One Jew and four women, including one Christian at Bahrain's Shoura council

Bahrain's News agency reported on Wednesday reported that among members of the new 40-member Bahrain's Shoura council are four women including one Christian, one Jew and one businessman of Indian origin.

The Agency explained that it is the first time that women and non- Muslim figures occupy seats in the council which was established in 1992 and whose mission is limited to consider matters pertaining to the State's internal affairs.

Dawoud Ibrahim Nonouno, A Jew of Iraqi origin, whose family settled in Bahrain one century ago, is the director of a banking company in the country.

The Ruler of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa in September 1999 praised " the efforts made by Nonou's family since decades in strengthening the role played by Bahrain in the banking sector."

News reports quoted Nouno as saying that Bahrain today includes " almost ten Jewish families whose total number do not exceed 34, with most of them are of Iraqi origin."

The most remarkable among the four women is Alis Samaan, the Christian of Iraqi origin, whose family settled in Bahrain in the 19th century.