Dhiyaa Al-Musawi

Sayed Dheya Yahya Ali Maki al-Musawi, (Arabic: ضياء السيد يحيى علي مكي الموسوي), born in Bahrain 1970,[1] is a politician, author, writer and former cleric.

Dhiyaa al-Musawi
Sayed Dheya Yahya Ali Maki al-Musawi
Shura Council of Bahrain Member
In office
2006 – Present
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Member
In office
2010 – Present
Personal details
Born1970 (age 50–51)
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Political partyBahrain Human Rights Society
Spouse(s)Fatima Ali Ibrahim
ChildrenSayed Hussein, Syed Ali
Alma materUniversity of Qom
(PhD Jurisprudence)
ProfessionPolitician, Author, Writer

His name has also been spelled into English as Sayed Deya’a; Syed Zia; Diaa Yehia Ali; Dheya Yhya Ali; Diya, with several last name spellings of al-Mosawi; al-Mousawi; al-Moussawi and al-Moussoui among others.

Political career

Al-Musawi was appointed a member of the Shura Council of Bahrain during the second legislative term in 2006. He was also a two-term member of the Public Utilities and Environment Committee.

Dheya is a current member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Royal Charity Organization (a governmental charity organization sponsoring orphans and widows)[2] and leads the anti-terrorism effort as a Shura Council member.[3]

In 2014, al-Mousawi ran for the 6th district against four other candidates in Muharraq, Bahrain's third largest city, but withdrew prior to election day.[4][5]

Published work

Mr. al-Moussawi has a reoccurring article entitled Morning Coffee at the Albilad Press,[6] one of the oldest daily newspapers in Saudi Arabia. He has 1371 articles published at Alwasat News,[7] a more recent Bahraini newspaper.

Published books by al-Musawi (currently only in Arabic) include;

  • Apostasy
  • Kiss Between a Muslim and a Bomb: Death of Life (2010) ISBN 9789990145397[8]
  • Devils of Heaven (2012) ISBN 9789961008300
  • Politicization of Religion[9]

In a 2005 WikiLeaks unclassified report from Manama, Bahrain about news media reactions regarding the 2005 elections in Iraq under U.S. occupation, the report mentions al-Mousawi as a "popular Al Wasat columnist." The report further quotes him having written "Arabs are contradicting themselves when they support Palestinian elections under the Israeli occupation but condemn them under the Americans in Iraq." [10]

Occupations

Mr. al-Musawi is a contributor to the Al-Watan Newspaper in Bahrain and is President of the Culture Dialogue Centre.[2]

Dhiyaa is President of the Bahrain Human Rights Society.[2][9]

In the media

During an interview aired on Abu Dhabi Television on 29 December 2006, al-Musawi expressed his opinion that the socio-economic problems in the Arab / Islamic world that cause hatred and division are due to lack of "reform," stressing that Islam needs to "reshape religious thinking." [11][12]

On a live televised debate dated 16 November 2010 (the original in Arabic being found at the Al Jazeera Youtube), regarding censoring religious programming, Dhiyaa is quoted:

"I am not against all religious TV channels, of course. I support the enlightened and tolerant Islam, but I am against those channels that I call "blow-yourself-up-and-go-to-Paradise channels," "blow-yourself-up-and-have-lunch-tomorrow-with-the-Prophet channels." This notion is the exact opposite of what the Prophet Muhammad conveyed."[13]

On 16 November 2015, speaking to the Bahraini parliament about building an enlightened society by eliminating extremism, Mr. al-Moussawi expressed:

"... building national enlightened minds is the essential foundation, it can build a society. Without enlightened minds, the construction of the modern state cannot be done without education in spite of all the stock that was thrown on the reform project... we must also install the values of tolerance and moderation, and this will not only be a civil state. We are against secular extremism and religious extremism..."[14]

In April 2016, Al-Musawi is quoted addressing the Bahraini Shura Council in advocating for progress in growing women's rights, asking not to allow the current law, supported by the state Constitution, to be weakened, and questioning the political fear-mongering rhetoric.[15]

Personal life

Al-Musawi is married to Lady Fatima Ali Ibrahim, who also has political and reformist aspirations.[16][17] They have two sons; Sayed Hussein and Syed Ali.[5]

He likes traveling, playing table tennis, reading, writing and poetic composition. He has a bachelor's degree of Arabic language and a graduate's degree in Islamic jurisprudence from Qom University in Iran, studying under Kazem al-Haeri among other professors.[2][5]

At age 16 Dhiyaa was inspired to write after reading an issue of the Kuwaiti magazine Al-Arabi. Prior to entering the seminary, he found profound inspiration reading the poetry and political writings of Nizar Qabbani.[18]

References
  1. Atdah, Horart. "Dialogue With Mr. Zia al-Musawi". Arabic Translation and Intercultural Dialogue Association. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  2. "Council Member Sayed Dheya Yahya Ali Maki". Kingdom of Bahrain Shura Council. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  3. "Bahrain to participate in IPU 133rd Assembly, related meetings". Bahrain News Agency. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  4. "Muharraq Governorate - Guide to Bahrain's Parliamentary Elections". Citizens For Bahrain. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  5. Alhaddathein, A. "Fadak Magazine to Meet with Mr. Zia al-Musawi". Fadak Magazine, archived by Aljamri.org. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  6. "Morning Coffee; Syed Zia al-Musawi". Albilad Press. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  7. "Syed Zia al-Musawi". Alwasat News Archive. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  8. Mūsawī, Ḍiyā’ (2010). Muslim Kiss; Between Life and Death Bomb (in Arabic). al-Baḥrayn: Farādīs lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzī‘. ISBN 9789990145397.
  9. "Mr. Dhiyaa Al-Musawi". Arab Thought Foundation FIKR Conference. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  10. Monroe (31 January 2005). "BAHRAIN'S MEDIA ON IRAQ ELECTIONS: DEMOCRACY WINS AND BOYCOTTERS LOSE". WikiLeaks Unclassified Report. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  11. Ayorinde, Steve (1 August 2015). "Terror: Getting Rid of Backward Cholesterol of Ideology". Naija 247 News. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  12. Ayorinde, Steve (30 July 2015). "Terror: Getting Rid of Backward Cholesterol Of Ideology". Business Day Online. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  13. Middle East Media Research Institute (16 November 2010). "Bahraini Intellectual Dhiyaa Al-Musawi Supports Ban on Inciting Islamist TV Channels". Middle East Media Research Institute. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  14. "Reliance on National Enlightened Minds is the Essential Foundation for Building Our Society". Alayam Newspaper. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  15. "Moussawi: Why make this agreement Babaa to scare people?". Alayam. Bahrain. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  16. staff, writer (4 December 2007). "Bahraini Shiite Activist: My Photos Without the Mandate of the Women". Alwatan News. Bahrain. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  17. Matar, Ahmad Abu (25 October 2006). "Mr. Dhia al-Musawi: And Fight Them with Love!". Modern Discussion at Ahewar.org. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  18. al-Mosawi, Dhiyaa (30 May 2010). "As He Describes the "Enlightenment Lamp" and "Peace Dove" Moussawi Inaugurates "Kiss Between a Muslim and a Bomb: Death of Life."". AlBilad Press (Interview). Interviewed by Roar Bakali.
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