Bahrain: Barrier-Breaking Bahraini Masters Diplomatic Scene

Nonoo Is First Jewish Ambassador From an Arab Nation

By Nora Boustany
Washington Post Foreign Service

It takes charm, courage and chutzpah to master the Washington diplomatic scene, and Houda Ezra Nonoo, Bahrain's first female ambassador here and the first Jewish ambassador of an Arab country, is well on her way.



The granddaughter of Iraqi Jews who migrated to the tiny archipelago in the Persian Gulf, Nonoo came into public view in 2004 as a founding member of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society. She helped bring attention to the plight of domestic workers and other foreign laborers and worked to promote the rights of women and children.

In 2006, Nonoo was appointed to the Shura Council, the upper chamber of parliament. She replaced her brother Ibrahim, the first Jewish member of the council, who decided to devote himself to his business concerns.

Then news leaked out that King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifae had informed U.S. officials of his intention to name Nonoo as ambassador here. Bahrain's news media shot down the move to name a "Jewish ambassador" as a public relations stunt by the Sunni dynasty, which rules over a disgruntled Shiite majority in this country of about 700,000 people.

"When newspaper headlines said the government was sending a Jewish envoy to Washington, that really upset me. I was hurt because I am Bahraini. They took my religion and forgot I was Bahraini," Nonoo said, adding that her grandfather served on the 1934 municipal council, which was elected. "I think I was chosen because of my work on human rights. I was outspoken, and that is what catapulted me into this position. I never expected to be here serving my country in this capacity."

Asked about reports that some Shiites felt left out when Nonoo was appointed, her predecessor, Nasser Beloushi, said: "We don't think about it in that way -- Sunni, Shiite, Christian or Jewish. You are a Bahraini first, and you should serve your country. Bahrain is that way."

Beloushi said Nonoo's father was a well-known financier and "one of the original pillars of our banking system. He was trusted and well liked." His money exchange business grew into the Bahrain Financial Company.

"Her brother's merchant companies are highly regarded and successful," added Beloushi, who said he knows him well.

Nonoo's grandparents initially considered heading to India but settled on the sleepy, barren island surrounded by oyster beds and coral reefs. Her grandfather, Ibrahim, started out with a money exchange business, the oldest such company in Bahrain.

About 500 Jews lived in Bahrain in the early 1940s, according to Ali al-Jalawi, a Bahraini author who has written a book about the community. After the creation of Israel in 1948, attacks on the homes of Bahraini Jews triggered an exodus from Manama, the capital. But Nonoo's family stayed.

"They never thought of leaving Bahrain, because it is their country and what they know. It is hard to just get up and go. Home is where the heart is," she said, sitting in her spacious, sun-flooded office on International Drive.

Today, 36 Jews live in the country, and they are all related, Nonoo said. There is one synagogue in Manama but no rabbi. A "learned scholar" presides over special religious celebrations and funerals, and kosher meat is flown in from London. The last bris was performed 80 years ago, and the last Jewish wedding took place in 1965, she said. Such functions are now held abroad.

Nonoo said she is not strictly religious but observes the high holidays, fasts on Yom Kippur and is respectful and mindful of "basic" Jewish traditions.

"At the end of the day, I am always going to be a Bahraini. Culturally and morally, I am an Arab," she said.

When Nonoo goes on speaking tours in the United States, she is often asked the same questions: Can she go out in Bahrain? Can she walk around without a veil? Is she allowed to drive? The answer to all of the above is yes.

Born in 1964, Nonoo attended a coed school run by Italian nuns, and her classmates included Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus and Bahais. They had play dates at one another's homes. "I never felt I was different," she said.

At 15, she was sent to boarding school in England, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in accounting from City of London Polytechnic. She also received an MBA from the International University of Europe in Waterford.

When she presented her credentials to President Bush this summer, Nonoo said she was nervous and slightly apprehensive, but "the door opened and he made me feel just like a friend."

Soon after her arrival, Nonoo attended the Meridian Ball, one of the glitziest events of the year, where diplomats, officials and A-listers get together for dessert, champagne and dancing after embassy dinners. "Everyone wanted to meet me. I had just arrived and I was overwhelmed," she admitted.

But Omani Ambassador Hunaina Sultan Ahmed al-Mughairy, another woman representing an Arab Gulf country, took Nonoo under her wing, she said with gratitude.

The demands of accompanying her country's foreign minister to appointments in New York on Tuesday morning did not prevent Nonoo from hosting her first big reception in Washington that afternoon.

Radiant and exuding a natural liveliness, Nonoo greeted well-wishers to an event at the Ritz-Carlton marking Bahrain's National Day. Understated yet chic in pumps, a tapered black lace dress and a short red satin jacket, she stood next to her husband, a British citizen of Iranian descent, and her defense attache. An oud player in traditional Gulf robes strummed lilting melodies in the background.

In Washington, Nonoo lives in a two-bedroom apartment but is contemplating revamping the embassy's old residence. Her husband, now visiting their sons, ages 16 and 17, helps run Gulf Computer Services in Bahrain, a family business. They often meet in London, where her older son studies.

"She is a breath of fresh air," noted Ina Ginsberg, a Washington member of the American-Bahrain Friendship Council. "She adds a new voice to the conversation. It takes guts for any woman to come here as ambassador, but she is going to be a trailblazer."

Arab League Ambassador Hussein Hassouna, who recently joined Nonoo on a speaking engagement at Harvard University, said he was taken by her intelligence and warmth. "She is a great addition. Arab countries do well to send women and envoys from minority communities."

Lebanon: Sison hosts Lebanese women with political ambitions

By Dalila Mahdawi
Daily Star staff

AWKAR: The US Embassy in Beirut hosted a luncheon on Wednesday for Lebanese participants of a US-sponsored "Election Exchange Program" held from October- November.



Almost 50 women political leaders from the Middle East and North Africa traveled to the US "to learn from the US experience in electoral campaigning," discuss the status of democratic, educational, economic and reform efforts in their home countries and witness the US presidential elections, a US Embassy press release said. All women are intending to stand for political positions in their home countries.

US Ambassador Michele Sison welcomed eight of the 13 Lebanese participants at her residence to discuss their experiences during the program.

Ghada al-Yafi, who plans to run in the 2009 elections as an independent candidate, told The Daily Star she had found the program "very enriching, especially for formulating ideas on how to promote democracy and learning tools to bring about change." She, like many other participants, expressed her optimism that women could help bring about political reform in Lebanon.

According to Ferial Abu-Hamdan, a project manager at the General Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and who served as a municipal council member from 1998-2004, "The main thing that struck me during the program was the time spent planning and managing campaigns, and how involved young people are in political life." Lebanese were not nearly as committed to volunteer work, she said.

The program impressed on her the necessity of educating people about the importance of voting and spreading political awareness. "If you don't vote, you can't complain," she said.


Dunia al-Khoury, president of the Women's Association of Deir al-Ahmar and one-time representative of the Bekaa to the Lebanese government, reiterated the importance of political involvement. "Lebanon is like a puzzle, each citizen should take part."

Although Lebanese women are increasingly taking on leading positions in the private and educational sectors, they face many obstacles entering politics. Women constitute roughly 56 percent of the population, and yet have less than 5 percent representation in government, numbering only five members of Parliament and one minister.

One difficulty faced by Arab women politicians, said Hamdan, is that "women aren't taken seriously. When I was I at the municipality, I had to continuously defend myself and my ideas ... I was in a higher position than others, but still I wasn't taken seriously because I was a woman."

Women activists have long been calling for a 35 percent quota in representation in the Lebanese government. Addressing the possibility of implementing such a quota, Yafi said, "I'm not for quotas because they go against the principle of democracy, but I am for a women's quota at least during the period of candidacy." According to Khoury, a quota would be "a simple way for women to enter politics. The Lebanese mentality cannot envision women as decision makers."

Implementing a woman's quota would be problematic, as Lebanon already has a quota in place for religious groups. "It is important for democracy to be based on secularism," Yafi said, hoping the religious quota would be abolished.

Bahrain: Huda - a reflection of Bahrain's tolerant culture

Her face is an arresting image in determination and aspiration these days in Bahrain. It is a soft but determined look primed to prove that the alleged clash between cultures does not really exist and that the war of religious ideas is merely a myth.

Huda Ezra Nonoo, the woman tipped to be her country's next ambassador to Washington and to become the first Jewish envoy of an Arab state to the US, is on a mission to offset the concept that Jews in Arab countries are less patriotic and dedicated to their country's ideals than their fellow nationals.

Huda, a mother of two teenage boys, is undoubtedly Bahrain's most featured face in the media today, and even long after the fanfare about her nomination as her country's top diplomat in Washington subdues, she will always be recalled for making history. Again.

Because Huda is not a history-making novice.

In 2004, she became the first minority woman to head a human rights society and in 2006 she was the first Jewish female lawmaker to sit in the upper house. Two positions that shed the spotlight on the quiet woman born 43 years ago to a Bahraini family devoted to business and financial activities. She herself was destined to perpetuate the family tradition after she studied business in Britain and opened a shop in one of Manama's busiest avenues selling computers and computer accessories.

But now her inexorably stratospheric public ascent since 2004 seems to have put her business vocation on hold in favour of diplomacy.

The perspective fascinates her.

Only two women in Bahrain have had the outstanding distinction of heading diplomatic missions, Shaikha Haya Bint Rashid Al Khalifa in France and Bibi Al Alawi currently in China. No Jew or Christian was ever appointed as ambassador, although a Christian woman, Alice Samaan, is one of the two vice presidents of the upper house in the bicameral parliament.

Around 40 Jews today live in Bahrain. Decades ago, there were hundreds of them but many emigrated for various reasons.

"There was a Jewish community in Bahrain of between 300 and 400 persons who lived in Manama ... They were quiet, law-abiding, timorous people...," wrote Charles Belgrave, the British advisor to the rulers of Bahrain from 1926 until 1957, in his book Personal Column.

One of the first Jews to settle in Bahrain was Saleh Eliyahou Yadgar, coming from Basra in the late 1880s. "He began as a tobacconist and later sold flour. He then started dealing with second-hand clothes and also commenced in the material trade supplied from abroad, mainly dealing in the sale of abayas, the long black dress covering worn by Gulf women," writes Nancy Elly Khedouri, a Bahraini Jew in her book From Our Beginning to Present Day.

He and the other Baghdadi Jews who arrived in Bahrain in the early 1990s settled in with ease and some of them became involved in political life.

"Issac Sweiry, Meir Dahoud Rouben and Abraham Nonoo, were members of the Manama Municipality. The membership did not bring about any hatred or problems," Nancy writes.

The Nonoo family history in Bahrain began with Abraham Nonoo "who left Iraq at the age of nine or ten with his uncle and came to Manama". Abraham was elected in 1934 as member of the Manama Municipality. His grandson, also Abraham, was the first Jew to be appointed to the Shura (Upper) Council in 2002 and served until 2006. The post was later assigned to his cousin, Huda Ezra Nonoo. It heralded a new chapter in her life.

Now, her historic designation as the head of the diplomatic mission in Washington is seen by most Bahrainis as a reflection of the country's tolerance towards Jews and Christians and a celebration of its kaleidoscopic blend of communities. Many also celebrate it as a new recognition of the elevated status of women in a conservative region.

Bahrainis, both common people and officials, say that Huda, who was educated at Carmel College, Oxfordshire, was selected based on her merit as a citizen and regardless of her religious beliefs. Their views are reinforced by the Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa. "She is a Bahraini citizen whose forefathers are also Bahrainis," he says.

For the minister, an eternal romantic and savvy diplomat, the fact that Bahrain had only 37 Jews out of a total native population of 530,000 and that most of them were engaged in business and financial activities did not mean that they should be overlooked for diplomatic posts.

By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief, Gulf News

Bahrain: Jewish woman confirmed as US ambassador

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa on Sunday confirmed and defended his government's plans to appoint a Jewish woman, Huda Nunu, as ambassador to the US. "Nunu was chosen because she is a Bahraini like her father," the minister said, as quoted by the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA). He confirmed that his government had informed Washington of its intention to appoint Nunu to the post and was awaiting its response before naming her officially.

At the end of May a senior Bahraini official told newswire AFP, on condition of anonymity, that Nunu was to be named ambassador to Washington and stressed the move - the first for an Arab country - was "not a public relations exercise". He said King Hamad had informed US officials during a visit to Washington in March of Bahrain's intention to appoint Nunu. The Jewish population in Bahrain amounts to no more than 37 among a total of around 530,000 people.

"This move is not propaganda," the official had added. "It reflects a climate of tolerance towards minorities in Bahrain," which is ruled by a Sunni dynasty and has a disgruntled Shi'ite majority.

Nunu was appointed to the Shura (consultative) Council - the upper chamber of parliament in 2006. Bahrain is the only Arab Gulf country to have a Jewish community. Their numbers are believed to have been higher at the turn of the 20th century, but dwindled following the creation of Israel in 1948.

Nunu's grandfather, Ibrahim Nunu, represented the Jewish community in Bahrain's municipal council formed by the British authorities in 1919. The council had representatives of all religious and ethnic communities that were present in the then British protectorate. Nunu will be the third Bahraini woman to be appointed as an ambassador. Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa was the country's ambassador to France, while Shi'ite Bibi Alawi was appointed a few months ago as envoy to China.

-- AFP

Bahrain: New Jewish ambassador not propaganda

Bahrain's anticipated appointment of a Jewish woman as ambassador to the United States -- the first for an Arab country -- is not a public relations stunt, a senior official said on Saturday.

"This is not a public relations move," the official told AFP, referring to the expected naming soon of Huda Nunu as the Gulf kingdom's ambassador to Washington.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said King Hamad informed US officials during a visit to Washington in March of Bahrain's intention to name Nunu.

The Jewish population amounts to no more than 37 among a total of around 530,000 people.

"This move is not propaganda. It reflects a climate of tolerance towards minorities in Bahrain," which is ruled by a Sunni dynasty and has a disgruntled Shiite majority.

Nunu will be the third Bahraini woman to be appointed as an ambassador. Sheikha Haya al-Khalifa was the country's ambassador to France, while Shiite Bibi Alawi was appointed a few months ago as envoy to China.

Until she assumes her new position, Nunu will continue serving in the appointed Shura (consultative) Council -- the upper chamber of parliament. In 2006, she replaced her brother Ibrahim, the first Jewish member of the council.

Bahrain is the only Arab Gulf country to have a Jewish community. Their numbers are believed to have been higher at the turn of the 20th century, but dwindled following the creation of Israel in 1948.

"The number of Jews increased from around 50 people in 1905 to 500 in the 1940s ... This was a golden period for Bahraini Jews," said Ali al-Jalawi, a Bahraini writer who authored a book on the Jewish minority.

Nunu's grandfather, Ibrahim Nunu, represented the Jewish community in Bahrain's municipal council formed by the British authorities in 1919. The council had representatives of all religious and ethnic communities that were present in the then British protectorate.

The first wave of Jewish migration from Bahrain came after the creation of Israel following reactionary attacks on houses of some Jews and their synagogue in Manama, Jalawi told AFP.

Another batch left Bahrain after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The only synagogue in Bahrain, which is located in the Old Quarter of Manama and had been deserted since 1948, has recently been renovated, he said.

"Nunu's appointment stresses the seriousness of Bahrain's reform policies ... It shows that Bahrain does not differentiate between men and women in public offices and does not discriminate against citizens on the bases of their beliefs," the official said.

Nunu heads a human rights watchdog in Bahrain, where political parties remain banned, although political associations operate as de facto parties.

Her forthcoming office assumes extra importance as Bahrain is a key US ally in the region, and is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. It also has a free trade agreement with Washington.

-- Agence France-Presse

Kuwait: US envoy to Kuwait submits credentials

The first female American ambassador to this conservative Gulf Arab nation presented her credentials Sunday.

Deborah K. Jones assumes her post only days before US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives here to attend a meeting on Iraq and ahead of parliamentary elections slated for May 17. The US Embassy said in a statement that career diplomat Jones, who is not the first female US ambassador to be posted in an Arab nation, presented her diplomatic credentials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She will present them to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabar Al-Sabah, at an unspecified future date.“I don’t think her gender will be an issue ..., but she will face some kind of a culture shock,” said Abdullah Al-Shayji, a political-science lecturer at Kuwait University. He said while Kuwaiti women will see her presence in the country as a “good omen,” it will remain to be seen how she would be received in the traditional, men-only gatherings called diwaniyas.

American ambassadors here routinely visit diwaniyas, which are key to election campaigning. They also are often invited to wedding parties, which are held separately for men and women. Women in this male-dominated society won their political-rights in 2005, but failed to win a parliament seat in elections held a year later.

However, two women have served as members of the Cabinet since. Ambassador Jones is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, having been with the Department of State since 1982.

Prior to her new assignment as Ambassador, she served as Principal Officer at the US Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey. Her previous overseas assignments include: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Baghdad, Iraq; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Damascus, Syria. Her service in Washington, DC includes two years as Country Director of the Office of Arabian Peninsula and Iran Affairs in addition to assignments as Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Near East and South Asia Affairs, Acting Public Affairs Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs, Desk Officer for Jordan, and duty in the Department’s Operations Center. Jones has also served on the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service.Ambassador Jones is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BS in history (magna cum laude) and a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College of the National Defense University with an MS in national security strategy. She speaks Arabic, Spanish and French. The Ambassador is married to US Foreign Service Officer Richard G. Olson, who is currently serving as the Deputy Permanent Representative to US Mission NATO. They have two daughters.