Al Ayam is Bahrain

Bahrain

' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

's leading liberal daily newspaper

Newspaper

A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

. Owned by the former Information Minister, Nabeel Al Hamer, who today also serves as an advisor to King Hamad, it is generally supports the government while providing a voice for the Kingdom's embattled liberals. In Bahrain's ever expanding newspaper market, the paper faces increased competition from the new Al Watan, which has recruited a number of its senior journalists and has set out to establish itself as Bahrain's newspaper of record.

Its support for personal liberty and its criticism of religious extremism mean that Al Ayam has faced a barrage of criticism from Islamists. In 2005, hundreds of Shia Islamists protested outside the paper's offices after it published a cartoon on the victory of Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election victory; while a concerted campaign by Sunni Islamists from Al-Menbar Islamic Society

Al-Menbar Islamic Society

Al Menbar National Islamic Society is the political wing of the Al Eslah Society in Bahrain, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. A Sunni Islamist party, it is well organised through a network of mosques and seek to promote a conservative social agenda while not directly challenging the...

 and Asala

Asala

Asala may refer to:* Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla organization.* Asalah Nasri, Syrian singer* Al Asalah, a Salafist political party in Bahrain...

 in May 2006 against the editor, Isa Al-Shayji, saw the International Federation of Journalists

International Federation of Journalists

International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, is a global union federation of journalists' trade unions—the largest in the world. The organization aims to protect and strengthen the rights and freedoms of journalists...

intervene, with the IFJ's Secretary General Aidan White saying: “Journalists are rightly angry at this form of orchestrated bullying of a respected journalist. We want the authorities to speak out against this campaign. If they remain silent, it will only encourage further attacks.” Participants at an IFJ meeting in Beirut condemned the Islamist campaign against Mr Al-Shayji, saying “The vicious and unprovoked attack on a respected and distinguished colleague is an example of the intolerant and undemocratic character of extremist politics that is increasingly being used against the free press."