Political Quotes

“Mr. President, February marks the anniversary of the massive, peaceful protests against Bahrain's repressive regime in 2011. Bahraini citizens, men and women of all ages and backgrounds, demanded more accountability from their leaders and more agency in their lives. Instead of sitting down with the protestors as leaders in Oregon or Washington, DC, often do, Bahrain's rulers unleashed the country's security forces on them. I am afraid that it has now become a rather sad tradition of mine to remind the Senate of these events, and so before February gives way to March, I just wanted to offer a few words on why this issue continues to resonate. Bahrain held elections in November 2018, but they were hardly on the level. ``The Economist'' termed them ``unfair.'' The head of Human Rights First called them ``fake elections.'' The Project on Middle East Democracy and Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain said they were a ``sham.'' The list goes on. This should come as no surprise to anybody paying attention to development in Bahrain because the regime banned opposition parties from participating altogether. That is not exactly a recipe for a free, fair, or legitimate outcome. Indeed, the regime has spent the past couple years detaining, intimidating, and silencing the political opposition. But don't take my word for it, that's how Amnesty International characterized the situation before the November elections. The repression extends far beyond the ballot box.…”