Washington DC, December 15th – On Wednesday December 14, 2011, UMAA met with Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) regarding the sustained human rights abuses that have occurred in Bahrain since February 2011. The Congressman was requested to cosponsor House Joint Resolution 80, which limits a proposed $53 million arms sale until the Government of Bahrain makes meaningful reform to end violations of civil and human rights. The meeting concluded successfully, as Congressman Van Hollen demonstrated strong support for disenfranchised Bahrainis and agreed to cosponsor H.J. Res 80 immediately. The Congressman called in his cosponsorship that same day, and his name is expected to appear in the resolution’s Library of Congress legislative record within the coming days.
The meeting with Congressman Van Hollen was led by the following four individuals: Dr. Parvez Shah, Secretary-General of UMAA; Sameera Syed, Advocacy Coordinator of UMAA; Nada Alwadi, a Bahraini independent journalist; and Fatima Bunafoor, a Bahraini student. Congressman Van Hollen was first briefed on the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report, which supports what human rights organizations have reported since February on killings, torture, and systematic discrimination in Bahrain. This was followed by a summary of H.J. Res 80, which limits the proposed $53 million arms sale until the Secretary of State certifies to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House that the Government of Bahrain:
- investigates its human rights violations,
- prosecutes perpetrators of abuses,
- ceases acts of torture,
- releases detained individuals who were peacefully protesting,
- protects and rebuilds destroyed places of worship,
- lifts discriminatory restrictions on government employment,
- reinstates wrongfully dismissed public employees, and
- begins meaningful dialogue with the opposition that has been disenfranchised.
Until these stipulations are met by the Government of Bahrain, H.J. Res 80 certifies that the aforementioned arms sale will not occur. With Congressman Van Hollen’s support, the joint resolution will now have 16 members of the House as cosponsors.
If you are interested and available for meeting with your district representative regarding human rights in Bahrain, please do not hesitate to contact us at advocacy@umaamerica.net. We will help in arranging for a meeting with your Congressman to advocate for the rights of the Bahraini people through cosponsorship of H.J. Res 80.
