On the International Teacher’s Day: Those who have been involved in human rights violations against teachers must be held accountable

For the teacher play an important role in shaping and building societies, the United Nations General Assembly designated the fifth of October as an international day to celebrate the teacher. This day is to recognize teachers efforts, not only in education, but also in the role played upbringing and refining nations.

If this is how the world look at teachers, then why the case was different in Bahrain?

Teachers in Bahrain faced a targeting campaign in 2011, which included arrests, investigations, trials and dismissals because they took part in the popular movement.

On this day, we recognize Mahdi Abu Deeb, who was the president of the teachers society and who got arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to torture and ill-treatment just because he played a role in organizing and representing the interests of teachers and advocating for quality education.

While the United Nations, today, launches the campaign “Teachers: Leadership in Times of Crisis and Reimagining the Future”, many Bahraini teachers are still in prison. We here recall Khalil Al-Halwaji, who was named by international human rights organizations as a prisoner of conscience.
The International Teachers Day must become a platform through which we ask for the release of Bahrain’s teachers and guarantee their rights for that leads to protecting the right to education imposed by the UNESCO, and a better education for future generations.