Bahrain has become the latest Gulf state to propose a formal ban on critical discussion of religion.
In a report of last Sunday's cabinet meeting, the government news agency says:
"A draft law on criminalising contempt of religions, such as insulting divinity, defaming divine books,...
Blog archive: Bahrain
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2nd September 2015
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25th July 2015Nuclear reactors are one of the UK's top exports to Bahrain, according to a document published this week by the British Foreign Office. The claim appears in an official guide, "Doing Business in Bahrain", which aims to promote trade with the repressive Gulf kingdom. The guide lists "nuclear...
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8th June 2015Dr Omar Hassan (right) on a visit to Bahrain. Photo: BNA The grandly-titled Gulf Centre for Strategic Studies is a small limited company registered in the UK, with two directors: Dr Omar Said al-Hassan and Mrs Siham al-Hassan. It is sometimes described as a think tank. Despite its small...
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18th May 2015Bahrain's leaders have been swift to congratulate David Cameron on his election victory in Britain. As soon as the results became known, King Hamad, his uncle Khalifa (the world's longest serving prime minister – 43 years in office) and the crown prince all dispatched cables "...
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10th February 2015Photograph: Bahrain News Agency Surely it's time for everyone, including the British government, to stop talking about Bahrain's "reforms". Bahrain government news agency, 27 December 2011: Information Affairs Authority President Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa today...
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16th December 2014The Muftah website has just published a collection of articles about LGBTQ sexualities in the Middle East. Noting that many analyses extend no further than a cursory look at the "persecution of gays" in "Muslim countries", Muftah says the aim of its collection is to...
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10th December 2014Twelve British MPs have signed a parliamentary motion criticising the government's decision to establish a "permanent" naval base in Bahrain. The motion says: "This House is appalled that Britain has signed an agreement with the government of Bahrain to establish a permanent military...
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6th December 2014King Hamad of Bahrain. Tearing up his photograph can land you in jail. Britain announced yesterday that it is to build a new naval base in Bahrain, in what Sky News describes as "a landmark deal". The BBC notes that this will be Britain's first permanent military base in...
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25th November 2014While the British Foreign Office, the British ambassador and a British MEP have been tweeting enthusiastically about Bahrain's latest electoral window-dressing, the United States is maintaining a discreet silence. There have been no congratulatory messages about Bahrain's "democratic progress"...
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23rd November 2014The British embassy in Bahrain was busy yesterday putting a positive spin on the tiny Gulf kingdom's controversial elections. One tweet posted in Arabic by the British Foreign Office showed ambassador Iain Lindsay at a polling station, accompanied by the US ambassador,...
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20th November 2014Bahrain's ruling family is holding parliamentary and local government elections today but they are unlikely to do anything to resolve the kingdom's political crisis. The main opposition group, al-Wefaq, is boycotting the polls, along with several other groups – mainly on the grounds...
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30th May 2014King Hamad: insulted at home, welcomed in Britain It doesn't take much to upset King Hamad of Bahrain who is rapidly emerging as the most thin-skinned monarch in the Gulf. So many people have hurt the king's feelings recently that the maximum penalty for "insulting" him was increased earlier...
