Washington DC, October 31st – The Universal Muslim Association of America held its first National Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in the Rayburn House Office Building on Thursday October 27, 2011. The session focused on the ongoing human rights violations in Bahrain, including the wrongful imprisonments of medical professionals and faith leaders. The following speakers were featured in the panel: Tom Malinowski, Washington Director of Human Rights Watch; Husain Abdulla, Director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain; and Dr. Abdulhameed Dashti, a Kuwaiti legal expert on the humanitarian crisis in Bahrain.
The audience of approximately one hundred individuals included professionals such as senior congressional staffers, leaders of various NGOs, journalists, Bahraini citizens in exile, and concerned U.S. citizens. Congressional offices represented in the audience included Representatives Donna Edwards (D-MD), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Charles Dent (D-PA), and Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS). Organizations including Amnesty International, the Open Society Institute, the Project on Middle East Democracy, the Arab American Institute, Veterans for Peace, and Shia Rights Watch were represented by senior staff members in attendance. Following the panel and Q&A session, constituent meetings organized by UMAA were held in the offices of Representatives Donna Edwards (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Conyers (D-MI), Rush Holt (D-NJ), and Senator Robert Casey (D-PA).
During the session, the panelists discussed the Bahraini government’s various violations of human rights, including, but not limited to, massive arrests of peaceful pro-democratic protestors, arrests of medical professionals who treated wounded protestors and faith leaders who lead members of the opposition, widespread use of torture, beating of patients in hospital beds, and reports of at least 43 killings of Bahraini citizens by government forces since the uprisings in February 2011. Following the panel discussion, two female Bahraini journalists in exile contributed their testimonies of the severely harsh treatment they and their families have received due to their work as objective reporters. The session concluded with a powerful summation by the moderator, Mowahid Shah, and calls to Congress, the State Department, and the international community to work swiftly towards ending this humanitarian crisis, beginning with the release of the wrongfully imprisoned and substantive dialogue with the opposition that is followed by meaningful progress.
UMAA remains dedicated to the pro-democratic citizens of Bahrain and will continue to advocate for justice and a truly representative democracy for the people of Bahrain. Follow-ups will be conducted with Congressional offices and the aforementioned NGOs on this issue. If you and/or your organization are interested in collaborating with UMAA in these efforts, please contact us at advocacy@umaamerica.net.
