Houda Nonoo
Encyclopedia
Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo (also Hoda Nono; Hebrew: הודא עזרא נונו; ) is the Bahraini
Ambassador to the United States
. She was appointed to the position by decree of Foreign Affairs Minister Khaled Ben Ahmad Al-Khalifa. Nounou is the first Jewish
person, and third woman
, to be appointed ambassador of Bahrain. She is also the first Jewish ambassador of any Arab country
, and the first female Bahraini ambassador to the United States. Some local media criticized the appointment, and Radio Canada reported that her nomination was controversial within Bahrain, with some suggesting that a Jew might not be the best choice to defend Bahrain's refusal to recognise Israel
. Al-Khalifa rejected these concerns.
Prior to her appointment, she was president of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society
, and had for three years been a member of parliament
(40-member Shura Council), after being appointed by King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah
. Her appointment made headlines because Houda is part of the small Jewish community
of Bahrain
. Bahrain's Jewish community reportedly consists in just thirty-seven people, most of whom are the descendants of immigrants from Iraq
and Iran
. Nonoo is not the first person in her family to enter Bahrain
i politics, or member of the Jewish community. In 1934, her grandfather Abraham Nonoo served as a member of the Manama Municipality, the first ever elected municipal body in Bahrain. In 2000, a cousin, Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo
was appointed to parliament
. The Nonoo family is originally from Iraq
having moved to Bahrain
over a century ago.
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...
Ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was appointed to the position by decree of Foreign Affairs Minister Khaled Ben Ahmad Al-Khalifa. Nounou is the first Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
person, and third woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
, to be appointed ambassador of Bahrain. She is also the first Jewish ambassador of any Arab country
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 the first female Bahraini ambassador to the United States. Some local media criticized the appointment, and Radio Canada reported that her nomination was controversial within Bahrain, with some suggesting that a Jew might not be the best choice to defend Bahrain's refusal to recognise Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Al-Khalifa rejected these concerns.
Prior to her appointment, she was president of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society
Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society
The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, is a Bahraini human rights organization established in November 2004 which claims to protect housemaids, and to fight for women’s rights....
, and had for three years been a member of parliament
National Assembly of Bahrain
The National Assembly is the name of both chambers of the Bahraini parliament when sitting in joint session, as laid out in the Constitution of 2002....
(40-member Shura Council), after being appointed by King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah
Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is the King of Bahrain , having previously been its Emir . He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous Emir.-Early life and education:...
. Her appointment made headlines because Houda is part of the small Jewish community
History of the Jews in Bahrain
Bahraini Jews constitute one of the world's smallest Jewish communities. Bahrain was, at one time, home to as many as 1,500 Jews. Today the community has a synagogue and small Jewish cemetery and numbers thirty-seven persons.- Early history :...
of Bahrain
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...
. Bahrain's Jewish community reportedly consists in just thirty-seven people, most of whom are the descendants of immigrants from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Nonoo is not the first person in her family to enter Bahrain
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 politics, or member of the Jewish community. In 1934, her grandfather Abraham Nonoo served as a member of the Manama Municipality, the first ever elected municipal body in Bahrain. In 2000, a cousin, Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo
Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo
Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo is a former member of the National Assembly of Bahrain and currently the CEO of the Basma Company. The Nonoos are a Jewish family originating from Iraq. In 2006, he financed repairs to the country's only synagogue.-External links:*...
was appointed to parliament
National Assembly of Bahrain
The National Assembly is the name of both chambers of the Bahraini parliament when sitting in joint session, as laid out in the Constitution of 2002....
. The Nonoo family is originally from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
having moved to Bahrain
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...
over a century ago.
External links
- http://www.bahrainembassy.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=section.home&id=7 Official embassy bio