Esra'a Al Shafei (Arabic: إسراء الشافعي, ’Asrā’ ash-Shāfa’ī, pronounced [ʔasraːʔ aʃːafaʔiː]; born 23 July 1986)[1] is a Bahraini civil rights activist, blogger, and the founder and executive director of Majal (Mideast Youth) and its related projects, including CrowdVoice.org.

[7] She is also a promoter of music as a means of social change,[5] and founded Mideast Tunes, which is currently the largest platform for underground musicians in the Middle East and North Africa.

[18] Esra'a Al Shafei, according to her own account, recalls witnessing inhumane treatment of migrant workers as a child.

[19] Over time, the network expanded to include other civil rights issues within the Middle East, and branched out to create a diverse range of platforms with a global reach.

[21] The consequences of attending a metal or rock event is a topic of discussion that's frequently raised on Mideast Youth.

[25] Esra’a doesn't show her face online[26] — using an illustration when engaging in video conferences and for bylines — because she has been threatened with violence in the past[26] and, as an activist in a non-free authoritarian regime,[27] it would put her and her family at risk if she were recognisable.