Human Rights Watch writes to urge Dr. Ihsanoglu to use his position as Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to support measures at the upcoming Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference in Dakar, Senegal on March 13-14 that would improve and strengthen the 1999 OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism. In particular, the OIC should consider two amendments to the Convention to narrow its overbroad definition of terrorism and make absolutely clear that there is no sanction in Islam for deliberately attacking civilians, whatever the circumstances or justifications.

We are writing on December 18, 2007, International Migrants’ Day, to call upon you to implement key reforms to respect and uphold migrants’ rights. On January 21-22, 2008, the United Arab Emirates will host the latest round of the “Colombo Process,” a series of regional consultative processes focused on Asian contract migrant workers. We believe this meeting could provide an important stepping stone to establishing regional minimum standards regarding recruitment, employment, and protection of migrant workers.

We write to you with regard to the detention and alleged severe beating of Mr. Ali Sa`id al-Khabaz and Mr. Hassan Yusif Hamid and other abuses allegedly committed by Anti-Riot Police or other security forces on Monday, May 21, in Sanabis.

This is, to our knowledge, the first significant human rights-related legislation under consideration since Bahrain was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Human Rights Watch believes that the law as presently drafted has the potential to undermine rather than protect the right of peaceful assembly as codified in Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

We are contacting you with regard to the case of Musa `Abid `Ali. According to Mr. `Abid `Ali, a 24-year-old activist with the Committee of the Unemployed, plainclothes persons affiliated with or acting on behalf of Bahraini security forces abducted him on the night of November 27.