MANAMA, Nov 25, (AFP): King Hamad of Bahrain on Thursday appointed a Jew and a Christian among four women to the 40-member upper chamber, following a parliamentary election last month, state media reported.
The king kept 30 members of the outgoing Shura, or consultative, council including the speaker, Ali Saleh al-Saleh, according to a royal decree published by BNA news agency.
Nancy Khadhori joined the chamber after a fellow Jew, Huda Nono, left the house to take the role of Bahrain’s ambassador to the United States.
“I am very happy to receive the royal trust. I hope I will be up to the responsibility,” said Khadhori, one of only 37 Bahraini Jews who originated from Iraq.
Meanwhile, Hala Qarrisah entered the house as fellow Christian Alice Samaan, who was deputy head of the council, exited the parliament.
Bahrain’s Christian community numbers around 1,000.
The Shiite opposition emerged as the largest single bloc in Bahrain’s lower chamber following the parliamentary election on Oct 23.
The Shura Council has the authority to over-rule parliamentary decisions in the Shiite-majority archipelago which is ruled by a Sunni dynasty.
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VIENNA: Arab League chief Amr Mussa on Wednesday called for an immediate stop to discrimination against Christians in Arab countries, and against Muslims in Europe.
“Any discrimination based on religion must be condemned,” Mussa said at the start of an Arab-European Young Leaders Forum in Vienna, sponsored by the Arab League and the Austrian government.
“There are still misunderstandings, which are enforced by extremists on both sides,” he added, calling for an “immediate” stop to discrimination against Muslims in Europe and Christians in Arab countries.
Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger admitted that “many mistakes” had been made concerning the integration of Muslims in Europe, but added: “Extremism and populist movements have grown and we must fight them.”
Christians have faced insecurity and exclusion in several parts of the mainly Muslim Middle East in recent months.