Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah
Encyclopedia
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, GCB
, GCMG
was the monarch
or emir
of Bahrain
from 1961 until his death. Born in the town of Jasra, he became emir upon the death of his father, Salman ibn Hamad. On May 8, 1949, he married his only wife, Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa
(1933–2009).
Isa's reign saw Bahrain gain its independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. While the government initially considered joining the United Arab Emirates
, Isa had his country withdraw (along with Qatar
) over his dissatisfaction with the proposed constitution
. He then attempted to introduce a moderate form of parliamentary democracy, and men (though not women) were given the vote in parliamentary elections in 1973. In 1975, however, he dissolved Parliament because it refused to pass the government-sponsored State Security Law of 1974
. The parliamentary system was never restored and forced the emir to contend with occasional protests from the leftist and Islamist camps, which reached their peak in 1995. (see: History of Bahrain
).
Isa was noted for his opposition to the use of the death penalty, and routinely refused to sign death warrants. One exception occurred in 1996, when he succumbed to pressure from the security forces to execute a man convicted of the murder of a soldier.
Throughout his reign, Isa dedicated himself to bolstering his country's economy. He believed that his greatest achievement was the construction of a causeway connecting his island nation with Saudi Arabia
.
(1933–2009).
They had xxx sons and xxx daughters:
took place. Nevertheless, critics note that he also dissolved Parliament, giving absolute power to the royal family.
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa died on March 6, 1999 at the al-Sakhir Palace. US President Bill Clinton
expressed "deep sadness" at the news of the emir's death calling him "a good friend of peace." UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
also expressed "great sadness," and described the emir as "a force for stability" in the region. He was buried at the Al-Rifa'a cemetery.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
(10/4/1984) GCMG
(15/2/1979) Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi of IranGrand Collar of the Order of the Nile of Egypt Collar of the Order of Muhammed of Morocco Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait Collar of the Order of the Independence of the State of Qatar Grand Collar of the Order of Hussein ibn 'Ali of Jordan Grand Collar of the Order of the Renaissance of Jordan Grand Collar of the Order of Cedar of Lebanon (2nd Class, 1958) Grand Collar of the Order of Omayyad of Syria Grand Collar of the Order of the Independence of Tunisia Legion of Honor of France Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Civil Order of Oman, 1st Class Order of Al-Nahayyan 1st Class of the U.A.E. Order of the Two Rivers 1st Class of Iraq (x/5/1968, 2nd Class 3/4/1952) King Faisal II Installation Medal (2/5/1953) of Iraq Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (2/6/1953)
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
was the monarch
King of Bahrain
The King of Bahrain is the monarch and head of state of Bahrain. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of Hakim, and, from 1971 until 2002, the title of Emir...
or emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
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...
from 1961 until his death. Born in the town of Jasra, he became emir upon the death of his father, Salman ibn Hamad. On May 8, 1949, he married his only wife, Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa
Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa
HRH Sheikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa was a member of the Bahraini royal family. She was the Queen consort and widow of the former Emir of Bahrain, Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah, who reigned from 1960 until his death in 1999...
(1933–2009).
Isa's reign saw Bahrain gain its independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. While the government initially considered joining the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, Isa had his country withdraw (along with Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
) over his dissatisfaction with the proposed constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. He then attempted to introduce a moderate form of parliamentary democracy, and men (though not women) were given the vote in parliamentary elections in 1973. In 1975, however, he dissolved Parliament because it refused to pass the government-sponsored State Security Law of 1974
State Security Law of 1974
Following Bahrain’s independence from the British in 1971, the government of Bahrain embarked on an extended period of political suppression under a 1974 State Security Law shortly after the adoption of the country’s first formal Constitution in 1973...
. The parliamentary system was never restored and forced the emir to contend with occasional protests from the leftist and Islamist camps, which reached their peak in 1995. (see: History of Bahrain
History of Bahrain
Bahrain is a island country in the Persian Gulf. Although Bahrain became an independent country in 1971, the history of these islands starts from ancient times...
).
Isa was noted for his opposition to the use of the death penalty, and routinely refused to sign death warrants. One exception occurred in 1996, when he succumbed to pressure from the security forces to execute a man convicted of the murder of a soldier.
Throughout his reign, Isa dedicated himself to bolstering his country's economy. He believed that his greatest achievement was the construction of a causeway connecting his island nation with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Marriage and Children
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa had only one wife, Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al KhalifaHessa bint Salman Al Khalifa
HRH Sheikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa was a member of the Bahraini royal family. She was the Queen consort and widow of the former Emir of Bahrain, Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah, who reigned from 1960 until his death in 1999...
(1933–2009).
They had xxx sons and xxx daughters:
Legacy and Death
During his 38 years as Emir, the economic transformation of Bahrain into a modern nation and a key financial center in the Persian GulfPersian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
took place. Nevertheless, critics note that he also dissolved Parliament, giving absolute power to the royal family.
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa died on March 6, 1999 at the al-Sakhir Palace. US President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
expressed "deep sadness" at the news of the emir's death calling him "a good friend of peace." UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
also expressed "great sadness," and described the emir as "a force for stability" in the region. He was buried at the Al-Rifa'a cemetery.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Foreign Honors
KCMG (14/7/1964) GCBOrder of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(10/4/1984) GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(15/2/1979) Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi of IranGrand Collar of the Order of the Nile of Egypt Collar of the Order of Muhammed of Morocco Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait Collar of the Order of the Independence of the State of Qatar Grand Collar of the Order of Hussein ibn 'Ali of Jordan Grand Collar of the Order of the Renaissance of Jordan Grand Collar of the Order of Cedar of Lebanon (2nd Class, 1958) Grand Collar of the Order of Omayyad of Syria Grand Collar of the Order of the Independence of Tunisia Legion of Honor of France Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Civil Order of Oman, 1st Class Order of Al-Nahayyan 1st Class of the U.A.E. Order of the Two Rivers 1st Class of Iraq (x/5/1968, 2nd Class 3/4/1952) King Faisal II Installation Medal (2/5/1953) of Iraq Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (2/6/1953)
Titles
- 1933–1961: SheikhSheikhNot to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Isa II bin Salman II Al Khalifa - 1961–1964: His Highness Sheikh Isa II bin Salman II Al Khalifa, HakimHakim (title)' and ' are two Arabic titles derived from the same triliteral ḤKM "appoint, choose, judge". Compare the Hebrew title hakham.-Hakīm :...
of BahrainBahrain' , 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... - 1964–1971: His Highness Sheikh SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Isa II bin Salman II Al Khalifa, Hakim of Bahrain, KCMG - 1971–1979: His Highness Sheikh Sir Isa II bin Salman II Al Khalifa, EmirEmirEmir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of Bahrain, KCMG - 1979–1984: His Highness Sheikh Sir Isa II bin Salman II Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain, GCMG
- 1984–1999: His Highness Sheikh Sir Isa II bin Salman II Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain, GCB, GCMG
See also
- Al KhalifaAl KhalifaThe 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...
- 1990s uprising in Bahrain1990s Uprising in BahrainThe 1990s Uprising in Bahrain or 1990s Intifada was an uprising in Bahrain between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces...