Maryam al-Khawaja
Maryam al-Khawaja | |
|---|---|
 Maryam Alkhawaja holding Bahrain flag | |
| Born | Maryam Abdulhadi Alkhawaja January 1, 1987 |
| Occupation | Human rights defender |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Website | http://www.bahrainrights.org/ |
Maryam Abdulhadi Alkhawaja (Arabic: مريم عبد الهادي الخواجة) is a Bahraini human rights defenders. She is the daughter of the prominent Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and head of the foreign relations office for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.
Life
Maryam was born in Syria but her father Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, was later exiled from Bahrai in the mid-1980s. At the age of two her family was granted political asylum in Denmark,[1] where they lived until 2001, when they were allowed re-entry into Bahrain.[2]
After graduating from the University of Bahrain in 2009, Maryam Alkhawaja spent a year in theUnited States on a Fulbright scholarship at Brown University. On her return in the summer of 2010, she found that as the daughter of one of the regime's most prominent foes, her plans of teaching or working in public relations, were unlikely. Instead she joined the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, founded by her father, where she runs the foreign relations office, serving as a deputy to BCHR's president, Nabeel Rajab.[2]
On the 22 June 2011, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, Maryam’s father, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a military court on the charge of "organizing and managing a terrorist organization”.[3]
Human Rights activism
In 2007, she led a BBC crew to Shiite villages to interview Shiites who had been victimized by oppression, and to expose the dire conditions they face in Bahrain, where Shiites are discriminated against in all sectors of society. On the program, she listens to stories of discrimination and injustice and conveys the victims’ messages to international audiences through her translations.[1]
Involvement in the 2011-2012 Bahraini uprising
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Maryam Alkhawaja participation in Oslo Freedom forum in May 2011 on YouTube |
After attending the early pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011, Maryam Alkhawaja embarked on an overseas speech tour which had her speak at colleges and conferences. During this tour, she held meetings with United Kingdom Politicians, and spoke to United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.[4] With Nabeel Rajab prevented from leaving Bahrain, problems of access for the external media and at least 500 leading members of the opposition detained, Maryam Alkhawaja assumed a prominent public role outside Bahrain. Given the likelihood of arrest if she returned, BCHR considered that she should remain outside Bahrain according to Joe Stork.[2]
In April, Alkhawaja paricipated in the U.S.-Islamic World Forum,[5] where she was able to speak to Secreatary of State Hillary Clinton and tell the story of her father’s arrest, and events surrounding the death of her brother in-law. She implored Clinton, that the United States take a stronger stance against the oppression in Bahrain, and cited the Bahrainian governments use of American weapons to suppress the protesters, as a reason for the United States to do.[6] In May, she spoke to the Oslo Freedom Forum about her experiences of government violence in Bahrain, she described the killing of student protestors, the torture of democracy advocates, the "disappearances" of human rights defenders, and the cooperation by Saudi Arabian troops, as means to protect the Bahraini regime.[1][7] On 13 May, she gave evidence to a U.S. Congress hearing on Human Rights in Bahrain.[8][9]
Online activity
Before the 2011-2012 Bahraini uprising Alkhawaja was not active on Twitter, with no more than 30 followers. Now she has over 39,324 followers and has sent more than 11,000 tweets,[10] providing real-time coverage of various protests oft overlooked by many formal news agencies. As demonstrators flooded the streets she stayed for days on end in Manama's Pearl Square Roundabout actively tweeting.[4]
Threats and harassment
Maryam Alkhawaja has faced internet harassment from regime supporters.[2] She did not attend the IFEX General Meeting and Strategy Conference in Beirut in early June after receiving death threats.[11] Immediately after her speech to the Oslo Freedom Forum (streamed live online) a Twitter campaign began, accusing her of being an extremist,liar, and a servant of Iran. The Oslo Freedom Forum's email account was bombarded with multiple copies of a message portraying Maryam Alkhawaja as an enemy of the Bahraini people and a "traitor." Much of the tweeting, blogging and online harassment has originated in the U.S., inside the Geo-Political Solutions division of Qorvis Communications.[7] The campaign has also included apparently organized heckling.[7]
In early May 2011, an anonymous smear campaign was launched against Nabeel Rajab and Maryam Alkhawaja with the active support of the Bahraini authorities.[12]
References
- ^ a b c Staff writer (May 2011). Oslo Freedom Forum http://www.oslofreedomforum.com/speakers/maryam_al_khawaja.html. Retrieved 117 July 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b c d Staff writer (29 June 2011). "The Atlantic: Exiled and 24: The Young Woman Fighting for Bahrain". Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ Chulov, Martin. "Bahrain rights activists jailed for life". Online Article. Guardian. Retrieved 2/16/2012.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b Courtney C. Radsch (28 July 2011). "Bahrain's Young Women Keep the Revolution Aloud". Women's eNews. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ "2011 Participants", U.S. - Islamic World Forum, April 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ Maryam Alkhawaja speaks to Secretary Clinton at the US Islamic World Forum. U.S. 13 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Thor Halvorssen (19 May 2011). "PR Mercenaries, Their Dictator Masters, and the Human Rights Stain". Huffpost. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ "POMED Notes: “Human Rights in Bahrain”", Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, 13 May 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ "HEARING NOTICE: HUMAN RIGHTS IN BAHRAIN", Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, 13 May 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "IFEX calls on Bahrain's rulers to end detention and torture of those jailed solely for peacefully expressing themselves", Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, 28 June 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ "The Observatory: Slandering campaign against Mr. Nabeel Rajab and Ms. Maryam Al Khawaja", Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, 30 June 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.