Maryam Alkhawaja
Encyclopedia
Maryam Abdulhadi Alkhawaja (Arabic: مريم عبدالهادي الخواجة) is a Bahrain
i human rights defenders. She is the daughter of the prominent Bahrain
i human rights defender Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and head of the foreign relations office for Bahrain Center for Human Rights
.
to then-exiled Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and his wife, Khadija al-Mousawi, who had been banned from Bahrain in the mid-1980s. At age two, she and her family were granted political asylum in Denmark
. They lived in Denmark until returning to Manama
in 2001, as soon as they were allowed re-entry. Maryam was 14.
Maryam graduated from the University of Bahrain
in 2009, then embarked on a Fulbright scholarship to Brown University
in the U.S. Upon her return in the summer of 2010, she hoped to find work teaching or in public relations. But as the daughter of one of their most prominent foes, regime officials effectively blocked her ability to get hired. So she turned to the family business: the Bahrain Center for Human Rights
, founded by her father. Now she runs the foreign relations office, serving as a deputy to its president, Nabeel Rajab
, who appears regularly in the international press and is one of the few activists in Manama to have avoided arrest.
As her public profile grew, it became apparent that she would risk arrest should she set foot back on Bahraini soil. "Maryam felt obliged to leave [Bahrain]. And she felt, or the Centre felt, that she should remain outside for her well- being." Joe Stork
said.
In April, Alkhawaja paricipated in U.S. - Islamic World Forum
In May, Alkhawaja participated in Oslo
freedom forum. She stunned the audience with her experiences of government violence in the Kingdom of Bahrain. She described the killing of student protestors, the torture of democracy advocates, and how human rights defenders are "disappeared." Maryam also detailed how troops from a neighboring dictatorship, Saudi Arabia, rushed into Bahrain to prop up the crown prince's regime.
On 13 May, Alkhawja was one of witnesses in a congress hearing about Human rights in Bahrain
.
General Meeting and Strategy Conference in Beirut in early June after receiving death threats.
Within minutes of Maryam's speech in Oslo Freedom Forum (streamed live online) the global Bahraini PR machine went into dramatic overdrive. A tightly organized ring of Twitter accounts began to unleash hundreds of tweets accusing Maryam of being an extremist, a liar, and a servant of Iran. Simultaneously, the Oslo Freedom Forum's email account was bombarded with messages, all crudely made from a simple template, arguing that Maryam Alkhawaja is an enemy of the Bahraini people and a "traitor." Most of the U.S.-based fake tweeting, fake blogging (flogging), and online manipulation is carried out from inside Qorvis Communication's "Geo-Political Solutions" division.
The effort is mechanical and centrally organized, and it goes beyond the online world. In fact, right before Maryam was to give her speech, she noticed two young women in the crowd who stalk her speeches and heckled her a few days earlier at an event in the U.S.
An anonymous defamatory campaign against Nabeel Rajab
and Maryam Alkhawaja was launched in early May 2011, with the active and passive support of the Bahraini authorities.
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 human rights defenders. She is the daughter of the prominent 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 human rights defender Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and head of the foreign relations office for Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
.
Early life
Maryam's was born in SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
to then-exiled Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and his wife, Khadija al-Mousawi, who had been banned from Bahrain in the mid-1980s. At age two, she and her family were granted political asylum in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. They lived in Denmark until returning to Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
in 2001, as soon as they were allowed re-entry. Maryam was 14.
Maryam graduated from the University of Bahrain
University of Bahrain
The University of Bahrain , a public university in the Kingdom of Bahrain, is the largest university in Bahrain. In post-nominals the University of Bahrain is typically abbreviated as UoB....
in 2009, then embarked on a Fulbright scholarship to Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in the U.S. Upon her return in the summer of 2010, she hoped to find work teaching or in public relations. But as the daughter of one of their most prominent foes, regime officials effectively blocked her ability to get hired. So she turned to the family business: the Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is a Bahraini non-profit non-governmental organisation which works to promote human rights in Bahrain, which was founded by a number of Bahraini activist in June 2002...
, founded by her father. Now she runs the foreign relations office, serving as a deputy to its president, Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
, who appears regularly in the international press and is one of the few activists in Manama to have avoided arrest.
Human Rights activism
In 2007, she led a BBC crew to Shiite villages as a translator to interview victims of the systematic oppression of Shiites and to expose the dire situation they face in Bahrain, where Shiites are discriminated against in all sectors of society. She listens to stories of discrimination and injustice and conveys the victims’ messages to international audiences through her advocacy.Involvement in the 2011 Bahraini uprising
Maryam was present in Bahrain during the demonstrations, but she boarded a flight from Manama, booked for talks at colleges and conferences, meeting with politicians in the U.K. With Center president Rajab's scope limited as he is not allowed to leave the country, and it remains difficult for media to get in and at least 500 top opposition members locked away, the activist's daughter is in a unique position.As her public profile grew, it became apparent that she would risk arrest should she set foot back on Bahraini soil. "Maryam felt obliged to leave [Bahrain]. And she felt, or the Centre felt, that she should remain outside for her well- being." Joe Stork
Joe Stork
Joe Stork is an American political activist and Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch. He holds an M.A. in International Affairs/Middle East Studies from Columbia University.-Career:...
said.
In April, Alkhawaja paricipated in U.S. - Islamic World Forum
In May, Alkhawaja participated in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
freedom forum. She stunned the audience with her experiences of government violence in the Kingdom of Bahrain. She described the killing of student protestors, the torture of democracy advocates, and how human rights defenders are "disappeared." Maryam also detailed how troops from a neighboring dictatorship, Saudi Arabia, rushed into Bahrain to prop up the crown prince's regime.
On 13 May, Alkhawja was one of witnesses in a congress hearing about Human rights in Bahrain
Human rights in Bahrain
Bahrain's record on human rights has been described by Human Rights Watch as "dismal", and having "deteriorated sharply in the latter half of 2010"....
.
Threats and harassment
The only danger Maryam faces is that of pro-regime trolls, mainly via internet portals like Twitter, on which she has more than 17,500 followers. "She obviously comes into a lot of harassment," Stork said. She did not attend IFEXIFEX
IFEX may refer to:*Impulse Fire Extinguishing System*International Freedom of Expression Exchange*Ifosfamide, drug marketed as Mitoxana or Ifex*International Food Exhibition*International Film Exchange, a film distribution company...
General Meeting and Strategy Conference in Beirut in early June after receiving death threats.
Within minutes of Maryam's speech in Oslo Freedom Forum (streamed live online) the global Bahraini PR machine went into dramatic overdrive. A tightly organized ring of Twitter accounts began to unleash hundreds of tweets accusing Maryam of being an extremist, a liar, and a servant of Iran. Simultaneously, the Oslo Freedom Forum's email account was bombarded with messages, all crudely made from a simple template, arguing that Maryam Alkhawaja is an enemy of the Bahraini people and a "traitor." Most of the U.S.-based fake tweeting, fake blogging (flogging), and online manipulation is carried out from inside Qorvis Communication's "Geo-Political Solutions" division.
The effort is mechanical and centrally organized, and it goes beyond the online world. In fact, right before Maryam was to give her speech, she noticed two young women in the crowd who stalk her speeches and heckled her a few days earlier at an event in the U.S.
An anonymous defamatory campaign against Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
and Maryam Alkhawaja was launched in early May 2011, with the active and passive support of the Bahraini authorities.