The calls to release activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja in Bahrain are growing by the day. The 51 year old Bahrani-Danish citizen has been on a hunger strike for over a month now. Al Khawaja was arrested in April 2011 and has been sentenced to life imprisonment in June. On Tuesday, Bahrainis world over united together trended the hashtag #KillingKhawaja worldwide in an orchestrated campaign to draw attention to the hunger strike of imprisoned human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.
The campaign came alive as Al-Khawaja entered his 33rd day of his hunger strike to protest against his detention in Jaw prison and human rights abuses in the kingdom. Al-Khawaja is currently serving a life sentence on charges of terrorism and planning to overthrow the government.
In an ‘open letter’ letter written from prison on Feb. 8, 2011 the Danish citizen has asked the government of Denmark for an EU intervention and stressed on the human right violations in Bahrain.
An online campaign is underway in Bahrain with leading human rights activists and citizens raising their voice to free the activist. #HelpKhawaja and now #KillingKhawaja is trending and many people have changed their twitter profile pictures with that of Al Khawaja. Numerous people have lost their lives in Bahrain and many jailed since anti-government protests began in Bahrain on February 14, 2011.
One of Al-Khawaja’s daughters Zainab, also a prominent Bahraini human rights activist and blogger, brought her family’s personal suffering to the hashtag.
My father does not want to die, but he will not live bowing to dictators. He will fight til the last breath #killingkhawaja
— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) March 13, 2012
My father was beaten, tortured, sentenced to life in prison, but he remains strong, he doesn’t stop fighting #killingkhawaja
— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) March 13, 2012
I wish the day will never come that I have to explain to my daughter, that we live in a world that doesn’t care enuf to act #killingkhawaja
— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) March 13, 2012
Other prominent Bahraini human right defenders showed their support to the campaign including Maryam Alkhawaja daughter of Al-Khawaja.
Appeal to the king of Bahrain and the Bahraini government to release human rights defender AlKhawaja bit.ly/z4PdeN #KillingKhawaja”
— S.YousifAlmuhafda (@SAIDYOUSIF) March 13, 2012
#bahrain tweeps using hashtag #KillingKhawaja to raise awareness about abdulhadi Alkhawaja on day 35th day #HungerStrike
— Maryam Alkhawaja (@MARYAMALKHAWAJA) March 13, 2012
Bahrainis pinpointed on Government nailing on release of Al-Khawaja
Gov of Bahrain knows that #KillingKhawaja will be by taking away his freedom!and so they jailed him for life for defending human rights
— Ahlam Oun (@AhlamOun) March 13, 2012
However, some doubted on the credibility and effectiveness of the campaign; Andy Carvin, Senior strategist at NPR one of them.
I wonder if the #KillingKhawaja campaign understands that spamming and harassing reporters undermines their goal of getting coverage.
— Andy Carvin (@acarvin) March 13, 2012
In no time Andy Carvin tweet was responded by the campaign supporters.
If any journo feels threatened or is receiving hate mail from our campaign, provide me w/ proof.We will address it #KillingKhawaja @acarvin
— Leila ليلى (@LSal92) March 13, 2012
Andy Carvin ( @acarvin) considers the amount of tweets he’s getting with ppl asking his to dedicate attention to #KillingKhawaja spam.
— Tala (@Taltool11) March 13, 2012
@Taltool11 I’ve been covering the Alkhawaja family for an entire year and now I’m getting hassled for not doing so? Yeah, that’s spam.
— Andy Carvin (@acarvin) March 13, 2012
Tweets whistled targeting to international media organizations asking them to give coverage to the issue
Here is a list of media you can contact and ask to cover #KillingKhawaja, who’s life is at serious risk. twitlonger.com/show/gcodnm
— Free Alkhawaja! (@KhawajaStrike) March 13, 2012
@angryarabiya we’re doing our best, Zainab. The media is #KillingKhawaja
— Leila ليلى (@LSal92) March 13, 2012
We managed to trend #KillingKhawaja worldwide for YOUR attention. Now will you cover a story on him? @CNN @BBCworld @nytimes @AJEnglish
— Free Alkhawaja! (@KhawajaStrike) March 13, 2012
Quite a few high profile journalists including New York Times’ foreign correspondent Nick Kristof joined the campaign to gain attention for Al-Khawaja
#Bahrain opposition has #KillingKhawaja trending worldwide, on 33d day of hunger strike of prisoner Abdulhadi al-Khawaja
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) March 13, 2012
Far too soon, campaign achieved its aim and #KillingKhawaja was trending worldwide.
#killingKhawaja made the first trend WORLDWIDE! twitter.com/fatenhaddad/st…
— Faten Al Haddad (@fatenhaddad) March 13, 2012
About a month back, Al Khawaja wrote a letter to the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighting his plight and the plight of other Bahraini dissidents:
Source: Frontline Defenders via Scribd
