National Justice Movement
National Justice Movement حركة العدالة الوطنية | |
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Member State of the Arab League |
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The National Justice Movement (
History and profile
The National Justice Movement was founded on 5 March 2006 in
Abdullah Hashem has said that the party specifically wants to counter the dominant influence of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society. His colleague Ahmad Zaman said that it wants to achieve a balance within the Bahraini society by "promoting awareness among the Sunnis and help them regain their rightful place. People should appreciate that the government and the Shiites are not the only players".[2]
"We believe that Al Wefaq serves the interests of Bahrain's Shi'ite population while others like Al Asala Islamic Society serve the interests of Sunnis. Our movement will be working for the good of the country as a whole. It will not be a religious organisation and could include Muslims, both Sunni and Shi'ite, Christians, Jews and other people."[3]
While having an avowedly anti-sectarian agenda, Arab nationalism has traditionally been popular among Sunni Muslims. The party's nationalist stance allows the party to attack the pan-Islamism of Sunni Islamist parties,
In what some regard as an unusual position for an Arab nationalist party, the Movement has not cited the United States as the main international enemy. At the party's launch, Britain and Iran were named the two countries with which it would not cooperate, publicly or secretly, because of their past and present attitudes towards Bahrain. "Britain had enslaved Bahrainis, undermined their rights and humiliated them during its occupation of Bahrain, whereas Iran has often laid claims to our country," said Ahmad Zaman, "...the United States, unlike Iran, does not have claims to Bahrain."[5]
One of its candidates in 2006's election was likely to be a twice-arrested terror suspect, Mohi Al Deen Mahmoud Khan. A former jihadi active in Afghanistan, Mr Khan told reporters: "I do not rule out taking part in the legislative elections to serve the community, particularly after I joined the National Justice Movement". He praised the Movement saying it would revive the rights of the Sunnis "who have lapsed into an uncomfortable silence that has made them appear as the unquestionably obedient supporters of the government while suffering from neglect in housing and other services provided by the state."[6]
Khan was the leader of a six-member group arrested twice in 2004 on suspicion of planning to carry out "bombings on the government and businesses," according to Bahrain's
See also
References
- ^ a b "Bahrain. Political parties". Global Security. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ^ Political movement launched in Bahrain, Habib Toumi, Gulfnews, 7 March 2006
- ^ Gulf Daily News
- ^ Gulf Daily News
- ^ Political movement launched in Bahrain, Habib Toumi, Gulf News, 7 March 2006
- ^ Terror suspect may run in elections, Habib Toumi, 26 March 2006