Not all Arab countries discriminate against religious minorities!
February 5th, 2009I’ve grown really tired of repeating myself to those who assume that all Arab and Muslim countries discriminate against religious minorities. Yes, it happens in many countries. Yes, we talk about it here as much as possible, to inspire action, not racism or hatred, which is sometimes what it has led to.
I’d like to note a few things about Bahrain so that people can learn the fact that every single country in the Middle East has a seperate government that is led differently. Bahrain has many faults. I list these many times but in this particular moment I’d like to note a few good things about this place.
1) This country is not antisemitic, contrary to many news reports claiming that “all” Arab countries discriminate against Jews. False. We value Jews. We have synagogues, which have never been violated. Some are directly funded by the government. We have several Jewish families and many Jewish expats, some of whom retired here. There are Jews within the government and one female Jew serving as an ambassador of this country. They run some of the country’s most profitable businesses. We know who they are, we know where they live, they are untouched. They are equal citizens of this country and are treated as such. They are family.
2) We do not discriminate against the Christian minority. Arab Christians and Christian expats live comfortably here. We have over 7 churches. We have Christian schools and bible schools, where many Muslims attend. I attended one for 2 years. You will sometimes spot nuns walking around the capital, sometimes harrassing you into converting.
Christmas is a big deal for many people, even some Muslims who enjoy the atmosphere. Sales, street decorations, dinners, Santa Claus; you will find these in public areas such as malls or outside the homes of Christian families. Normal. I have seen this often as a child growing up and I was taught by my family to respect their faith and traditions and to share their joys.
3) We have a Hindu temple that has existed for over 60 years. Some Arab countries have destroyed Hindu temples. My country is not one of them. I take pride in this.
4) We have at least 6 Gurudwaras.
5) Other minorities exist; there are Baha’i citizens who maintain their full rights, unlike in several other neighboring countries.
If you want to talk about Arab countries discriminating against religious minorities in the hopes of scoring some points to the people you preach, NAME them. And then make exceptions. We are tired of stereotypes. I am an Arab Muslim and I have never discriminated against any member of any religion in my life; so many Bahraini citizens will say the same. We live with these minorities, we respect them, and those who don’t, many of us will call them out.
Issues that DO exist here are primarily political and racial. To name one crucial example, we have major human rights violations of migrant workers. We write about this often in our campaign for their rights. I’m not at all claiming that this country is perfect; far from it. I’m merely noting a major issue that comes up very often and that’s the apparent ignorance of many journalists and people who think they can get away with their overly simplified blanket statements.
Every single Arab country is different. Memorize this the next time anyone attempts to belittle us as people. Ask questions. Who is committing any human rights violations against minorities, where precisely, in whose name, and is it representative of the people?
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I once read something similar about Emirates.
These countries should be pointed as examples to their neighbors.
Hi Esra’a, I’ve been reading your posts lately and I find your site is very interesting (I didn’t even know of the existance of the Baha’is and browsing an Arab site that talks about religious discrimination makes my heart light as a feather). By the way I’m from Italy.
Also this particular post is interesting and I would like to ask you some more about your country:
- is civil marriage legal?
- can religious minorities build new temples and preach publicly?
- do you have Sharia (and if you do, how strictly do you follow it) or do you have a separation between religion and politics?
Also a general question: in your site you speak about human rights referring to the Universal declaration of human rights, or to Cairo’s Muslim declaration of human rights?
Please don’t think I am trying to provoke you, I’m sincerely curious about how you live in your country ( I used to chat with people from China, Malaysia, Peru etc… to know about their countries).
Ciao
Stefano
You raise valid points, which I would like to take further and say that in every country there is a silent majority – which is tolerant and respectful and made up of people who want to live at peace with themselves and others; normal average people who laugh and cry and face everyday life with hope for a better tomorrow.
What infuriates me is it is only the loudest and ugliest voices that get heard and it is only those extreme voices that get an audience and which get amplified.
I am also fed up of us having to defend ourselves and prove everyday that we could be Arab and Muslim and sane and normal as if all those words cannot go in one sentence or one human being.
On the same topic, here is a good news article about why there are good relations between Muslims and other religions in Tanzania:
http://news.bahai.org/story/580
UNITED NATIONS — A Baha’i from Tanzania – where different religious communities live peacefully together – testified yesterday before the United Nations General Assembly on how to promote religious understanding.
Addressing an informal hearing on “Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace,” Mitra Deliri said that in her country, “large Christian and Muslim populations live side by side, intermarry and celebrate each other’s religious festivals.”
“It is a living example of religious pluralism,” she said. “This coexistence did not come about by accident but rather as a result of the vision and deliberate action of Tanzanian leaders, dating back to the country’s first president…,” she said.
Ms. Deliri, who represented the Baha’i International Community at the two-day hearing, also said it was important for governments to create a climate where freedom of religion or belief is clearly upheld in law and in practice.
“Such a climate must be free from incitements to violence or hostility in the name of religion,” she said. “Where contentious opinions about religions are expressed, it is the responsibility of the state to provide for right of reply.
“As a minimum standard, both sides must be afforded the right to respond in a peaceful and legal manner so as to allow the public to arrive at their own conclusion. It is in this climate that understanding and cooperation can take root,” she said.
She recommended a number of strategies for promoting interreligious and intercultural understanding. They included establishing a universal, mandatory educational policy and curriculum on religion and education and using the news media to promote respect, prevent conflict and achieve increased social cohesion.
Ms. Deliri was among approximately two dozen representatives of nongovernmental and religious organizations from around the world who addressed the General Assembly yesterday.
Other speakers, for example, included Paul Knitter of the Union Theological Seminary in the USA, Gamal I. Serour of the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research at the Al Azhar Centre in Egypt, Sohan Lal Gandhi of the Anuvrat Global Organization in India, Fatima Ahmed of Zenab for Women in Development in Sudan, and Steven Rockefeller of Earth Charter International in the United States.
The hearing on interreligious and intercultural understanding was scheduled to continue today with a high-level dialogue among governments.
The Baha’i Faith, with its belief in the oneness of humanity and the oneness of religion, has long promoted religious harmony and supported interfaith dialogue and activity.
Esra’a, wonderful post. I, too, am sick of all Arabs being one conglomerate. It’s amazing how different we are. I also have to admit that I know very little about Bahrain, though randomly I did visit your embassy in Washington for school. I also appreciate the questions from Stefano and would be interested getting the answers.
At the individual level, though, I feel that everyone is prejudiced, positively or negatively, against other types of people. It is the nature of human beings. We categorize, simplify, and label so we can process everything that comes our way. The point is that we have to be willing to acknowledge our prejudices and deal with them head on. I live in Washington, D.C. There are definite racial tensions. I’ve seen myself move my purse or lock my car door when I see a certain type of person. It’s hard for me to admit because I stand for everything that would not tolerate that, but it’s ingrained and hard to break. I just need to admit it and take control of my biases.
Hello Esra’a,
First of all, I wanted to say I like you. I think you have a good heart. Also, I appreciate your effort to increase understanding with dialogue. Thank you. I mean that sincerely. I think we both know that we don’t often agree, but, I am grateful that YOU provide the opportunity for us to discuss complicated issues. Of course, if I disagree with your logic or facts, I feel I have a duty to correct you. I know you will correct my errors in logic or facts too. Thank you. I don’t take it personally. Now, I have a favor to ask. Will you please explain how to quote a previous message. I’m stupid. I can’t figure it out. Anyway….
Now, I have no problem with Bahrain. I don’t hear much about Bahrain in the international news. That is a good thing. That means Bahrain is peaceful. Actually, I wouldn’t mind visiting there. I don’t hear anything about crime there. In a way, Bahrain reminds me of Japan in the Middle East.
Now, to your article…
How many Bahraini citizens are there ? I did some research and I found 725,000 citizens. Is that correct ?
How many Jewish citizens ? I found 36 Jewish citizens. That ain’t much. For statistical purposes, that means, “.00005%” of Bahrain’s population is Jewish. For comparison, that would be like if the U.S.A had 15,000 Jewish citizens. Or, if there were only 300,000 jews in the entire world.
…..36 Jews in Bahrain. So, they aren’t exactly thriving are they ? They will be gone in the next one or two generations.
Next you said, “We have synagogues, which have never been violated.” Bahrain has more than one Synagogue ? I challege you to name them. I think you will find, Bahrain has only ONE Synagogue. You said they were never violated. But, in fact, the ONE Synagogue was burned to the ground in 1947. Bahrain has ONE Synagogue, and the building is empty and locked tight since 1947. Jews don’t hold service there. Esra’a, do you disagree ?
I noticed you said, “We have “over”, 7 churches.”
Wow!!! …Over 7 churches ? What’s the matter, Esra’a…You can’t count to 8 or 9 ?
One Hindu 60 year old Hindu temple ? My house is 34 years old. 60 years….not that old.
And, I like Bahrain. I applaud Bahrain’s attempt at multiculturalsim. Bahrain is arguably the most tolerent of all the Arab nations. Still, when you look at the numbers, .00005, for example…there is a lot of room for improvement.
Respectfully,
Derek
Derek,
I’m not sure where you’re going with the comment on “ONE synagogue”, but I think the number is quite proportional to the current Jewish population. Yes, the Jewish minority was driven out by threats of violence after the declaration of the state of Israel, but the current government has taken steps to rectify that.
Bahrain is the only country in the Gulf that has a Jewish presence and a synagogue. The synagoue that was destroyed in 1947 was replaced by another, and the government has stated its willingness to donate land and rebuild the destroyed synagogue.
We readily admit and condemn the mistreatment of Arab Jews over the past few decades. But given that communities in Iraq, Egypt and Morocco are all but gone, and that existing minorities in countries like Yemen are still facing threats, then I’d say yes, the Jewish minority in Bahrain is thriving, and will hopefully prosper more in the future.
The churches/hindu temple basically cater to the expatriate community in Bahrain (who represent minority of 15% I think), so I don’t see how it’s a big issue that the Hindu Temple is 60 years old.
Is there room for improvement? Definitely. Will the country make improvements? Hopefully. It just seems your comment was simply made for the purpose of objecting, and not to raise valid points.
Stefano,
You ask some pretty good questions. I’m not from Bahrain, but I believe civil marriages aren’t permissible for Muslims, so I wouldn’t describe it as a case of religious persecution. I would label it under discrimination against women, as for the most part men are stil able to marry women belonging to different faiths.
Governments require permits for the construction of any houses of worship – including mosques – and monitors them all closely,but they often donate land and fund the construction and maintenance of houses of worship for minorites.
As for your final question, the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam is applicable only to Muslims, so we definitely do not refer to that. At MideastYouth.com we have Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Yezidi, Baha’i and non-religious authors (etc.).
I personally have my objections to the CDHRI; I don’t believe it guarantees gender equality and religious freedom.
Kawthar,
I don’t know much about Bahrain. So, when I read Esra’a’s article, I was pleasantly suprised. According to her, Bahraini jews are a part of the social fabric. They are successful business owners….in the government…. According to Esra’a, there is more than one synogogue, so, there must be a large number of jewish citizens in Bahrain. And, according to her, those synogogues have never been violated. I thought, “Wow, now maybe there is an example there that other countries can follow.”
I was pleasantly suprised and I wanted to learn more. So, I did some research. Unfortunately, what I learned from my research left me feeling disappointed and misled. Esra’a was wrong, there is not more than one synogogue. There is only one synogogue. Esra’a also said it had never been violated. Yet, it was burned to the ground in 1948. I don’t know about you, but I call that violated.
Ok, Kawthar, here is my point. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts. Esra’a was wrong about there being more than one synogogue, and wrong again about it never being violated. You were wrong about Bahrain being the only Gulf nation with a Jewish presence and synogogue. I believe Iran has many more Jews and many more synogogues.
The topics on Mideastyouth are important and complicated. So, it is natural that we all have differing opinions. That is fine, even great. But, it is a better discussion when our opinions are supported by facts. Facts are important.
Anyway, I didn’t mean that Esra’a intentionally misled me. I have no doubt she is a very busy woman. If I was that busy, I’m sure I’d make mistakes too. But, I felt I had to point out the factual errors. Hope that explains.
Derek
Derek, I know you’re trying incredibly hard to discredit anything and everything decent that Muslims or Arabs do, like so many of your comments here suggest, but if you want to talk about the “facts” let’s get some things straight:
Source. Many locals can verify this info.
So I stick to my post when I said that we never violated the synagogue. Not us, not our government. The government and many people offered to chip in to help rebuild it. They are now protected and funded. Does it get any better than this? No. So your complaints are beyond me. Kawthar’s comment to yours is entirely correct and you should read and learn from it. It’s not about quantity, the fact is that the government has offered free land and support to Bahraini Jews who left the country which the locals have always respected.
FYI, ironically, you probably got the information concerning the “violation” from an article where an Arab Jew said she is happy and proud to be Bahraini, and that she was Bahraini first, before “Jewish.” Now that is a source of pride for many of us Bahrainis, and you can’t take that away with your belittling comments. Whether 3 Jews or 3 million, either way they are legally, politically and socially protected. And that matters.
Great job Kawthar on setting some things straight.
Dear Esra’a,
No. I am not here to discredit Arabs or Muslims. I am here because I believe in your cause; To promote mutual understanding though dialogue.
For example, I will readily admit that during the Rwandan genocide, it was christians who most often participated in the genocide. It was muslims who most often saved the lives of their neighbors.
I’m not here to discredit muslims. But, if you say, Esra’a, “We have synagogues, which have never been violated.”, then, Yes, I will call you on it. Bahrain has one synogogue, and it was burned to the ground in 1948. Now, if in your original article, you had said, ” Bahraini citizens never violated the synogogue.”, then, I wouldn’t argue with you. But you said the synogogue was NEVER violated.
Then, you want to thank Kawthar for, “setting some things straight.” How about thanking me for setting Kawthar straight about Iran having more jews and synogogues than Bahrian ?
Look, Esra’a, I like you. I like your cause. I’m glad you are proud of your country. You should be proud of your country. I am proud of my country too. If you are proud of your country, then that means you care. And you hope your country will will be the best it can be. So, Bahrain has some improving to do. America has some improving to do.
If I call into question some of your facts, it isn’t because I don’t like you. It is because I DO like you. I want you to succeed. And, I believe you will only succeed if your facts are straight.
Derek
Esra, your post gives me hope–both your own words and the facts that you list.
Derek, you didn’t refute any of the facts, while Kawthar refuted your claims clearly and you’ve yet to properly respond to her argument. You didn’t correct anyone, because you were incorrect with your assumption and logic to begin with, and refuse to accept that.
Did you know that Iran has a population of about 80 million while we’re less than 1 million, and only 60% of that consist of actual citizens? So of course they would exceed in number when it comes to any population, Jews or otherwise. It’s called common sense.
You obsess about numbers, and ignore the reality. Read Kawthar’s comment again. Make sure you understand what she’s saying. In sum, why should I thank you for completely missing the point of this post and its follow up comments? Why should I thank you for insisting that you are only here to “correct” me while taking pride in your lack of knowledge instead of actually engaging in dialogue? It’s making you come off as if you’re here to discredit and underestimate some great aspects of our society. I don’t appreciate your arrogance, such as the claim that you’re spewing “corrections” even though you admitted your lack of awareness of this country and its policies. If you want to engage in an educational dialogue you’re welcome to, but your mentality and holier-than-thou attitude gets annoying after the 5th comment of you claiming the same thing.
HI there!
Interesting post!
My name is Romeo, from Romania, coming in Bahrain in 2 weeks. I must say that with this post I’m more relaxed to come in your country. I’m coming in Bahrain to work for a student organization[AIESEC] and I wanted to get more info about youth in Bahrain, I must say that your web site helped me a lot.
If u have any tips and tricks for a European coming to Bahrain , please mail me. U will help me a lot.
Greetings from Transylvania[Romania]
Romeo