HM the King welcomes participants in This is Bahrain

Manama, Oct. 18 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa highlighted Bahrain's prestigious standing and rich history based on peaceful coexistence and the dissemination of values of tolerance, moderation and openness to various cultures and civilizations, as well as its adherence to the principles of justice and contribution to human civilization. HM the King today at Sakhir Palace received participants in the activities of This is Bahrain, to be organized by the Bahrain Federation of Expatriate Associations next month in the friendly Republic of Italy. HM the King was briefed on the activities to be held that will introduce Bahrain's key achievements and its cultural and humanitarian significance. HM the King praised the participants' efforts in introducing Bahrain's cultural history and the vital achievements that have been accomplished thanks to the policies of openness, pluralism, coexistence and tolerance adopted throughout history. HM the King stressed that Bahrain is a country of pluralism and various social customs which has kept abreast with legal developments and respected all religions that have fortified it against racial and religious intolerance and extremism. HM the King took pride in the diversity and pluralism enjoyed by Bahrain, underlining resolve to continue protecting freedoms, all religions and cultures, as well as providing a safe and decent life for citizens. In a speech delivered on the occasion, the Italian Ambassador to Bahrain, Domenico Bellato thanked HM the king for “the honour that has been conferred upon me, by permitting me to speak to Your Majesty and the prestigious assembly held here today, in my mother tongue, Italian, which is a great privilege.” “I will use this opportunity to ensure that the message of sincere Italian-Bahraini friendship resonates across my tenure as Italian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and I hope that in the future we may find the Italian language being taught in Bahrain's public schools and Universities.” The ambassador said.. “I can ensure Your Majesty that I’ll spare no effort to further improve the already excellent relations between our two countries, for the mutual benefit of our two peoples. There are interesting opportunities to be explored both in the cultural and in the economic sectors, as well as when it comes to political dialogue, and I look forward to working to fully implement them. “In Italy we are well aware of Your Majesty's insistence on upholding Religious Freedom, promoting inter-faith dialogue and moderation and we recognise that this places Your Majesty and the Kingdom of Bahrain as a leading example that mutual respect is indeed possible in a multicultural multi-faith society. “In a few weeks, ‘THIS IS BAHRAIN’ will take place in Rome, with the largest number of delegates ever taking part representing the wide spectrum of Bahraini society and it is our pleasure to welcome and help them ensure the success of this renowned International Road-Show, based on your Majesty wise philosophy of bringing together people of all faiths and cultures to promote peace.” 'THIS IS BAHRAIN" in Rome will be a glittering showcase not just of Bahrain's outstanding Religious Freedom but also the achievements of the government with the attendance of several ministries, the ambassador added. “We are aware that the Kingdom of Bahrain's sophisticated social and charitable development will also be represented by various charities, clubs, societies and associations to reflect the active and vibrant Bahraini society,” the diplomat said. “Your Majesty, I recall your visit to His Holiness The Pope, where you presented His Holiness with a model of the Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, being built on land generously donated by Your Majesty. We look forward to the implementation of this project, which is another example of your support to tolerance and understanding. I would also like to express our appreciation about the perspective to establish a Chair in Peaceful Mutual Understanding and Inter-Faith Dialogue in Your Majesty's name at the leading University in Rome. It is good that our capital city could offer this vehicle to reach young people in a very important way, preventing radicalisation and extremism and promoting the values for which Your Majesty and the Kingdom of Bahrain are famous for. Your Majesty, I assure you of our sincere commitment to strengthening brotherly relations between our countries and we look forward to sharing the historic rich tapestry of life in the Kingdom of Bahrain with Italy.” HM the King thanked the Italian Ambassador for his speech and praised the participants' efforts in bringing people together. He said that he could compare Bahrain to the ancient Alexandria where people of various philosophies, religions and sects lived side by side and respected one another, and who had created a wonderful society that contributed to the protection of Alexandria from extremism and unacceptable acts to human beings. HM the King said that Bahrain and Bahraini people, in particular, have always welcomed people who have come to Bahrain to study or to live. He added Bahrainis have also traveled to various countries to pursue education, taking into consideration the respect for others' cultures and religions without making any enmity and making new friendships, which reflects their good nature. “This is their character that makes proud to be who I am today after we chose for ourselves this way of modern life, advances, and positive thinking. They all supported us and wished us success,” HM the king said. HM the King said he wished that Professorship Chair established in his name would teach the youth of various countries the values of peaceful coexistence. There are things that are being said about Bahrain, but I do not see people talking about what Bahrain is doing. What we do know is that Bahrain is filled with grand values and immense respect for religions, cultures and civilisations wherever they were. There is also one information that is not mentioned and that is Bahrain never was a centre or a market for salves. Salves have never been sold in Bahrain. In fact, slaves were given their freedom in Bahrain after they fled the areas where they were kept and sought refuge in Bahrain where they obtained their freedom. This is what I read, and I do not know how true it is, but what I do know is that the history that I have studied mentioned that Bahrain was the land of the free,” HM the King said. “What has been lately said about the need for Bahrain to grant further freedoms was not palatable to Bahrainis who have been enjoying freedoms for hundreds and thousands of years and did not need to be told that needed more freedoms. If we engaged in comparisons, we could see that we have more freedom than other countries. We thank God that we have legislations that guarantee our rights, and we continue to enjoy freedoms in all aspects of our lives. Some people spoke about negative elements in Islam whereas Islam as a religion has nothing to do with them. Maybe they meant to refer to some things that happened before Islam. We are all Muslims since we all love peace and we love one another. We all love noble values.”