There is no region in the world in which the U.S. government’s blatant disregard for human rights, and its shameless foreign policy hypocrisy, is more fully on display than the Middle East. I have spent countless hours writing about this topic (see links at the end), with Saudi Arabia being the focal point of my critique for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, Bahrain has its own litany of human rights abuses, for which Nabeel Rajab has in many ways become the official and unofficial spokesperson.
Bahrain’s abuses have been mentioned here before, although not nearly as much as they warrant; probably because it is really just a colony of Saudi Arabia and the U.S., and I have focused criticism on them instead. That said, before reading on, I’d go back and check out the 2012 article: Meet Amber Lyon: Former Reporter Exposes Massive Censorship at CNN.
Moving on to today’s topic, human rights activist Nabeel Rajab frightens the Bahraini regime more than any other individual on earth, which is why he is constantly being arrested on preposterous charges. In fact, his most recent incarcerations have been related to tweets. Yes, tweets. See this brief excerpt from Wikipedia:
Following protests during the Formula 1 race in April 2012 that attracted media attention, Rajab was arrested and incarcerated several times. On 9 July, he was detained and sentenced to three months prison for having “insulted Bahrainis” in a Twitter message and most recently on 16 August, while still in detention, Rajab was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on three protest-related charges. The verdict has drawn criticism from Bahrain’s western allies and human rights organizations. In December, 2012, the sentence was reduced to 2 years in prison after appeal. In December 2013, a court denied him early release. He was released on 24 May 2014, after serving 2 years in prison. He was re-arrested on 1 October over criticizing the government on Twitter. On 2 November he was released on bail, pending his next trial on 20 January 2015.
Now, Mr. Rajab has presented President Obama with a conundrum following his open letter to him, which was published by the New York Times. Here is the letter:
Editor’s note: This letter was written in a Bahraini jail cell by Nabeel Rajab, a leading human rights campaigner in Bahrain who was arrested April 2 after tweeting about torture in the country’s central prison, Jaw. Here is his letter.
April 9, 2015
From: Nabeel Rajab
President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Isa Town Detention Center
BahrainDear President Obama,
I write to you from a Bahraini jail cell, and this message was never meant to go beyond its walls. Even though I have never advocated for violence nor harmed another living soul, I have spent 28 of the last 36 months in a Bahraini prison for actions that can only be counted as crimes in a nation that stifles free expression and criminalizes open assembly. I have documented my government’s use of torture. I have reported on civilian casualties in Yemen. I have held a different opinion than that of a king. In retaliation, I may spend the next ten years of my life in jail.
While my government punishes me for demanding an end to its assault on civil and political rights, other GCC states, especially Saudi Arabia, subject human rights defenders to harsher abuse. Their repression can be seen in the flogging of free speech activist Raif Badawi and the death sentence against the religious scholar and human rights advocate Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi courts even sentenced Raif’s lawyer, Waleed abu al-Khair, to 15 years in prison. We as human rights defenders are targeted for giving voice to the marginalized, people seeking to take the reins of their own destiny; our governments do everything in their power to prevent us from acting upon the best ideals of our conscience.
The message you directed toward your Gulf allies last week laid the foundation for real change. Your words tacitly acknowledged what we in the region understand: only democracy can bring stability to the Middle East. And while democracy may take time to develop, the process cannot begin unless our right to free speech is protected. Right now, our governments divide us along religious lines, preventing us from collectively challenging extremism within our societies. As well, our rulers aggressively punish critics of the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. We simply ask, however, for greater democratic participation in our nation’s affairs, and the ability to freely express our contempt for violence and extremism.
I thank your administration for calling for my release, and the release of my fellow human rights defenders. I urge you to defend our right to free speech when you meet with the monarchs of the Gulf, and call for:
- The immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners;
- An end to the criminalization of free speech and expression, including any laws against criticism of government institutions or defamation of a king;
- The cessation of all acts of torture and reprisal in GCC detention centers; and
- The protection of free and open civil society space capable of fostering long-term stability and growth in the region.
The citizens of Bahrain and her neighbors have extraordinary potential. With unshackled voices, we can build stability and challenge extremism. What we need today is space for tolerance, plurality, and honest dialogue, the foundations of a democratic process that the reprisals against me and my colleagues seek to undermine.
Yours Sincerely,
Nabeel Rajab
Nicholas Kristof, who had the letter published, himself went to Twitter to offer the President the following opportunity and challenge:
Oh, and @BarackObama, if you want to reply to Nabeel Rajab’s letter to you, I’ll give you equal space on my blog http://t.co/k8lKl57lU8
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) April 10, 2015
Naturally, no response of any substance will come from Obama and his administration, because as we all know by now, you never let human rights get in the way of imperial ambition.
For related articles, see:
Meet Amber Lyon: Former Reporter Exposes Massive Censorship at CNN
The Bahrain Ghetto: Barbed Wire Fencing Goes Up Around Certain Neighborhoods
Already 45 Beheadings in 2015 – Saudi Arabia on Pace to Easily Beat 2014’s Decapitation Level
Saudi Arabia Sentences 3 Lawyers to Jail for Tweets
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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