Life sentence for Bahrain opposition leader

Sheikh Ali Salman was accused of spying for Qatar after Bahrain cut ties with the rival state.

See also Amnesty International.
See also ADHRB.
See also NY Times.
See also BIRD Number 212.

Reforming the Faith: Indonesia’s battle for the soul of Islam

Nahdlatul Ulama, with 94 million members the world’s largest Sunni Muslim movement, is bent on reforming Islam. In a 40-page document, argued in terms of Islamic law and jurisprudence and scheduled for publication in the coming days, Nahdlatul Ulama’s powerful young adults wing, Gerakan Pemuda Ansor, spells out a framework for what it sees as a humanitarian interpretation of Islam that is tolerant and pluralistic in nature.

Saudi-UK media tie-up: Targeting the non-Arabic-speaking Middle East

Long satisfied to attempt to dominate pan-Arab media and battle it out with Qatar’s state-owned Al Jazeera television network, Saudi Arabia has now set its hegemonic sights on influencing the media landscape of the non-Arabic speaking greater Middle East.

Mahathir’s reforms could put Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the spot

Newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Mahathir is adopting policies that could reshape the Southeast nation’s relations with powerful Gulf states. A series of anti-corruption measures as well as statements by Mr. Mahathir and his defense minister, Mohamad (Mat) Sabu, since this month’s upset in elections that ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak from office, are sparking concern in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Saudi Export of Ultra-conservatism in the Era of MbS – an Update

Edited remarks at The Middle East and the Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University and the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, Washington DC 18-19 April 2018 There has long been debate about the longevity of the Saudi ruling family.

Saudis launch war on Qatif, calls for moratorium on executions in Bahrain – Voice of Bahrain

The “reformist” face of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) that appears to the West is a camouflage to a more sinister face of repression, dictatorship and state terrorism. The real face of the Saudi regime was laid bare this week when regime’s troops stormed the Eastern city of Qatif, raided many houses and detained scores of innocent people.

Will the real Pakistan stand up, please?

Two headlines this month beg the question US officials have been grappling with for more than a decade: Will the real Pakistan stand up, please? Pakistan’s The News reported that the government had designated Islamabad as a pilot project to regulate Friday prayer sermons in the city’s 1,003 mosques, of which only 86 are state-controlled, in a bid to curb hate speech, extremism and demonization of religions and communities.

Inside the US war in Yemen – 48 hills

One of the most important US Senate votes in decades took place recently, and few people know it happened. On March 20, Senators voted on whether to stop US support for Saudi Arabia’s vicious war in Yemen by invoking the War Powers Act.

Bahrain: Another Year of Deep State Repression

This past year in Bahrain, much like those preceding it since the popular uprisings of 2011, was one of unending repression and persecution of human rights activists. Yet, the Trump administration and the British government, arguably two of the most influential actors in Bahrain, have remained silent in the face of al-Khalifa atrocities against human rights activists, especially within the Shia majority.

See also: NY Times

How the Houthis Became “Shi’a” | Middle East Research and Information Project

The second, larger problem with discursively equating the Zaydi faith with Twelver Shi’ism is that it paints a picture of “natural” or “primordial” ties between the Houthis and Iran. President Hadi has emulated his predecessor Salih in asserting these ties, as have his Saudi and Emirati allies, who have regarded Iran as an implacable foe since the 1979 revolution that toppled the Shah and installed the Islamic Republic.