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1 | Open Letter to President Obama From a Bahraini Human Rights Defender | Taratasy Misokatra Ho An'ny Filoha Obama Avy Tamin'ny Bahraini Mpiaro Ny Zon'olombelona |
2 | Protesters in Manama, Bahrain, 2011. | Mpanao hetsi-panoherana tao Manama, Bahrein, 2011. |
3 | Photo by Bahraini Activist via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) | Sary avy tamin'ny Bahraini mpikatroka mafana fo, tamin'ny Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) |
4 | The Kingdom of Bahrain is known for its vast oil wealth and, increasingly, its violations of human rights and religious freedoms. | Fantatra amin'ny fananana harena midadasika amin'ny solika, ary indrindra indrindra, ny fanitsakitsahany ireo zon'olombelona sy ny tsy fahalalahan'ny fivavahana, ny Fanjakana Bahrain. |
5 | A nation of just 1.3 million, Bahrain has long been an ally of the United States, which has maintained a military base on the island since 1947. | Firenena misy mponina 1.3 tapitrisa monja, naman'i Etazonia hatry ny ela i Bahrain, izay nametraka toeram-pamaharana miaramila teo amin'ny nosy hatramin'ny taona 1947. |
6 | In the popular uprisings of 2011, Bahrainis demanded greater accountability and adherence to human rights standards from their government. | Tamin'ny fihetsiketseham-bahoaka nalaza be ny taona 2011, nitaky ny fandraisana andraikitra bebe kokoa ary fanarahana ireo fenitra momba ny zon'olombelona nifanarahan'ny rehetra, tamin'ny governemanta ireo Bahrainis. |
7 | Since then, many have spoken of systematic discrimination and marginalization of Shia Muslims by the regime. | Hatreo, maro ireo niresaka ny fanavakavahana hatrany ary fanilikilihana ireo Silamo Siita ataon'ny fitondràna. |
8 | While the majority of Bahrainis are Shia Muslim, the ruling Al-Khalifa family is Sunni. | Raha Silamo Chiites ny ankamaroan'ireo Bahrainis, ny fianakaviana Al-Khalifa eo amin'ny fitondràna ankehitriny kosa Sionita. |
9 | During the protests, Marc Lynch wrote in Foreign Policy magazine that “the Bahraini regime responded [to protests] not only with violent force, but also by encouraging a nasty sectarianism in order to divide the popular movement and to build domestic and regional support for a crackdown.” | Nandritra ireo hetsi-panoherana, nanoratra tao amin'ny gazetiboky Foreign Policy i Marc Lynch hoe “tsy vitan'ny namaly [ireo hetsi-panoherana] tamin'ny herisetra mahery vaika fotsiny ny fitondràna Bahraini, fa ihany koa, nandrisika ny hisian'ny fitokotokoana mahatsiravina mba hanasamahany ny hetsiky ny vahoaka sy hanorenana mafy ny fanohanana nasiônaly sy avy amin'ny faritra ho an'ny fampiasàna hery famoretana.” |
10 | The regime has developed a reputation as one of the most ruthless oppressors of online political speech. | Nampitombo ny lazany ho iray amin'ireo mpanao hery famoretana faran'izay mafy indrindrany fandraisam-pitenenana resaka politika amin'ny Aterineto ny fitondràna. |
11 | Numerous journalists, bloggers, photographers, and digital activists have been arrested and jailed for their efforts to shed light on human rights violations and promote their protection. | Mpanao gazety maro, mpitoraka bilaogy, mpaka sary, ary mpikatroka mafana fo nomerika no nosamborina ary nampidirina am-ponja tamin'ny ezak'izy ireo hitondra fahazavana momba ny fanitsakitsahana ny zon'olombelona ary ny fanindraindran'izy ireo ny fiarovana azy ireny. |
12 | Among them are two members of our own community, Ali Abdulemam and Mohamed Hassan, both of whom have been jailed for their work and now live in exile. | Isan'izy ireny ny mpikambana roa ato amin'ny vondrom-piarahamoninay, Ali Abdulemam sy Mohamed Hassan, samy nofonjaina izy roa ireo noho ny asan'izy ireo ary ankehitriny miaina an-tsesitany. |
13 | This past February, Bahrain revoked citizenship of 72 Bahraini citizens (including Abdulemam), many of whom are journalists or bloggers. | Ny Febroary lasa teo, nolavin'i Bahrain ny zom-pirenena ho an'ireo olom-pirenen'i Bahrain miisa 72 (ao anatin'izany i Abdulemam), mpanao gazety na mpitoraka bilaogy ny ankamaroan'izy ireo. |
14 | Today, US President Barack Obama will meet with the crown prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, whose family has ruled the island nation since the 18th century. | Androany ny Filohan'ny Etazonia Barack Obama dia hihaona amin'ny zanaka lahin'ny mpanjakan'i Bahrein, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, izay ny fianakaviany no nitondra teo amin'ilay nosy firenena hatramin'ny taonjato faha 18. |
15 | In the letter below, Sayed Yousif AlMahafdah asks President Obama to “be the voice of the people of Bahrain” and stress the importance of protecting human rights for all Bahrainis in this meeting. | Ao anatin'ny taratasy etsy ambany, mangataka ny Filoha Obama i Sayed Yousif AlMahafdah, mba “ho feon'ny vahoakan'i Bahrain” ary hanipika ny maha zava-dehibe ny fiarovana ny zon'olombelona ho an'ny Bahrainis rehetra amin'io fihaonana io. |
16 | AlMahafdah is the Vice President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, a non-profit organization based in Bahrain and Denmark. | Filoha lefitry ny Ivon-toerana ho an'ny Zon'olombelona Bahrain i AlMahafdah, fikambanana tsy mikatsaka tombontsoa hita any Bahrain sy any Danemark. |
17 | AlMahafdah is in Berlin, where he has been forced to live in exile since October 2013, after being a target of arbitrary arrests and torture for his human rights work in Bahrain. | Any Berlin i AlMahafdah, izay nahavoatery azy hiaina any an-tsesitany nanomboka ny volana Oktobra 2013, taorian'ny nahalasa azy ho kinendrin'ireo fisamborana tsy ara-drariny sy fampijaliana noho ny asany momba ny zon'olombelona any Bahrain. |
18 | Dear President Obama, | Ry Filoha Obama hajaina, |
19 | Martin Luther King linked the fight for freedom, equality, and justice for African-Americans to the struggle of people around the world face: “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” | Martin Luther King no nampifandrohy ny ady ho an'ny fahalalahana, fitoviana, ary ny rariny ho an'ireo Afrikàna-Amerikàna tamin'ny tolon'ny vahoaka eran-tany: “rahona mitatao ho an'ny rariny maneran-tany ny tsy rariny any rehetra any.” |
20 | Today I write to you about the struggle of my people in Bahrain. | Androany manoratra ho anao aho momba ny tolon'ny vahoakako any Bahrain. |
21 | In Bahrain, we have suffered from injustice and inequality for decades, and we've been fighting for our rights for even longer. | Any Bahrein, am-polo taonany maro izahay no nijaly tamin'ny tsy rariny sy tsy fitoviana, ary fotoana ela mihitsy aza no nitolona ho an'ny zonay. |
22 | The royal Al Khalifa family and their government target and suppress all voices that express the slightest opposition to their many violations against their people. | Mikendry sy manafoana ireo feo rehetra izay maneho fanoherana kely amin'ireo fanitsakitsahana maro ataon'izy ireo amin'ny vahoakany ny fianakaviana mpanjaka Al Khalifa sy ny governemantany. |
23 | The government authorities have constantly and systematically focused on targeting Shia Muslims. | Nifantoka hatrany ary nikendry foana ireo Silamo Siita ireo manampahefana eo amin'ny governemanta. |
24 | The government demolished 38 Shia mosques in 2011, they allow hate speech against Shia to go unchecked in the media, they have imprisoned thousands of Shias and continue to use excessive force against Shia protesters. | Nandrava Maoske Siita miisa 38 ny governemanta ny taona 2011, mamela ireo fandraisam-pitenenana feno fankahalàna ny Siita handeha amin'ny media anefa tsy voaara-maso izy ireo, nandefa am-ponja Siita an'arivony, ary manohy mampiasa hery tafahoatra amin'ireo Siita mpanao hetsi-panoherana. |
25 | Shia are not allowed in the army, or to rise to important government positions. | Tsy mahazo miditra ho miaramila ny Siita, na hoe hanana toerana manan-danja ao amin'ny governemanta. |
26 | We are treated as second-class citizens. | Atao ho olom-pirenena any amin'ny kilasy faharoa izahay. |
27 | The struggle and sufferings of the people of Bahrain are not unlike the struggles of African-Americans under Jim Crow-era laws, or the struggle of black South Africans under apartheid. | Tsy misy maha samihafa ny tolona sy nu fijalian'ireo vahoakan'i Bahrain amin'ny tolon'ireo Afrikàna-Amerikana teo ambanin'ny vanim-potoanan'ny lalàna Jim Crow, na ny tolon'ireo Afrikàna Tatsimo mainty hoditra tamin'ny fanavakavahana ny fotsy sy ny mainty. |
28 | Let me tell you the story of my friends in Jaw Prison, Bahrain's largest long term sentence prison for men, where the treatment of prisoners reflects the discrimination of Shia outside the prison walls. | Mamelà ahy ianao hilaza ny tantaran'ireo namako any amin'ny Fonjan'i Jaw, fonja lehibe indrindra ho an'ireo lehilahy voafonja mandritra ny taona ela any Bahrein, izay fitaratry ny fanilikilihana ny Siita aty ivelan'ireo rindrin'ny fonja ny fomba fitondràna ireo voafonja ao. |
29 | On 10 March at Jaw, hundreds of Shia men and children were subjected to collective beatings, torture, and starvation. | Ny 10 Martsa tao Jaw, ireo Siita lehilahy sy ankizy an-jatony dia niharan'ny fidarohana faobe, fampijaliana, ary hanoanana. |
30 | Prisoners used smuggled phones to upload photos of their torture to social media. | Mampiasa finday antsokosoko ireo voafonja mba handefasana ny sarin'ireo fampijaliana azy any amin'ny media sosialy. |
31 | Guards attacked the Shia prisoners and mocked their sect. | Midaroka ireo Siita voafonja ary manadrohadro ny antokom-pinoana misy azy ireo mpiambina. |
32 | The guards deprived them of practicing their beliefs and performing prayers. | Tsy avelan'ireo mpiambina maneho ny finoany ary manao ny fivavahany izy ireo. |
33 | Some families have not heard from their imprisoned loved ones for weeks. | H erinandro maromaro ny sasany amin'ireo fanakaviana no tsy mandre ny momba ireo havany voafonja. |
34 | In addition, the authorities prosecute anyone who dares to report these crimes. | Ho fanampin'izany, manenjika ireo rehetra izay mahasahy mitatitra ireo heloka ireo ry zareo manampahefana. |
35 | Most recently, they arrested my colleague, prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab. | Vao haingana izao, nosamborin'izy ireo ny mpiara-miasa amiko, malaza mpiaro ny zon'olombelona, Nabeel Rajab. |
36 | He faces up to 10 years in prison for posting tweets about these and other human rights violations. | Mety hahazo sazy an-tranomaizina mandritra ny 10 taona izy, noho ny nandefasany bitsika momba ireny sy ireo fanitsakitsahana hafa ihany koa ny zon'olombelona. |
37 | The torture and abuse is continuing as I write. | Mbola mitohy ny fampijaliana sy fanararaotana amin'izao anoratako izao. |
38 | Unfortunately, no one seems to be able to stop it or even care. | Indrisy, toa tsy misy olona afaka hampitsahatra io na miraharaha akory. |
39 | Despite of this discrimination, we aim to achieve equality, freedom, and democracy, which we deserve as much as any other people. | Na dia eo aza io fanilikilihana io, mikendry ny hahatratra ny fitoviana izahay, ny fahalalahana, ary ny demôkrasia, izay mendrika anay, mitovy amin'ireo olona hafa. |
40 | We believe in Martin Luther King's words, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” | Mino ireo tenin'i Martin Luther King izahay, “manomboka mifarana ny fiainantsika amin'ny andro hahanginantsika amin'ireo zavatra tena manahirana.” |
41 | To take Dr. King's words for Bahrain: “Our goal is freedom, [we] believe we are going to get there because however much she strays away from it, the goal of [Bahrain] is freedom.” | Mba handraisana ireo tenin'i Dr. King ho an'i Bahrain: “Ny fahafahana no tanjonay, Mino [izahay] fa hahatratra izany izahay, satria na dia lavitra an'io aza izany, ny fahalalahana no tanjon'i [Bahrain].” |
42 | We urge you to walk in the steps of US rights champion Martin Luther King and support our struggle. | Manainga anao izahay handeha amin'ireo làlana nizoran'i Martin Luther King, ilay Amerikana tompondakan'ny zo, ary hanohana ny tolonay. |
43 | Be the voice of the people of Bahrain when you meet our crown prince. | Meteza ho feon'ireo vahoakan'i Bahrain rehefa mihaona amin'ny zanaka lahin'ny mpanjakanay ianao. |
44 | Sincerely, | Fanajàna, |
45 | Sayed Yousif AlMahafdah Human rights defender and a former political detainee in Bahrain Vice President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights @saidyousif | Sayed Yousif AlMahafdah Mpiaro ny zon'olombelona ary gadra politika teo aloha tany Bahrain Filoha Lefitry ny Ivon-toerana Bahrain ho an'ny Zon'olombelona @saidyousif |