Bahrain Freedom Movement

Bahrain Freedom Movement (or Islamic Bahrain Freedom Movement Arabic: حركة أحرار البحرين الإسلامية) is a London based Bahraini Islamist opposition group which has its headquarters in a north London mosque. Its main mouthpiece is the [http://vob.org/ Voice of Bahrain] website which was blocked for several years by Batelco, Bahrain's sole Internet service provider, on orders from the Ministry of Information.

The Bahrain Freedom Movement operates with two names: a secular name in English but a name which reflects its Islamist roots in Arabic: Harakit Ahraar Al Bahrin Al Islameya.

The BFM played a leading role in the 1990s Uprising in Bahrain.

It is led by Dr Said Shehabi, who was formerly a member of Bahrain’s main Shi'a Islamist party, Al Wefaq Islamic National Society but resigned along with several other members in September 2005 after it made the decision to end its boycott on parliamentary elections. Dr Shehabi is a columnist with the London based Arab newspaper, Al Quds Al Arabi.

The Bahrain government’s political reforms in 2001 saw two of the BFM's most prominent leaders leave the movement. Under the reforms all exiles were invited to return to the Kingdom to participate in the political process, and leading members returned to their homeland.

Although all of its members have received political amnesties and most have returned to Bahrain to participate in the political process, several remain in London where they hold the status of asylum seekers.

ee also

*1990s Uprising in Bahrain
*Politics of Bahrain

External links

* [http://vob.org/ Voice of Bahrain]

* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8437221645219917285 Video: Bahrain - The Story of Constitutional Uprising]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8207296200885546643 Carlton TV documentary about Bahrain Uprising]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1407567243827985805 Channel 4 video of Bahrain Uprising]