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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.
Politics of Bahrain has since 2002 taken place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy where the government is appointed by the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The head of the government since 1971 has been Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the Crown Prince is Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who also serves as deputy Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force. The parliament is a bi-cameral legislature, with the Council of Representatives elected by universal suffrage, and the Consultative Council appointed directly by the king.
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.
Sawsan Al Sha’er is widely regarded as Bahrain’s most influential liberal intellectual. A journalist and author, she is a columnist with Al Watan newspaper, having joined the staff there from the pro-government Al Ayam.
Al Meethaq, or the 'National Action Charter Society', is a liberal political party in Bahrain. It was founded by Sunni and Shia businessmen from well-known families in 2002.
The major challenge facing Bahraini liberals is their small number, while Islamist parties such as Asalah and Al Wefaq 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.
Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, or Al-Wefaq for short, is a Shia Bahraini political party. Although from 2006 to 2011 it was by far the single largest party in the Bahraini legislature, with 18 representatives in the 40-member Bahraini parliament, it was often outvoted by coalition blocs of opposition Sunni parties and independent MPs reflecting gerrymandering of electoral districts. On 27 February 2011, the 18 Al-Wefaq members of parliament submitted letters of resignation to protest regime violence against pro-reform Bahraini protestors.
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 criticised legislative proposals put forward by Ali Mattar MP for the introduction of Sharia Law. Dr Abdullah Al Madani told the Gulf Daily News "Could you have ever imagined in your lives that someone in Bahrain could ever propose a law to cut off hands?"
Ali Mohamed Mattar is a salafist Bahraini MP who represents Asalah in the Chamber of Deputies.
Within the elected Chamber of Deputies Al Muntada is known to be close to the Economists Bloc and to a lesser extent, the Democratic 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.
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.
