Middle East

Though hardly in a position to amend the situation, UN is profoundly concerned about grave human rights violations in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, as governments crack down on unrelenting protestors demanding political overhaul and participation. Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights says that many opposition leaders and activists have been targeted across the country.

Here we publish an open letter to the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, that was distributed to some press agencies from the signer: Hajar Mahfoodh, the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed Ali Almahfoodh, the chairman of Amal Islamic Society in Bahrein, who was recently detained and send to unknown destination.

Bahraini government must end its relentless crackdown on human rights, Amnesty International said after the country’s parliament voted to extend a repressive state of emergency amid continued arrests of dissidents.
“The Bahraini authorities must stop detaining anyone who opposes them and release protesters who have been locked up for peacefully demanding reform,” said Luther.

A group of prominent Israelis met Thursday in Tel Aviv to announce their support for the formation of an independent Palestinian state.

Forty-seven leading Israeli cultural figures and academics signed a “Declaration of Independence from the Occupation.” Yaron Ezrahi is a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Three days after Hosni Mubarak resigned as the long-standing dictator in Egypt, people in the small Gulf state of Bahrain took to the streets, marching to their version of Tahrir: Pearl Square, in the capital city of Manama. Bahrain has been ruled by the same family, the House of Khalifa, since the 1780s – more than 220 years.

At least 55 people are believed to have been killed during a week of unrest in and around the Syrian town of Dera’a, Amnesty International said today as protests spread across the country.
Security forces opened fire on protesters in al-Sanamayn and carried out arrests in Damascus, according to reports on Friday, a day after the authorities pledged to investigate the violence

The total death toll from a Syrian government crackdown on opposition protesters continues to rise today. At least 15 people were killed last Wednesday when repressive forces raided a mosque housing protesters in the early morning hours. But there have been reports insisting that the death toll may be significantly higher.

Amnesty International today revealed evidence of the Bahraini security forces’ systematic use of excessive force in cracking down against protesters, as fresh violence left as many as 8 people dead.
The organization documents how security forces used live ammunition and extreme force against protesters and impeded and assaulted medical staff trying to help the wounded.

In news from the Middle East, the King of Bahrain has declared a state of emergency for three months following weeks of pro-democracy protests. The King’s announcement came one day after about 1,000 Saudi troops have crossed into Bahrain to help defend Bahrain’s ruling family. Pro-democracy protesters have described the Saudi presence on the island as a declaration of war.

The dramatic events in Egypt, Middle East & North Africa have seen millions taking to the streets to demand real change.
Women are standing beside men, demanding end to repression and calling for root and branch reform. Both women and men have suffered under repressive governments. But women have also coped with discriminatory laws and deeply entrenched gender inequality.