The National Union Committee ( Arabic : هيئة الاتحاد الوطني ) was a nationalist reformist political organization formed in Bahrain in 1954 (originally named the Higher Executive Committee , Arabic : الهيئة التنفيذية العليا ). The committee was formed by reformists in response to sectarian clashes between Sunni and Shia members of the population. Its foundations were laid in the journal, Sawt al-Bahrain , which was founded and published by these reformist figures. The original aims were to push for an elected popular assembly, a codified system of civil and criminal law, the establishment of an appellate court , the right to form trade unions , an end to British colonial influence (through the removal of Charles Belgrave ), and an end to sectarianism.
8-480: The original committee was made up of four Sunni representatives and four Shi'i representatives. The members were: One of the early members of the committee was Ali Sayyar , who joined in 1956 and would become a veteran journalist in Bahrain. The NUC successfully orchestrated a number of general strikes and demonstrations in the country to push for its demands. In March 1956, British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd
16-743: The High Executive Committee (Arabic: al-Hay'a al-Tanfidhiyya al-Uliya) which was a cross-sectarian nationalist political movement in Bahrain. The same year he began to work at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in Kuwait. After working there for one year he involved in business and held various positions in Bahraini companies until 1969. In 1973 he became a member of the Constituent Council in Bahrain. The council
24-716: The NUC called for strikes and demonstrations against the Israeli-Anglo-French attack on Egypt in the Suez Campaign . This led to days of violence in Bahrain. In November, the ruler Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa , ordered the arrest of the NUC leaders, accusing Al Bakir, Al Shamlan and Aliwat of attempting to take his life. A specially set up court in Budaiya made up of three judges (all members of
32-690: The first issue of Sawt al-Bahrain which was a monthly political magazine. In his early writings in Sawt al-Bahrain he supported the members of the Free Officers in Egypt. Next he founded and served as the editor-in-chief of Al Qafilah ( Arabic : The Caravan ), its successor Al Watan (Arabic: The Homeland ) and Sada Al Osbou magazine (1969–1999). Sayyar opposed the politics of Gamal Abdul Nasser in his articles in Al Watan . In 1956 he joined
40-515: The ruling Al Khalifa family ) tried the men and found them guilty. They were sentenced to 14 years at a prison located outside of Bahrain, in Saint Helena . In June 1961 the three prisoners were released from Saint Helena after a successful habeas corpus action, and were later paid financial compensation from the British government. Ali Sayyar Ali Sayyar (1926–October 2019)
48-678: Was a veteran Bahraini journalist who founded and edited a newspaper, Al Qafilah , and a magazine, Sada Al Osbou . He was one of the founding fathers of the Bahraini press . Sayyar was born in 1926 in Bahrain. His father was Abdullah Sayar. Ali Sayyar graduated from technical schools in Manama and in Cairo . Before involving in journalism Sayyar worked in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He started his career in journalism in 1950 contributing to
56-621: Was established by Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa , the ruler of Bahrain, to review the proposals about the constitution . Later he worked for Akhbar Al Khaleej , a Bahraini newspaper, as a columnist. Sayyar was the honorary member of the Bahraini Journalists Association. Sayyar died in October 2019. His biography was published by the Ministry of Information. In 2020 a book entitled Ali Sayyar in
64-609: Was visiting Bahrain. Crowds of protesters lined the streets to shout anti-British slogans and threw sand at stones at the Foreign Secretary's entourage. A number of crew members, including a stewardess, were left injured. Abdulrahman Al Bakir, the secretary of the NUC, was among the leaders of the demonstrations. He was asked to leave the country after the incident for an extended stay abroad, and departed to Egypt. Al Bakir returned to Bahrain September 1956. In October 1956,
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