‘Multi-culture, multi-faith Bahrain’s biggest strengths’

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, affirmed that Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is keen to continue and develop its long history as a multi-faith and multi-cultural community. This came during his speech at the high-level meeting entitled “Towards Peaceful and Inclusive Communities: Role of Religious Leaders in Achieving SDG 16” organised by the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Co-existence, on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Adel Al Jubeir and Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani was present on the occasion. The Minister of Foreign Affairs added that the Kingdom prioritizes the importance of maintaining comprehensive, peaceful and diverse societies with a variety of cultures and religions living together in peace. The Kingdom has embodied that aspect for centuries, which acts as a major reason for its ability to overcome challenges.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs hailed the pioneering initiatives of His Majesty the King to establish coexistence and tolerance among all, which includes the launch of the Bahrain Declaration in Los Angeles in September 2017, the establishment of the King Hamad Center for Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence in March 2018, and the establishment of the King Hamad Chair for peaceful coexistence at La Sapienza University of Rome.

The Minister affirmed that the Constitution of the Kingdom guarantees religious freedom and that there is no place for religious violence and incitement to hatred and sectarianism in Bahraini society. The Minister also called for the necessity to increase efforts to combat extremism and religious intolerance, as the religious harmony and coexistence that the Middle East is known for is seriously being threatened.