Ghada Jamshir
Encyclopedia
Ghada Jamshir is a Bahrain
i women's rights activist and an ardent campaigner for the reform of Sharia
courts in Bahrain and the Arab Gulf states. Jamshir heads the Women's Petition Committee lobbying for a law that would shift jurisdiction over family and women's affairs from Islamic Sharia court to civil courts.
Jamshir has called the Al Khalifa
government's reforms "artificial and marginal". In a statement in December 2006 she said,
Jamshir has been outspoken in criticizing the Bahraini government for its role in the Bandargate scandal
. In 2007 she alleged that the Interior Ministry was attempting to spy on her.
Since 2006, Ghada Jamsheer has been under permanent surveillance, there is a 24-hour presence of plainclothes Public Security officials of the Ministry of the Interior outside her home.
After her criticism of government policies, Bahrain authorities ordered the local media and press to prevent the publication of any news relating to Jamshir. The order came from the Royal Court
, through its minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa. Jamshir also claims that the Minister of the Royal Court gave her a direct threat demanding that she end her public work, after which the regime attempted to install a spy camera in her house, bugged her telephone, and sent individuals to bribe and blackmail
her.
In 2006, Time Magazine identified Jamshir as one of four heroes of freedom in the Arab world
, and Forbes magazine selected her as one of the ten most powerful and effective women in the Arab world.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
i women's rights activist and an ardent campaigner for the reform of Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
courts in Bahrain and the Arab Gulf states. Jamshir heads the Women's Petition Committee lobbying for a law that would shift jurisdiction over family and women's affairs from Islamic Sharia court to civil courts.
Jamshir has called the Al Khalifa
Al Khalifa
The Al Khalifa family is the ruling family of Bahrain. The Al Khalifa profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe that migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early 18th century. They are also from the Utub tribe...
government's reforms "artificial and marginal". In a statement in December 2006 she said,
Jamshir has been outspoken in criticizing the Bahraini government for its role in the Bandargate scandal
Bandargate scandal
The Al Bandar report refers to an alleged political conspiracy by the certain government officials in Bahrain to foment sectarian strife and marginalize the majority Shia community in the country...
. In 2007 she alleged that the Interior Ministry was attempting to spy on her.
Backlash by the government
In 2005, the Bahraini government brought three criminal charges against Jamshir for allegedly publicly defaming the Islamic family court judiciary, and faced a jail sentence of up to 15 years. These charges were eventually dropped on 19 June 2005.Since 2006, Ghada Jamsheer has been under permanent surveillance, there is a 24-hour presence of plainclothes Public Security officials of the Ministry of the Interior outside her home.
After her criticism of government policies, Bahrain authorities ordered the local media and press to prevent the publication of any news relating to Jamshir. The order came from the Royal Court
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, through its minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa. Jamshir also claims that the Minister of the Royal Court gave her a direct threat demanding that she end her public work, after which the regime attempted to install a spy camera in her house, bugged her telephone, and sent individuals to bribe and blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
her.
In 2006, Time Magazine identified Jamshir as one of four heroes of freedom in the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, and Forbes magazine selected her as one of the ten most powerful and effective women in the Arab world.
External links
- Ghada Jamsheer's blog
- Women's Petition Committee: Appointment of Sharia Judges as political gifts for religious groups
- Bahrain: Courts Try to Silence Women’s Rights Activist, Human Rights WatchHuman Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, 2 June 2005 - Ghada Jamshir interview
- Article on Ghada Jamshir
- transcript of interview with Ghada Jamshir
- Bahraini women demand unified civil status law