April 15 - 29, 2007

The following is a summary of reform related articles appearing in outlets from the region from April 15 to April 29:

Bahrain

• New employment laws have been urged, to break the "glass ceiling," which campaigners say keeps women down.  Women are still being denied equal employment rights to male colleagues, says Bahrain Women's Union (BWU) president Mariam Al Rowaie.  "We have received many complaints from women working in the private sector, it is very difficult," she said.  "Women must always demand their rights and at first, they need to know their rights and know the law," she said.  (Gulf Daily News)

• An American in Bahrain hopes to receive enough support to host an international television and film conference in Bahrain.  Dream Factory director and producer Art Jones wants to bring filmmakers and scholars from the US, the Middle East and Europe to the event.  Mr Jones said that the conference could inspire the next generation of photographers, broadcast journalists and filmmakers in Bahrain to showcase their talents. Mr Jones had originally planned to hold the event in October, but is now appealing for funding after an application for the US State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) was turned down. (Gulf Daily News)

• The prestigious Gold Award for Best in Print was won by Bahrain's Dar Akhbar Al Khaleej Printing Press, at the sixth Asia Media Awards 2007, held in Manila, Philippines.  The company won the award in the category for week-day circulation of below 80,000 copies.  The competition was organized by the ifra Asia publishing industry organization for newspaper printing institutions in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions.  The award is presented to newspapers deserving recognition for excellence in standardized printing, which are consistent according to existing international standards (ISO 1267-3:2005). (Gulf Daily News, Akhbar Al Khaleej, Al Wasat)

• Journalists, bloggers, writers and intellectuals are being urged to show up in support of Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif, as a libel case brought against him by Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Mansoor Bin Rajab gets underway today.  The Bahraini Journalists Association (BJA) says it is important for journalists to be present, to show solidarity with Mr Al Yousif and to express their opposition to the case.  The association believes that the case symbolizes the problems with freedom of opinion and expression in Bahrain and condemns Mr Bin Rajab's insistence in pursuing the lawsuit against Mr Al Yousif.  "Mr Al Yousif's criticism of the minister in his Internet article was a criticism of him in his capacity as a public official rather than personal," the BJA said.  "The BJA also calls on civic institutions, political and social, to show their solidarity by attending the trial and release supportive statements for Mr Al Yousif."  The society has appointed lawyer Fatima Al Hawaj to represent Mr Al Yousif and thanked her for accepting the role. (Gulf Daily News, Alayam)

• A Bahraini blogger accused of defaming a government minister had his trial adjourned yesterday when the judge failed to show up.  Mahmood Al Yousif has been accused of libelling Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Mansoor Bin Rajab in an article that appeared on his website mahmood.tv on December 22.  A number of journalists joined Mr Al Yousif at the High Criminal Court to show their support for him.  However, the case was adjourned until May 8 because Judge Shaikh Mohammed bin Ali Al Khalifa was absent for "personal reasons".  Mr Al Yousif earlier reworded the original article following several days of negotiations with the minister through a mediator.  However, the minister later decided to go ahead with the libel case and is demanding "civil compensation", according to his lawyer Mohammed Jaffar Al Taranja. (Gulf Daily News, Alayam, Al Wasat)

• Students at Bahrain University's College of Applied Learning will be allowed for the first time this year to stand and vote in the Student Council elections.  The college, which opened in September 2005 with 500 students, has been under attack by parliament and Shura Council members, political and youth societies and organizations, students and parents.  They are angry that 3,000 out of 4,376 new students accepted into the university last September were forced into the college, allegedly because of overcrowding in other colleges.  The university said it would help them graduate faster as it presents them with associate diplomas rather than bachelor degrees.  Students in the new college were not been allowed by the university to stand or vote in last year's Student Council elections, because they had not completed the required minimum study hours. (Gulf Daily News)

• A Panel discussion on the proposed family law in Bahrain was organized by the Bahrain Business Women's Society.  The panel speakers were Justice Ministry assistant Under-Secretary Khalid Ajaj, Shaikh Dr Abdul Latif Al Mahmood, Shaikh Kamel Al Hashmi, Shaikh Dr Naji Al Arabi and General Organization for Social Insurance public relations supervisor and Bahrain Women's Union president Mariam Al Rowaie.  "With the growing concern on the importance of family law as a security to the family, BBWS has decided to organize this workshop," said a society spokeswoman.  The law, which aims to give women more power in Bahrain's courts, has been drafted by the government and passed on to parliament.  The workshop is the eighth event of the Speakers Bureau Program sponsored by the US Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative.  The program consists of nine events that are designed to empower businesswomen in the Middle East and North Africa region and to establish region-wide network. (Gulf Daily News, Alayam, Akhbar Al Khaleej)

• Bahrain Women's Society (BWS) is the first non-governmental organization (NGO) in the country to be accredited by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).  This status gives the society the opportunity to enter into policy dialogue with UNEP and to participate in the Global Civil Society Forum, an associated meeting of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum.  It also enables the group to actively participate in regional consultation meetings, to receive unedited working documents from the UNEP and to contribute to them for distribution to governments.  (Gulf Daily News)

Jordan

• The Fourth Arab Forum on civil society institutions and their role in enhancing transparency will open in Amman on under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma. Participants will discuss issues related to enhancing transparency and fighting corruption, taking into account the role of the judiciary in this regard. During the four-day conference supervised by the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development and other institutions, the forum will endorse the framework for a higher committee of civil society organizations. (Jordan Times, Al Dustour, Al Ghad)

Kuwait

• Kuwaiti women must realize that attaining their political rights “incorporates rights and responsibilities, and is the beginning of the road toward improving their social conditions,” said National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi. Speaking at the inauguration of the “Kuwaiti Women in National Legislation” conference organized by the parliamentary women’s affairs committee, Al-Kharafi said women had to bear great responsibility in rooting the principles of justice, equality, and equal opportunities. (Arab Times, Al Qabas, Kuwait Times)

Oman

• The awareness team for the Majlis Ash’shura Sixth Term elections 2008-2011 began a ministry tour. The team visited ministries of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Finance. The team urged employees to speed up registering their names in the electoral register. The team presented the Voter’s Registration Form and showed a documentary on the procedures of the code of the Majlis election. Shaikh Ali bin Nasser al Mahrouqi, the head of the 12-member team, replied to employees’ queries. The team will visit the ministries of Education, Sports Affairs, Commerce and Industry, the Central Bank of Oman and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI). (Oman Observer, Al Watan)

Qatar

• Qatar’s K-12 education reform a bold step, says Rand.  Rand, the non-profit research organization which reviewed the new K-12 education in Qatar, have found that the country has ‘successfully implemented a bold redesign of its education system’. (The Peninsula, Gulf Times)

• Arab regimes were bitterly criticized at a global forum on democracy, development and free trade for being incapable of dealing with the outside world on an equal footing. We have corrupt political and financial systems and weak and backward societies,” said a former Bahrain minister addressing a panel discussion on political reforms. What the Arab world needs is civil societies to face the external world and this is not possible without having democracy in our midst, suggested an outspoken Dr Ali Fakhroo. The Arab world is the most violent region in the world, said Dr Abdul Khalik Abdullah, from the University of UAE. This is impeding the onset of reforms, he added. (The Peninsula, Gulf Times, Al Watan)

• Arab regimes were bitterly criticized at a global forum on democracy, development and free trade for being incapable of dealing with the outside world on an equal footing. We have corrupt political and financial systems and weak and backward societies,” said a former Bahrain minister addressing a panel discussion on political reforms. What the Arab world needs is civil societies to face the external world and this is not possible without having democracy in our midst, suggested an outspoken Dr Ali Fakhroo. The Arab world is the most violent region in the world, said Dr Abdul Khalik Abdullah, from the University of UAE. This is impeding the onset of reforms, he added. (The Peninsula, Gulf Times)

• Arab regimes were bitterly criticized at a global forum on democracy, development and free trade for being incapable of dealing with the outside world on an equal footing. We have corrupt political and financial systems and weak and backward societies,” said a former Bahrain minister addressing a panel discussion on political reforms. What the Arab world needs is civil societies to face the external world and this is not possible without having democracy in our midst, suggested an outspoken Dr Ali Fakhroo. The Arab world is the most violent region in the world, said Dr Abdul Khalik Abdullah, from the University of UAE. This is impeding the onset of reforms, he added. (The Peninsula, Gulf Times, Al Watan)

Saudi Arabia

• During a DVC with Kuwaiti journalists, U.S. Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary James Jeffrey was irritated by questions posed by the journalists.  The article quotes Jeffrey as saying, “It is as if I am receiving questions from Baath party members in London or Lebanon, not in Kuwait – considered to be a strong ally of the United States.”  He went on to ask the journalists if they “received their questions from the Al-Jazeera TV channel?”   The journalists were outraged by Jeffrey’s comments, and the American officer in Kuwait was subsequently forced to end the DVC session. (Al Riyadh)

• The Kingdom has allocated $3.1 billion for comprehensive educational reform, which will include training of teachers, support for extra-curricular activities, improvement of school environments, and improved school curriculums in the Kingdom. (Arab News, Al Riyadh)

• The National Society for Human Rights is trying to stop the Ministry of Information and Culture from banning journalists from writing openly, except in accordance with established regulations.  A spokesperson for the Society said that the request was made in light of the Ministry’s attempt to stop a journalist from writing.  The Society submitted a letter to the Ministry two months ago, but has not yet received an official response. (Arab News, Al Yaum)

Yemen

• Yemeni Media Women Forum inaugurated the first conference to present the report of monitoring women's rights movement in 18 governorates in Yemen. The report has been funded by the National Endowment for Democracy for the first three months (January, February, and March).  According to a press release, issued from the Forum, the project is to monitor the positive and negative changes in women's way of rights and how the social, political, economical, and cultural attitudes are changed towards women.  The results of monitoring will be issued in periodical reports to clarify the changes on the level of each of the concerned Yemeni governorates which were monitored. (Yemen Times, Al Ayyam)
• Faisal Bin Shamlan, the Joint Meeting Parties’ candidate, who ran for president in Yemen’s most recent polls, confirmed that the country suffers an illogic political situation. He underestimated the significance of the new cabinet formation saying, “President Saleh could implement his platform through the former cabinet formation if he had the will to do so.”  In an interview with the media, Bin Shamlan indicated that he doesn’t perceive any economic policy in the country and that the elections had gone, along with their sweetness and bitterness while people are awaiting for any positive changes expected to happen after the polls. According to Bin Shamlan people appear unsatisfied with the current situation and pin hope that the current dialogue between the JMP and regime reaches tangible results. (Al Sahwa, Yemen Times)

 

• The students of the Yemen American Language Institute stopped their strike, which continued for seven days, and resumed their studies. In its meeting which held last Sunday, AMIDEAST management agreed with the current YALI administration to remain the YALI system for its students as it was before.  According to a request sent by the US embassy to AMIDEAST asking it to hold the administrative responsibilities of YALI institution. However, the name of the institute will remain as it was "YALI". Furthermore, the academic policy changes will not be implemented without discussions among YALI staff management and teachers.  The Vice President of the AMIDEAST Head Quarters in Washington, D.C., Greg Touma, along with Stephen Hanchey, the Director of English Language Programs of AMIDEAST, arrived in Sana'a and talked to YALI students. Both have signed an agreement with YALI management last Saturday agreeing with most of the students' and teachers' requests. Additionally, they clarified the misunderstanding that might have happened. (Yemen Times)

 

• Hamoud Al-Najjar, Chairman of the office of communicating and coordinating with the World Trade Organization (WTO) declared in a statement that Yemen has approved the list of restricted and banned imports. He added the Yemeni government is due to forward the list to WTO before holding the coming session of negotiations between Yemen and WTO.  Al-Najjar pointed out that there are several international agreements that ban the exchange of some commodities that contradict the national privacies of some countries including Yemen. The commodities, the import of which is banned, include pesticides and other products, which are harmful to agriculture and environment. He excepted other commodities that may be imported in case there is an urgent necessity for them and under licenses from the concerned parties.  (Al Wahda, Yemen Times)

 

• Joint Meeting Parties’ official spokesman Mohammed Al-Sabri confirmed that the current system of elections doesn’t back the right and principle of equality between men and women. During a workshop organized by the Union of Women Leaders on women political participation, Al-Sabri explained: “At JMP, we are committed to dialogue in conformity with a report made by the European Union Election Observation Mission to Yemen last year, which insists on the concerned parties to give top priority to improving the climate of women’s political participation.” (Annas, Yemen Times)