Bahraini Authorities Impose Media Blockade on Women Activist Ghada Jamsheer

October 7, 2007 – (Defending Women – Defending Rights) The president of the Women's Petition (WP), the Bahraini activist Ms Ghada Jamsheer rrevealed the existence of a formal decision preventing her from appearing in any of the Bahraini media.

In a statement to Aafaq, she stated that in addition to the official media of radio and television, newspapers, whether state or nearby, were also included in the blockade campaign.

Press sources in the capital Manama mentioned to Aafaq that the blockade resolution came directly from the Royal Court, through its Minister- Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, who gave a direct instruction to newspapers preventing publication any article or news related to Jamsheer.

The sources believed that the blockade came as a result of Ghada Jamsheer's letter in April 2007 addressed to the King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in which she called for resolving the Supreme Council for Women, chaired by King wife Sheikha Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, because of its failure in promoting the rights of women and consecrating political loyalty to the Government.

Jamsheer, instead, called for independent organizations, women's committees and independent women's rights activists to be granted the opportunity to play their role as these rights stem from woman and addressed to her.

Observers believe that such act of harassment to Ghada and depriving her from contact with local media, is a challenge to the credibility of the reform project initiated by King Hamad in 2002.

It is to be mentioned that Ghada Jamsheer is one of the most prominent defenders of women's rights in the Gulf region. She is highly appreciated and respected by many Arab and international human and women rights organizations. In addition to Ayman Noor and Naelah Tweeny, Ghada was considered by the American Time magazine to be the 2006 heroes of freedom in the Arab region.

She was also voted by the Forbes American Magazine to be one of ten most influential women in the Arab Countries in 2006.

With the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, and Iranian activist, Shirin Ebadi, Ghada participated in the establishment of Muslim Women Forum for Human Rights and Democracy, which held its first congress last May 2007 in Oslo, Norway.

Following is the letter addressed by Ghada Jamsheer to the King of Bahrain on the failures of the Supreme Council for Women, which is believed to have caused fury of the Bahraini Royal Court.

From:http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org/bahraini_mediablockade.php