Maryam Al-Khawaja to Visit Bahrain
Daniel Tavana | 11 Jan 2013
Maryam Al-Khawaja, Acting Director of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, is scheduled to arrive in Bahrain later this evening, around 8pm Bahrain Time (AST). Al-Khawaja, whose father received a life sentence last year on “terrorism” charges, faces an uncertain reception in Bahrain. She is travelling on her Danish passport, but human rights advocates are...#MuftahChat: Protests in Saudi Arabia
Muftah Editors | 22 Sep 2012
Protests in the Qatif following the arrest of Sheikh Nimr Al-Nirm on July 8, 2012 (Photo credit: Occupy Qatif/Facebook) On Wednesday September 19, 2012, we held our fifth #MuftahChat on Twitter. This week’s topic focused on the protests in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. We were joined by special guest, Ali Al-Saffar, a young blogger from Qatif. Al-Saffer...Special Feature Issue: The Arab Spring – Looking Forward
Muftah Editors | 29 May 2012
Mohamed Bouazizi (Photo credit:PHOTOPQR/LE PARISIEN/Philippe de Poulpiquet) Since Mohammad Bouazizi’s act of self-immolation in December 2010, a wave of uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa have charted a course for political and social change in the region that has brought previously untouchable governments and leaders to their knees. However, since...Syria v. Bahrain: Silencing an Intifada
Yazan Al-Saadi* | 23 May 2012
Fueled by a desire for liberty and dignity, the region’s various uprisings continue unabated. While each uprising faces its own set of challenges and obstacles, various interests have worked to ensure that a semblance of the previous geo-political status quo survives this staggering onslaught of people power. Amid the regional upheaval, world attention has...Art For Sale
Laith Ulaby* | 8 May 2012
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar (Photo credit: Danny McL) The visual arts are big business. A recent episode of the American TV program 60 Minutes noted that “… contemporary art has become a global commodity, just like oil, soybeans or pork bellies.” Most recently, in 2011, visual art products sold for $5.5 billion at auction alone. One of many...The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry: One Year Later
Daniel Tavana | 20 Nov 2012
Photo credit: POMED Last week, The Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) released an assessment of Bahrain’s implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) Report. This assessment...Call for Joint Action on Bahrain at the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Muftah Editors | 22 Jun 2012
The following is a joint NGO letter to state delegations attending the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, calling for action to be taken on the situation in Bahrain. Your Excellency, Since February...A Turkish Model for the Arab Spring?
Aslı Ü. Bâli* | 29 May 2012
The uprisings of 2011 have transformed the Arab world. Long-standing regimes – such as those in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya – have fallen or been radically transformed; elsewhere countries like Yemen, Bahrain...King Abdullah & the Future of the Saudi Monarchy
Leila* | 17 May 2012
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah On May 17th, Saudi Arabia will celebrate the seventh (Hijri/lunar) anniversary of the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah. As they have done in years...Bahrain Authorities Continue to Detain, Target, & Harass Human Rights Defenders
Muftah Editors | 7 May 2012
Nabeel Rajab The following post is from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, and details the systematic harassment and oppression experienced by human rights activists in the country. The Gulf Centre for Human...
