Bahrain Freedom Movement
The Bahrain Freedom Movement () is a London-based Bahraini opposition group which has its headquarters in a north London mosque. Its main medium is the 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 BFM played a leading role in the 1990s uprising in Bahrain. It is led by Said Al 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 ended its boycott of parliamentary elections. 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 Bahrain 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 have remained in London where they hold the status of asylum seekers. On March 7, 2011, Al Shehabi alongside Hasan Mushaima, the leader of the Haq movement and Abdulwahab Hussain, the leader of the Wafa movement, formed the "Coalition for the Republic", calling for an overthrow of the Sunni government, because of the crackdown in February during the Bahraini uprising of 2011. See also 1990s uprising in Bahrain List of political parties in Bahrain Politics of Bahrain External links Video: Bahrain – The Story of Constitutional Uprising Carlton TV documentary about Bahrain Uprising Channel 4 video of Bahrain Uprising References Bahraini uprising of 2011 Islamic organisations based in the United Kingdom Islamist groups National liberation movements Political parties in Bahrain Republicanism in Bahrain 1982 establishments in the United Kingdom Political parties established in 1982 Organizations of the Arab Spring Political opposition organizations Organizations designated as terrorist by Bahrain