regime activists for their information. How do we know 260 people were killed by the regime in Homs yesterday? That number seems based solely on claims by anti-regime figures and I seriously doubt its accuracy.

The media, and to an extent the Administration, have personalized the conflict in Syria as being about Bashar Assad and his family. They have consistently underestimated the sectarian nature of the conflict there. It is not just Bashar Assad and his family that are hanging onto power at all costs, it is the entire Alawi system of control of the country, including the military, the security services and the Baath Party. I believe that Alawites firmly think that if they lose power, the Sunnis will slaughter them, That was one reason Hafez and his brother Rifaat were so ruthless in Hama thirty years ago. And everyone in the West conveniently forgets the campaign of assassinations and suicide bombings carried out in the three or four years before Hama by the Muslim Brotherhood throughout the country. I personally witnessed the aftermath of such bombings in which several hundred people were killed. While the State Department, the CIA and other organs of government may have short historical memories, the people in Syria do not.

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Bahrain should grant entry to journalists
9 February, 2012 – Committee to Protect Journalists

New York, February 9, 2012–Bahrain has rejected at least six journalists’ applications for entry visas ahead of the anniversary of antigovernment protests that swept the country in February 2011, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities to allow journalists into the country to carry out their work freely.

Several international journalists wrote on Twitter over the past two days that their visa applications had been denied. They were told the rejections are due to a “high volume of requests,” but that they are welcome to reapply after February. The journalists had wished to cover the February 14 protest anniversary.

Among the journalists who were denied visas are: The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof and Adam B. Ellick; Kristen Chick of the Christian Science Monitor; the BBC’s Cara Swift; Alex Delmar-Morgan of The Wall Street Journal; and Gregg Carlstrom from Al-Jazeera.

“Bahraini authorities act as if they have something to hide by engaging in this crude form of censorship,” said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator. “The government should immediately reverse its decision and allow international news media to observe and report on the anniversary.”

In 2011, local independent and foreign journalists in Bahrain endured the worst conditions since King Hamad bin Khalifa assumed the throne in 1999. CPJ has documented two journalist deaths in government custody, dozens of detentions, physical assaults, arbitrary deportations, and government-sponsored smearing of journalists, among other violations. …source

Urgent Appeal: Peaceful Protests on the First Anniversary of the Revolution in Bahrain
February 10th, 2012

Ladies and gentlemen, members of international NGOs, authorities, and Media.

Best regards from Bahrain.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) would like to inform you to monitor the protests on the first anniversary of the revolution.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We would like to inform you that a group of activists, patriotic figures and youth are planning to launch a rally against the government in protest on violations of human rights in Bahrain. The rally will start at Manama district on February 11-14, 2012.

BYSHR believes that Riot police, National Guard and Army will target participants by using rubber bullets and tear-gas. They use such weapons intensively against children, women, youth, and seniors.

The Riot police, National Guard and Army have committed similar violations against participants in previous peaceful events calling for democracy, freedom, and justice in Bahrain.

Ladies and gentlemen,

BYSHR looks forward to your interest in following up the consequences of the rally on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. BYSHR calls upon you to move urgently to stop the expected acts of Riot police, National Guard and Army, including detention and torture.

Sincerely,

Mr. Mohammed Al-Maskati – President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
E-mail: info@byshr.org
Mobile: (+973)36437088

…source

“Witness Bahrain” Launched as Ongoing Revolution Marks First Year
February 10, 2012 – February 10. 2012

International Observers Arrive in Bahrain

Manama – Human rights defenders launched the “Witness Bahrain” initiative to monitor and report on the repression of Arab Spring democracy activists in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

“Witness Bahrain” is a group of international observers, primarily from the United States, who have responded to the call of Bahraini human rights activists to witness their revolution, stand with them at protests, in hospitals and in villages, and to tell the world what they see. The government of Bahrain has denied entry to a number of prominent journalists and human rights workers in the lead-up to the one-year anniversary of the massive and ongoing pro-democracy movement.

“People here fear that the government of Bahrain’s attempt to keep out foreign observers signals an impending escalation of violence,” said Radhika Sainath, a civil rights attorney from New York. “As such, our presence here is all the more crucial.”

In the coming days and weeks, Witness Bahrain will stand with people taking to the streets to demand democracy, equality and respect for human rights. Witness Bahrain will also maintain a presence in villages active in pro-democracy protests which are being subjected to night raids, tear-gassing and other attacks by the police.

“We call on the Bahraini government to refrain from attacking peaceful protesters; however, should the government choose to continue using violence, we will be present to witness,” the group said.

Follow Witness Bahrain: follow Witness Bahrain HERE

Twitter: @WitnessBahrain Email: info@WitnessBahrain.org