{{Politics of Bahrain
Al Muntada (or The Forum) is a Bahrain society set up by academics, journalists and businessmen to promote liberalism in the Kingdom.
It was established in 2001 to provide a place for liberals to debate how they could meet the challenge of religious extremist domination of political life, which has been a consequence of Bahrain's democratization process; Shia and Sunni extremists have been the best organized and most popular political parties and have quickly filled the new political space opened by reforms.
Al Muntada has since met monthly to debate the most recent political issues. It is chaired by Adel Fakhro, the vice chairman is Gulf News columnist and South Asian specialist, Dr Abdullah Al Madani, and other leading members include journalist Sawsan Al Sha’er and Dr Ahmad Juma, the head of
Al Meethaq
Al-Meethaq (; ) is a Liberalism, liberal political party in Bahrain. It was founded by Sunni and Shi'a businessmen from well-known families in 2002.
It won no seats in the Bahraini parliamentary election, 2002, 2002 or Bahraini parliamentary el ...
.
The major challenge facing Bahraini liberals is their small number, while Islamist parties such as
Asalah
The Al-Asalah Islamic Society () is the main Sunni Salafist political party in Bahrain. The party is the political wing of the Islamic Education Society (''Al-Tarbiya Al-Islamiya'') which funds the party. Asalah's leader is Ghanim Al Buaneen ...
and
Al Wefaq
Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society (; ), sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest court in Bahrain to be dissolved and liquidated. Although from ...
are mass organisations. Al Muntada does not pretend to have the same scale of support, but has sought to hold meetings to address issues of interest to a growing portion of the population. Because of the number of liberals, the group has not sought to become another political party but tries to use the new political space in civil society to influence opinion and policy.
In an Arab region where deference to religious figures is the norm, Al Muntada is unapologetically secular, giving voice to liberals’ aspirations and concerns. Its spokesmen have condemned the "dark forces" inside the parliament that want to "promote the same ideology of the Taliban".
Traditionally Bahrain's liberals had looked to the government to be their protector, and in some ways the government has signaled its intention to safeguard personal freedoms in the new political framework by appointing sixteen members of the liberal Al Meethaq party to the Consultative Council, Bahrain's appointed upper chamber of parliament, to counter the dominance of Islamists in the lower chamber. However, liberals have expressed the strongest concern after the government has signaled that it will avoid confrontation with Islamist MPs over issues such as the sale of alcohol during Ramadan, and other personal freedoms.
Among the intiaitives launched by Al Muntada is a campaign to protect personal freedoms, We Have A Right, with affiliate organisations, Bahrain Youth Society, National Liberal Thought Society, Bahrain Women's Society, National Action Charity Society, the Future Forum Society and the Alumni Club, spearheading the task force. The group has criticise legislative proposals put forward by
Ali Mattar
Ali Mohamed Mattar () is a salafist Bahraini MP who represents Asalah in the Chamber of Deputies.
Mattar is one of Asalah's most active MPs, and is seen as carving out a niche for himself in parliamentary life with legislative proposals that have ...
MP for the introduction of Sharia Law. Dr Abdullah Al Madani told th Gulf Daily News "Could you have ever imagined in your lives that someone in Bahrain could ever propose a law to cut off hands?"
Within the elected
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
Al Muntada is known to be close to the
Economists Bloc
The Economists Bloc () is a liberal political party in Bahrain which was represented by three MPs in the 2002-2006 parliament, but lost all its seats in the 2006 general election.
The party was the most consistent advocate of human rights, democ ...
and to a lesser extent, the Democratic Bloc.
Islamists have responded to the challenge posed by Al Muntada by ignoring it initially and then seeking to portray it as a pro-government, pro-American and elitist.