A 38-YEAR-OLD woman has described the pain of growing up as a foreigner in her own country.
Shahla Mohammed is among those who are now backing a GDN campaign for Bahraini women to be granted equal citizenship rights.
Others include a Bahraini woman married to an American, three siblings whose mother is Bahraini and a Pakistani man married to a Bahraini wife.
The GDN’s #MakeADifference campaign was launched on Thursday and an online petition calling on MPs to change the law had been signed by 4,503 as of midnight last night – attracting an average of more than 1,000 signatures every day.
It asks parliament and the Shura Council to approve amendments to decades-old legislation, so that Bahraini women can finally pass on their nationality to their children.
Only the children of Bahraini men are automatically granted that right, which campaigners have branded “sexist” and “outdated”.
The GDN initiative is supported by the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS), Bahrain Women Union, Bahrain Young Ladies Association and Women’s Crisis Care International.
“I am a Pakistani who was born to a Bahraini mother,” explained Ms Mohammed.
“Yes, a Bahraini mother – not naturalised – 38 years ago at Muharraq Maternity Hospital Bahrain.
“My father was initially a Pakistani, but he along with my other three sisters were granted citizenship in 2006.
“Because I was married, I was not given Bahraini nationality.
“It’s been more than 10 years now and I haven’t heard from immigration ever since, although my parents keep trying to approach every possible channel they can.
“Why am I not granted nationality because I am married?
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“Being married cannot change the fact that I was born to a Bahraini mother and I have lived my entire life in Bahrain.”
Bahraini Maryam Nazzal, who is married to an American husband, is also among those to sign the GDN petition.
“I am a Bahraini citizen, I was born and raised in Bahrain,” she said.
“I got married to a husband with American citizenship in 2013.
“I did not receive any benefits or rights that male Bahrainis get if they marry a foreign national.
“I cannot apply for housing from the government since my husband is not Bahraini.
“Furthermore, my future children will not be entitled to receive any benefits that a Bahraini passport holder enjoys – like education and medical rights.
“I signed the petition to ask the Bahraini parliament to take a stand and grant equal citizenship rights for Bahraini women, so that our children can enjoy a better future.”
An amendment to the 1963 Nationality Law, which would grant equal citizenship rights, is currently being reviewed in parliament, which convened for the first time after the summer recess yesterday.
However, campaigners fear the amendment could be shot down after the foreign affairs, defence and national security committee – which is reviewing the proposed change – in July expressed concerns that it could encourage more Bahraini women to marry foreigners.
Pakistani Sayed Babar, whose wife is Bahraini, said an amendment to the law would have major implications for the couple’s son.
“I have a son who is American by birth, but his mother is Bahraini and he (my son) deserves to be a Bahraini citizen,” Mr Babar told the GDN.
“I have approached at least 15 MPs during the past two years and all of them agreed to support me in person.
“With this GDN campaign I am hopeful there will be a change and that anyone born to a Bahraini mother will not have to wait, or go through additional procedures, to get Bahraini nationality.”
Meanwhile, Mohammed Essa Ali is one of three brothers who hold Indian passports even though their mother is Bahraini – and despite two of their other siblings being registered as Bahrainis.
“Our family is half Bahraini, half Indian and we face a lot of issues when my parents want to travel for vacation with our family,” he explained.
“We are strangers in India, as all our lives we have been living in Bahrain.”
raji@gdn.com.bh