Remain vigilant against sectarian influence, says Interior Minister

Interior Minister yesterday called on Bahrainis to remain vigilant against the forces that seek to see “ourselves not as citizens of our nation” but in terms of sect, religion or ethnicity. “Those who seek to divide us against each other,” General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa warned, are the most urgent threats to national security.

The National Plan to Promote a Sense of National Belonging or “Our Bahrain” aims to face such threats, the minister said while addressing a ceremony held by Bahrain Society in London. Explaining, the minister said “Our Bahrain” inducts over 90 different programmes - areas including education, media, youth, sport and culture- and it puts into practice the aspiration of His Majesty the King for people to see themselves first and foremost as Bahrainis.

Initiatives like these are Bahrain’s “best defence against sectarianism and division, particularly given the regional situation we face.” The minister said the plan would form an integral part of Bahrain’s national security policy in the long run. It will run alongside “Bahrain’s new alternative sentencing law – which, for example, allows for non-custodial sentences such as community service, training, or addiction treatment.”

Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, UK officials, intellectuals and representatives from research and decision-making organisations were present. Bahrain, the Minister said, will address its future challenges by “focusing on our people, our community and our shared identity.” In a similar context, the Minister also pointed out that the crime rate in Bahrain has come down to what it was in 2008 and 2009.

Shaikh Rashid stressed that the Kingdom will remain vigilant to new and emerging threats from technology and drones “just as we are alert to – and prepared for – well-known challenges such as ballistic missile threats.” “We have seen the true nature of these threats with the recent attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities, and we in Bahrain greatly appreciate the UK standing with us in condemning these outrageous acts,” the minister stressed. On the British-Bahrain ties, the minister said that he sees “an even brighter future ahead.”