Posted on 05/29/2008 10:27:54 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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Bahrain's king has appointed a Jewish woman as the country's envoy to the United States. Houda Nonoo said she was proud to serve her country "first of all as a Bahraini" and that she was not chosen for the post because of her religion. She is believed to be the Arab world's first Jewish ambassador. Ms Nonoo, 43, has served as a legislator in Bahrain's 40-member Shura Council for three years and is head of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch.
"It is a great honour to have been appointed as the first female ambassador to the United States of America and I am looking forward to meeting this new challenge," Ms Nonoo told the Associated Press news agency. Her family is originally from Iraq, having moved to Bahrain over a century ago. Bahrain has one of the world's oldest and smallest Jewish communities. It was, at one time, home to as many as 1,500 Jews. Today the community has a synagogue and numbers around 50 people. Bahrain is a close US ally but has no diplomatic relations with Israel. It has a Shia Muslim majority, roughly 65% of the population, but the ruling elite is Sunni. |
That’s definitely great progress.
I'd like to ask her how that sits with her.
How about that ping
Not surprising a Jewish ambassador for a muslim country would be a no-no.
GUILTY !
hey, this is a big step for this country, give them credit for taking it!
News of Note.
Congratulations, Bahrain and welcome to the 21st century!
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Bahrain - whose name means "two seas" - was once viewed by the ancient Sumerians as an island paradise to which the wise and the brave were taken to enjoy eternal life. It was one of the first states in the Gulf to discover oil and to build a refinery; as such, it benefited from oil wealth before most of its neighbours.
OverviewBut Bahrain never reached the levels of production enjoyed by Kuwait or Saudi Arabia and has been forced to diversify its economy.
The king is the supreme authority and members of the Sunni Muslim ruling family hold the main political and military posts. There are long-running tensions between Bahrain's Sunnis and the Shia Muslim majority. On occasion, these have spilled over into civil unrest. In 2001 Bahrainis strongly backed proposals put by the emir - now the king - to turn the country into a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament and an independent judiciary. Elections were duly held in 2002 for a 40-member parliament, the Council of Deputies. It was the first such poll in nearly 30 years. The new body included a dozen Shia MPs.
The country has enjoyed increasing freedom of expression, and monitors say the human rights situation has improved. However, opposition groups and campaigners continue to press for political reforms, including greater powers for the elected assembly. Bahrain - a chain of around 30 islands - is a haven for tourists from the region, who take advantage of its relaxed social environment. A close ally of the US, it is home to the American navy's Fifth Fleet. Facts
Leaders
King: Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah Sheikh Hamad's title changed to king when Bahrain switched from being an emirate to a monarchy in February 2002.
Born in 1950, he was educated at a public school in Cambridge, England, and went on to study at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England, and at the US Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1968, he founded and became commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF). He served as minister of defence from 1971 to 1988. MediaBahrain is keen to promote itself as a regional media hub; the London-based pan-Arab satellite broadcaster MBC chose it as the base for its MBC-2 channel. Most radio and TV stations are state-run. The country's first private radio station - Sawt al-Ghad - launched in 2005, but the authorities shut it down in 2006, alleging irregularities. A press law guarantees the right of journalists to operate independently and to publish information. But they are liable to jail terms for offences which include insulting the king, and self-censorship is practised. The press
Television
News agency
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Ping!
It’s a tiny place...have you made a stop there?
Well, Jewish anyway.
Lots of Saudis and westerners who work in Saudi frolick in the various bars there. :-)
geez! Thats one for the books! Nice surprise ..
How many islamists in Bahrain?
evening Miss Allegra .. a pleasure to see you as always. I hope that you’re taking care of yourself ....
But Bahran is majority moderate Shia and their leader certainly has a good resume:
Born in 1950, he was educated at a public school in Cambridge, England, and went on to study at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England, and at the US Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Bahrain's king has appointed a Jewish woman as the country's envoy to the United States... Ms Nonoo, 43, has served as a legislator in Bahrain's 40-member Shura Council for three years and is head of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch... Her family is originally from Iraq, having moved to Bahrain over a century ago. Bahrain has one of the world's oldest and smallest Jewish communities. It was, at one time, home to as many as 1,500 Jews. Today the community has a synagogue and numbers around 50 people. Bahrain is a close US ally but has no diplomatic relations with Israel. It has a Shia Muslim majority, roughly 65% of the population, but the ruling elite is Sunni.So... the Sunni ruling elite is carrying out the Zionist agenda, led by the 50 Jews in the country. JIHAD! JIHAD!
Likewise, sofaman. I hope all is well with you. :-)
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