Stories from Quick Reads and Bahrain
Bahrain Court Postpones Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab's Case to April 15
A Bahrain court today [March 15, 2015] postponed its verdict in an appeal made by leading Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab against a six-month prison sentence until April 15. The case concerns comments he made about ISIS on Twitter. Rajab was initially convicted of “denigrating an official body” in tweets that...
Bahraini Human Rights Defender Awaits Sentence
Nabeel Rajab is scheduled to be sentenced in a case brought against him by the Bahraini government on March 15, concerning comments about ISIS that he made on Twitter. Convicted of “denigrating an official body” in tweets likening Bahrain's security apparatus to an “incubator” for ISIS fighters, Rajab was initially sentenced to six...
Human Rights Video: 2013 Year in Review
A video by WITNESS on the Human Rights Channel of YouTube wrapped up some of the most significant protests and human rights abuses of 2013. Dozens of clips shot by citizens worldwide are edited together to show efforts to withstand injustice and oppression, from Sudan to Saudi Arabia, Cambodia to...
South Korean Tear Gas Being Used in Bahrain?
Bahrain interior ministry allegedly ordered 1.6 million teargas canisters to use against protesters, and South Korean company DaeKwang is believed to be one of the major suppliers. R. Elgin wrote in Marmot's Hole blog about the ironic history of tear gas– a notorious symbol of Korean government's clampdowns back in...
Iran Quake Aftershocks Reach Qatar, Bahrain
Doha News charts reactions from Qatar residents following the aftershocks of an earthquake which hit southern Iran today. The aftershocks were also felt in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where offices in high rise buildings were evacuated.
Bahrain Anti-Government Protests for Equality
From Bahrain, where the ongoing anti-government protests are portrayed in mainstream media as a Sunni/Shia sectarian clash, blogger Nader AbdulEman writes [ar]: أنا الطائفي الذي اريد حكومة منتخبة أنا الطائفي الذي ارفض التمييز وأطلب العدل والمساواة أنا الطائفي أطلب برلمان كامل الصلاحيات @NaderAbdulEmam: I am the sectarian who wants an...
MENA: Acclaimed Authors’ Favorites of 2012
M. Lynx Qualey, blogger, who is interested in Arab and Arabic literature, wrote a series of posts introducing acclaimed Arab poets, novelists, and short-story writers’ favorite Arab reads of 2012. She started with a list of nonfiction books, then followed by a list for poetry [En] and fiction [En].
Kim Kardashian Does Kuwait and Bahrain
Kim Kardashian completed a visit to Kuwait and is now visiting Bahrain. Here's Brian Whitaker's take on her visit.
Why is the GCC Quiet about Gaza?
“Gulf countries awfully quiet about Gaza,” tweets Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell. Lebanese journalist Antoun Issa adds: @antissa: Amazing how eager GCC are to arm Arabs to fight each other, while disappearing completely when it comes to Palestine. #Gaza The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is made up of Bahrain, Qatar,...
Six Month Jail for Insulting Bahrain King on Twitter
One of four Twitter users, detained in Bahrain and reportedly charged with insulting the country's king, was sentenced to six months in prison today. Bahraini lawyer Mohammed Abdulameer tweets [ar]: @wastilawyeR: One of those accused of insulting the King of Bahrain was sentenced by the Criminal Court to six months...
Bahrain: A Country for Disgruntled Citizens
Bahraini blogger Ali Al Saeed suggests: @alialsaeed: Perhaps disgruntled citizens from around the world should consider starting their own country? Worth a try.
Bahrain Censors UN Website for Human Rights Session Live Stream
Human rights activist Mohammed Al Maskati, who is attending the Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, tweets: @MohdMaskati: Authorities in #Bahrain put obstacles to access #UN website for live stream because of my intervention in the #HRC21 http://twitpic.com/aucktm He shares the screenshot above which shows the blocked site with...
UAE: Iranian Translators Distort Morsi's Speech
UAE-based journalist Hassan Hassan Storfies how Iranian translators distorted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi's speech, at the Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Tehran, replacing Syria with Bahrain and Arab Spring with Islamic Awakening.
Bahrain: Nabeel Rajab Acquitted for ‘Insulting’ Tweets
Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab's teenage son Adam tweets [ar]:
My father was found innocent of insulting the people of Muharraq after he spent two and a half months in prison
Bahrain: Salafists Provide Aid to Syrian Rebels
Salafist MPs from Bahrain visited Syria, where they provided assistance to the Free Syrian Army, says The Angry Arab News Service.
Bahrain: Making of a Century
Mideast Youth has launched an iPad-exclusive application that showcases revolutionary leaders and movements in the past 100 years and allows people to learn about how these revolutionaries and leaders are connected to each other. Check Making of a Century out here.
Bahrain: After Twitter
Bahraini blogger Ahmed Habib tweets [ar]: “They have completed the stage where we have become birds who tweet on Twitter. They are now in the next stage and that is to find cages … for all of us!”
Bahrain: Opposition Leader Injured in Protest
Bahrain riot police fired at a protest, injuring opposition Al Wefaq Society head Shaikh Ali Salman. Online, this video of the attack is being circulated. The society's Twitter account tweeted [ar] saying the politician was injured, along with another young man, who was hit by a sound grenade fired at...
Bahrain: Cursing Neutrality
“I think that it’s not only the killer that should be held responsible for his crime for silence isn’t any lesser of a crime, and that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality,” writes Bahraini blogger Mohammed Hassan.