‘Bahrain Declaration’ platform inaugurated

Manama : The King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence yesterday inaugurated the “Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration” Platform.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said that the “Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration” platform constitutes the founding stone of the centre which undertakes a solemn responsibility and mission to make the world more tolerant, welcoming and peaceful.

“The ‘Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration’ carries, in its embedded values, the finest human features that stem from the ideology, philosophy and visions of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,” Dr. Shaikh Khalid said, adding that it “stands witness to the past and present of our precious Kingdom, as it reflects the spirit of real peaceful co-existence that has been –and still is – bequeathed by successive generations since the establishment of the modern State by our ancestors from the esteemed Al Khalifa Family.”

He pointed out that only two days ago, HM the King launched a new milestone in the Kingdom’s history of tolerance, forgiveness, wisdom and humanitarianism, noting that the royal gesture of forgiveness and tolerance is a bea

‘Bahrain Declaration’ reflects compassion, kindness, wisdom

Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence, Betsy Mathieson, in her statement, said that the launch of the “Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration” platform was the result of strenuous efforts and hard work, being the second project after the King Hamad Chair in Interfaith Dialogue & Peaceful Coexistence Studies at the Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.

“HM King Hamad personally oversaw the development of the texts and principles of the “Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which reflects a mindset of compassion, kindness and wisdom,” Matheson said, expressing her deepest thanks and gratitude for establishing the platform, and wishing that the move will serve Bahrain.

The ceremony, which was attended by officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the media, featured a presentation of the document of the “Declaration” and its contents. 

The King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence announced that the platform and the document will be available to the public in order to be signed by the visitors in the future.

The “Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration” was first launched on September 11, 2017, in Los Angeles, U.S.A, during a ceremony organised by “This Is Bahrain”, under HM the King’s patronage.

HM King Hamad deputised HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HM the King Personal Representative for Charity Work and Youth Affairs, to attend the ceremony in which the “Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration” was launched, and the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence was announced.

Shura Council Chairman, Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, Adviser to HM the King for Media Affairs, Nabil bin Yaqoob Al-Hamar, and Deputy Chairperson of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence, Betsy Mathieson, attended the launch ceremony.

con that guides the deep-rooted co-existence tradition in the unique Bahraini society.

“The history of tolerance and coexistence in Bahrain has not been confined to the religious and sectarian aspects only, but also to others,” he said, explaining that Bahrain has been recognised for its acceptance of and openness to intellectual ideologies and ethnic and cultural differences. 

“It is also at the forefront in calling for guaranteeing human rights and freedoms, while developed societies embrace intellectual homogeneity and impose them on their reality and oppress those who do not adopt them, thus contradicting all the principles of humanity and the freedoms that they are calling for,” he said.

“Socialism and communism used to be one of the most difficult ideologies to adapt and coexist in Western societies during the 1950s and 1960s to the extent that strict laws were enacted to criminalise beliefs. In Bahrain, however, the picture has been different. It has embraced all aspects of these differences within an atmosphere of respect, acceptance, partnership and moral and social responsibility towards the nation and the people,” the Board of Trustees Chairman of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence also said.