POMED Notes: “Saudi Arabia in the Shadow of the Arab Revolt”
On Friday, the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center held a discussion with David Ottaway, senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, with a welcome by Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, who opened the discussion by describing Ottaway’s new paper and how it relates Saudi Arabia to the Arab Spring. For full event notes, continue reading. Or, click here ...
Bahraini Medics Released, Charges Still Pending
Twenty Bahraini medics who had been incarcerated for giving medical aid to injured protesters this spring were released from prison, though the charges against them are still pending, according to the state news agency, BNA. The verdict pertaining to ...
September 8, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Government, Gulf Cooperation Council, Human Rights, International Law, Monarchy, Political Parties, Political transition, Protests
Bahraini King Pardons Some Protesters, Calls for Unity
Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa announced a pardon for some protesters during a speech to the nation on Sunday. The King said, "there are those who are charged with abusing us and senior officials in Bahrain, we today announce ...
Bahrain: BCHR: Detainees Report Torture by Members of Royal Family
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) released a report detailing numerous victim accounts of torture and violence conducted by members of the al-Khalifa royal family. The report describes accounts of torture by Noura al-Khalifa, Khalifa Bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, Khalifa Bin Abdulla ...
Bahrain: BICI’s Bassiouni “No Crimes Against Humanity”
Dr. M. Cherif Bassiouni, chairman of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) setup by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has concluded that "no crimes against humanity" were committed by the government against the protesters, according to al-Arabiya. ...
August 15, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Featured, Freedom, Government, Human Rights, International Law, Monarchy
Analysis: Moroccan Protests Continue, Defying Change
Emanuela Dalmasso and Francesco Cavatorta, writing for Jadaliyya, authored an analysis of the Moroccan constitutional reform process and its aftermath. Dalmasso and Cavatorta noted that most groups pushing for reform in the past were satisfied with the reforms the Monarchy implemented, even though the reforms were written to reaffirm the executive supremacy of the Monarchy. The February 20 movement is different however, because despite the changes agreed to during the ...
August 15, 2011
Category: Civil Society, Elections, Monarchy, Morocco, Political transition, Protests
AJE Documentary: “Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark”
Al-Jazeera English released "an astonishing account of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain. The film follows the unraveling of the Bahraini revolution from its first days in February 2011 and documents the the ruthless handling of the uprising by ...
August 5, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Featured, Human Rights, Media, Monarchy, Protests, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: Maryam al-Khawaja – An Update on Bahrain
On Monday Partners for Democratic Change hosted the Society for International Development, Washington’s Middle East Workgroup for a monthly brown bag lunch entitled “An Update from Bahrain with Bahraini Human Rights Activist, Maryam al-Khawaja.” Monalisa Salib, Senior Manager, Partners for Democratic Change opened the event. Cole Bockenfeld, Advocacy Director for the Project on Middle East Democracy provided background information on events in Bahrain and introduced Maryam al-Khawaja. Notes on the event ...
July 18, 2011
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Event Notes, Freedom, Gulf Cooperation Council, Human Rights, Monarchy, Protests, Reform, US foreign policy
Moroccan Reform Vote Tomorrow, Concerns Remain
The Moroccan constitutional changes, proposed in a speech by King Muhammad VI on June 18, will be voted on tomorrow. The plan for reform was hailed by the European Union while the three largest political parties in Morocco, ...
Bahrain: Critique of National Dialogue
Justin Gengler argues that Bahrain's National Dialogue Initiative, scheduled to begin July 1st, is undermined by parallel tribal dealings and its own structural deficiencies. He cites the mere third of seats allocated to political representatives and King Hamad al ...
Debunking the Exceptionalism of Monarchies
In an Al Jazeera editorial, political scientist Jillian Schwedler argues against the idea of monarchical exceptionalism, highlighting increasing popular pressure on Morocco, Jordan and the Gulf kingdoms. The idea is based on two premises: that monarchies which allow some political participation can tolerate more dissent because they do not pretend to derive their legitimacy from elections; and that monarchs have greater legitimacy rooted in religious credentials. Schwedler challenges the second ...