Misplaced Pages

Waleed Abulkhair: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 22:49, 17 February 2014 editFoxy ksa (talk | contribs)24 editsNo edit summaryTag: Mobile edit← Previous edit Revision as of 06:07, 18 February 2014 edit undoBgwhite (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users547,151 edits Reverted to revision 594284400 by NSH002 (talk): Email and twitter are not reliable. (TW)Next edit →
Line 37: Line 37:


== Beginning of activities == == Beginning of activities ==
In 2007, Abu Al-Khair and other activists released a reform petition titled ''Parameters of the Constitutional Monarchy'' in which they have requested from the Saudi royal family to change to current ruling regime (absolute monarchy) into a democratic system to insure the participation of the people through free elections. Additionally, in the same year, Waleed and other activist (Yahya Assiri, which later he became a member of MHRSA) made several visits to families of detainees in order to investigate about human rights violations that might occurred on their relatives in prison. One year later, he organised a hunger strike for prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia for 48 hours, as the first ] campaign in ] in a ] case. In 2007, Abu Al-Khair and other activists released a reform petition titled ''Parameters of the Constitutional Monarchy'' in which they have requested from the Saudi royal family to change to current ruling regime (absolute monarchy) into a democratic system to insure the participation of the people through free elections. One year later, he organised a hunger strike for prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia for 48 hours, as the first ] campaign in ] in a ] case.


=== Prominence in the community === === Prominence in the community ===
Line 67: Line 67:
Smood was attacked heavily by many conservatives on the social media and on TV. It has been claimed that the saloon is encouraging atheism and skepticism, especially after ]’s case knowing that he was a personal friend of Abu Al-Khair and many other regular visitors of this saloon. One day, few conservatives visited Smood and secretly recorded the discussion without the attendees permission, on the next day, they tweeted negatively about the topics discussed and the type of people attending Smood. Moreover, they have contacted a TV show and requested from the government and the ] to take a serious actions toward such meetings. Abu Al-Khair defended his saloon by saying that he is offering the freedom of speech, the freedom of belief and the freedom of expression, which are things that cannot be provided outside the door of his house.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://world.time.com/2012/07/12/in-saudi-arabia-dissent-is-alive-and-well-but-only-online-or-in-private/ |title=In Saudi Arabia, Activists Speak Out Online and in Private |first=Jacob |last=Templin |work=TIME.com |date=12 July 2012 |accessdate=4 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qg_pMcuwUs |title= ‫وليد ابوالخير و ديوانيه الصمود ديوانيه الألحاد والكفر |work=YouTube |date=6 March 2012 |accessdate=4 October 2013}} {{ar icon}}</ref> Smood was attacked heavily by many conservatives on the social media and on TV. It has been claimed that the saloon is encouraging atheism and skepticism, especially after ]’s case knowing that he was a personal friend of Abu Al-Khair and many other regular visitors of this saloon. One day, few conservatives visited Smood and secretly recorded the discussion without the attendees permission, on the next day, they tweeted negatively about the topics discussed and the type of people attending Smood. Moreover, they have contacted a TV show and requested from the government and the ] to take a serious actions toward such meetings. Abu Al-Khair defended his saloon by saying that he is offering the freedom of speech, the freedom of belief and the freedom of expression, which are things that cannot be provided outside the door of his house.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://world.time.com/2012/07/12/in-saudi-arabia-dissent-is-alive-and-well-but-only-online-or-in-private/ |title=In Saudi Arabia, Activists Speak Out Online and in Private |first=Jacob |last=Templin |work=TIME.com |date=12 July 2012 |accessdate=4 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qg_pMcuwUs |title= ‫وليد ابوالخير و ديوانيه الصمود ديوانيه الألحاد والكفر |work=YouTube |date=6 March 2012 |accessdate=4 October 2013}} {{ar icon}}</ref>


On Wednesday 2 October 2013, the Saudi criminal justice authorities arrested Abu Al-Khair for allegedly hosting reformists in his home during a recurring weekly discussion forum. Police investigators summoned him for questioning on 1 October. After he arrived at the investigators office at 12:30 p.m. on 2 October, police took him into detention, eventually transferring him to al-Sharafiyya police station in Jeddah. Authorities have detained Abu Al-Khair on the order of governor Prince ]. Charges he may face would be for his links to pro-reform activists as well as hosting them at an unlicensed discussion forum in his home, he has been released the next day.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://twitmail.com/email/48379197/19/%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B9%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%AF-%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A8-%D8%A5%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D9%87-%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B1 |title=بيان تنديد من أعضاء مرصد حقوق الإنسان بسبب إعتقال مؤسسه وليد سامي أبوالخير |trans_title=Statement of condemnation from members of the Human Rights Monitor because of the arrest of its founder and Waleed Sami Abulkhair |work=TwitMail |date=3 October 2013 |accessdate=4 October 2013}} {{ar icon}}</ref> On Wednesday 2 October 2013, the Saudi criminal justice authorities arrested Abu Al-Khair for allegedly hosting reformists in his home during a recurring weekly discussion forum. Police investigators summoned him for questioning on 1 October. After he arrived at the investigators office at 12:30 p.m. on 2 October, police took him into detention, eventually transferring him to al-Sharafiyya police station in Jeddah. Authorities have detained Abu Al-Khair on the order of governor Prince ]. Charges he may face would be for his links to pro-reform activists as well as hosting them at an unlicensed discussion forum in his home.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://twitmail.com/email/48379197/19/%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B9%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%AF-%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A8-%D8%A5%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D9%87-%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B1 |title=بيان تنديد من أعضاء مرصد حقوق الإنسان بسبب إعتقال مؤسسه وليد سامي أبوالخير |trans_title=Statement of condemnation from members of the Human Rights Monitor because of the arrest of its founder and Waleed Sami Abulkhair |work=TwitMail |date=3 October 2013 |accessdate=4 October 2013}} {{ar icon}}</ref>

On Sunday 9 February 2014, investigators contacted Waleed and asked him to visit them the next day for interrogation regarding Smood <ref><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>وردني اتصال من البحث الجنائي في جدة قبل قليل يطلب حضوري غداً .. هذا وأنا عندي قضيتين في المحكمة وبرضو استدعاءات</p>&mdash; وليد أبوالخير (@WaleedAbulkhair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WaleedAbulkhair/statuses/432474383320616961">February 9, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></ref>. The day after, when Wleed went to them they transferred him to Alsharfiyyah police station where he was arrested previously. Alsharfiyyah police station refused to admit him as they claimed his residence does not belong to their administrative area. Accordingly, he was transferred to Alslamah police station, where they refused as well to admit him as they claimed the station is for criminal offences only <ref><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>شرطة الشرفية ترفض اعتقالي وشرطة السلامة أيضاً وانا يتم نقلي بينهم والبحث الجنائي ..</p>&mdash; وليد أبوالخير (@WaleedAbulkhair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WaleedAbulkhair/statuses/432825245696028672">February 10, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></ref>. After a while they admitted him and interrogated him, then the police requested that Waleed should be bailed by someone in order for him to get released <ref>https://twitter.com/Foxy_ksa/status/432888318112854016/photo/1</ref> . He was kept in the cell for a while until he got free around 9 p.m. <ref>https://twitter.com/Foxy_ksa/status/432928473251065856/photo/1</ref> <ref>https://twitter.com/Foxy_ksa/status/432943111002914817/photo/1</ref>


== Publications == == Publications ==

Revision as of 06:07, 18 February 2014

Waleed Abu Al-Khair
Waleed Abu Al-Khair in November 2012Waleed Abu Al-Khair in November 2012
Born (1979-06-17) 17 June 1979 (age 45)
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Occupation(s)Lawyer and human rights activist
Years active2007-present
SpouseSamar Badawi

Waleed Sami Abu Al-Khair (Template:Lang-ar) is a Saudi Arabian lawyer and human rights activist, and the head of the "Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia" (MHRSA) organization. He was listed by Forbes magazine as one of Top 100 Most Influential Arabs on Twitter.

Early life and education

Abu Al-Khair was born on 17 June 1979, in the coastal city of Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia. He received his bachelor degree in Arabic language from King Abdul Aziz University in 2003. Abu Al-Khair began his career as a lawyer in 2007, when he joined Essam Basrawi's office for law firm and legal consultations. Then he moved to Jordan where he studied for his master's degree in Islamic Law (jurisprudence and its origins) at Yarmouk University, graduating in 2009, the topic of his thesis being Connection and Disconnection In Presumptions, Causes and Judgments supervised by Dr. Abdul Jalil Zauhair Damra. In the same year, after graduation, Abu Al-Khair established his own human rights organization (MHRSA) which he managed to register in Canada in 2012 to became the first registered Saudi human rights organization.

Beginning of activities

In 2007, Abu Al-Khair and other activists released a reform petition titled Parameters of the Constitutional Monarchy in which they have requested from the Saudi royal family to change to current ruling regime (absolute monarchy) into a democratic system to insure the participation of the people through free elections. One year later, he organised a hunger strike for prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia for 48 hours, as the first hunger strike campaign in Saudi Arabia in a human rights case.

Prominence in the community

In 2009, he filed a lawsuit against the Interior Ministry to release the reform activist Abdul Rahman Al Shumari. Additionally, he founded the organization "Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia". Moreover, Abu Al-Khair participated in the Alliance of Youth Movements (AYM) summit in Mexico. While in Yemen, Abu Al-Khair became a Certified Trainer on Human Rights by the Human Rights Information & Training Center (HRITC). Later in that year, he and other youth activists launched a campaign called "Jeddah Save" after the city faced a devastating flood, where they sat up a Facebook page that has been used as a key platform to manage and organize Jeddah saving efforts and actions.

International representation

In 2010, Abu Al-Khair started to build his international reputation as a credible and reliable source to represent Saudi Arabia internationally in human rights causes. He participated in two meetings arranged by Netherlands-based organization "Bridging The Gulf", one in the European Parliament about the human rights situation in the Gulf states, the other in Kuwait about human rights activists in the GCC countries. Moreover, he attended a conference that was organised by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Bahrain. While in Bahrain, Abu Al-Khair was invited by Front Line Defenders to a meeting to discuss issues related to Human Rights in the GCC countries with major European diplomats. Additionally, he attended a workshop in monitoring and documentation of human rights violations, conducted by Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) and the Scandinavian Institute For Human Rights.

Locally, and in the same year, Waleed was appointed by the British Embassy as the dedicated lawyer for a British prisoner.

Samar Badawi case

Samar Badawi is a Saudi woman who was in prison for disobedience under the Saudi Arabian male guardianship system, Abu Al-Khair was her lawyer and defended her in court in addition to initiating an online campaign that created a huge awareness about her case within the Saudi society using different social channels such as Twitter, Facebook and a dedicated blog that was publishing all the documents and updates related to the case. The Free Samar Campaign is considered the first Saudi Twitter campaign that made an effect on reality. Within a few days, it became a public story, and was covered massively by local media. Three weeks later, Badawi was released and Abu Al-Khair won what is called the most important case of women. Later Badawi and Abu Al-Khair were married.

Society movements

Abu Al-Khair was a major player in many movement related to the Saudi society in 2011. He wrote many petitions demanding civil and political rights, the latest one demanding the right of women to drive cars. In judicial precedent, Abu Al-Khair filed a lawsuit against the ban on women's participation in municipal elections. He also launched a campaign for municipal elections with other youth activists, the result was the winning of their candidate. In that year, Forbes Middle East named him as one of the top 100 Arab activists on Twitter with more than 40,000 followers.

International recognition

In 2012, Abu Al-Khair was selected by the U.S. Department of State as a finalist in the Middle East Partnership Initiative’s Leaders for Democracy Fellowship program. Additionally, he joined the Irish Front Line Defenders Foundation for the protection of human rights defenders. Abu Al-Khair was also listed by Portland Communications as one of the top 40 Arabs and the top 10 Saudis on Twitter with more than 53,000 followers. He and Tunisian lawyer Radhia Nasraoui shared the 2012 Swedish Olof Palme Prize. Because of a travel ban, he could not receive the prize himself, so two members of MHRSA went and collected the prize on his behalf, his wife Samar Badawi and Fahad Al Fahad. Abu Al-Khair made a significant step in his human rights path when he registered his organisation Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA) in Canada as an independent human rights organisation, following the refusal of the Saudi authorities to allow the organisation to be registered in the kingdom. MHRSA is now considered the first Saudi human rights organization registered outside Saudi Arabia.

Smood, the weekly saloon

As a reaction to the Saudi authorities decision to shut down "Bridges Café" in Jeddah, which was a meeting point for Saudi youth to talk and discuss several topics, Abu Al-Khair started a weekly gathering in his saloon, hosting a few dozen of people, most of them politically engaged Saudi youth from different backgrounds, topics focuses on political, religious and human rights issues, in addition to cultural and intellectual subjects. The saloon is named “Smood,” an Arabic word that can be translated as “resistance” or “steadfastness.”

Smood was attacked heavily by many conservatives on the social media and on TV. It has been claimed that the saloon is encouraging atheism and skepticism, especially after Hamza Kashgari’s case knowing that he was a personal friend of Abu Al-Khair and many other regular visitors of this saloon. One day, few conservatives visited Smood and secretly recorded the discussion without the attendees permission, on the next day, they tweeted negatively about the topics discussed and the type of people attending Smood. Moreover, they have contacted a TV show and requested from the government and the religious police to take a serious actions toward such meetings. Abu Al-Khair defended his saloon by saying that he is offering the freedom of speech, the freedom of belief and the freedom of expression, which are things that cannot be provided outside the door of his house.

On Wednesday 2 October 2013, the Saudi criminal justice authorities arrested Abu Al-Khair for allegedly hosting reformists in his home during a recurring weekly discussion forum. Police investigators summoned him for questioning on 1 October. After he arrived at the investigators office at 12:30 p.m. on 2 October, police took him into detention, eventually transferring him to al-Sharafiyya police station in Jeddah. Authorities have detained Abu Al-Khair on the order of governor Prince Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud. Charges he may face would be for his links to pro-reform activists as well as hosting them at an unlicensed discussion forum in his home.

Publications

Additionally, Abu Al-Khair has published over 300 articles in Saudi newspapers concerning legal reforms and human rights issues.

Media

Many major international journalists have interviewed Abu Al-Khair, for example: Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post; Pierre Prier, Le Figaro; Frank Gardner, BBC; and Jacob Templin, TIME Magazine. Moreover, several media were interested about Waleed’s activities such as CNN, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Al Hiwar, Financial Times and many others.

See also

References

  1. ar:وليد أبوالخير
  2. ^ "ارتفاع عدد وفيات سيول جدة إلى 106". The Message of Islam. 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) Template:Ar icon
  3. "خطاب إلى خادم الحرمين الشريفين للمطالبة بإطلاق سراح منال الشريف". TwitMail. 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) Template:Ar icon
  4. "Top 100 Most Followed Arabs on Twitter". Forbes Middle East. 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013. Template:Ar icon
  5. "Saudi Arabian human rights lawyer banned from travelling to US". Amnesty International. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  6. "Photos of مرصد حقوق الإنسان في السعودية : Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi (MHRSA)". Facebook. 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  7. "Saudi Arabia / Sweden - Human Rights Defender Waleed Sami Abu Al-Khair Awarded the 2012 Olof Palme Prize". Gulf Centre for Human Rights. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  8. "Saudi Arabia: Rights Groups Blocked From Operating". Human Rights Watch. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  9. Templin, Jacob (12 July 2012). "In Saudi Arabia, Activists Speak Out Online and in Private". TIME.com. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  10. "‫وليد ابوالخير و ديوانيه الصمود ديوانيه الألحاد والكفر". YouTube. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2013. Template:Ar icon
  11. "بيان تنديد من أعضاء مرصد حقوق الإنسان بسبب إعتقال مؤسسه وليد سامي أبوالخير". TwitMail. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) Template:Ar icon
  12. "Our steadfast pursuit of a freer Saudi Arabia". Washington Post. April 20, 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  13. "Saudis Stymied by Fear". Institute for War & Peace Reporting. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
Olof Palme Prize laureates

Template:Persondata

Categories: