Bahrain embassy in Washington, Permanent Mission in New York mark National Days in virtual celebration

Washington, Dec. 17 (BNA): Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States, Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Jamal bin Faris Al-Ruwai’e, extended sincere congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister as well as to the government and the Bahraini people on Bahrain's National Days. The National celebrations are in commemoration of the establishment of the modern Bahraini state as an Arab and Muslim country founded by Ahmed Al Fateh in 1783, the anniversary of its full membership in the United Nations, and the anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne. On this occasion, the Bahraini embassy in the USA, in coordination with the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations in New York, held a virtual event in celebration of the national days, during which a documentary was shown on the Kingdom's achievements thanks to comprehensive development, the sagacious vision of His Majesty the King and the cultural values on which the spirit of the Bahraini identity is based. This was reflected in the distinguished nature of the Kingdom's foreign relations with brotherly and friendly countries, especially the important strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America. The video also shed light on common values that bind the two friendly countries, notably respect for religious freedom, as the Kingdom of Bahrain, throughout its history, has known religious pluralism and coexistence in its society where mosques, churches and temples of various sects and religions have co-existed side by side. This is what the reform approach of His Majesty the King has maintained to promote the values of tolerance and respect for religious freedom making the Kingdom today a model of coexistence and religious tolerance not only at the regional level but also at the global one. This was embodied in the Bahrain Declaration of Religious Tolerance and the establishment of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence as an international platform for dialogue and tolerance. The ambassador and the Permanent Representative expressed deep thanks and gratitude to all participants in the video, led from the Bahraini side by Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Director General of Culture and Arts at Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa. Participating also were the President of the Jaffari Endowments Council, Yusuf bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Resources and Information, Dr. Mohammed Mubarak Juma’a, Coast Guard Commander, Major General Alaa Abdullah Siyadi, Official Representative of the Jewish Community in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Ibrahim Daoud Nono and Chief Executive Officer of Projects at the Economic Development Board, Tala Fakhro. From the US side, the contributors included Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command of the Fifth Fleet, Vice Admiral Samuel Paparo, Ms. Shana Seawright, Principal of the Bahrain School, Reverend Blaine Newhays of the National Evangelical Church, President and CEO of American Westpoint Home, Jonathan Whitmer and others. The end of the virtual ceremony witnessed the launch of the new embassy website (BahrainUSA.com) which is set to highlight the depth of the 130-year-old distinguished relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States.