Manama: Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa said that the positions taken by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and other Arab countries were not against the Emir or the people of Qatar, but “a firm stance against the policy of supporting extremist groups.”
“For many years, Bahrain has sought to respond to such actions in cooperation with partners and allies; however, in 2017, such actions can no longer be tolerated,” he said as he visited Ramadan majlises held by Bahraini families.
Prince Salman who is also Bahrain’s First Deputy Prime Minister said the world today is united in declaring war on extremism and extremist ideologies that go against the principles of moderation and compassion, the major hallmarks of Islam.
“Extremism does not and cannot have a place in civilised societies. The extremism and acts of terrorism being witnessed in the world today must be defeated,”
The Crown Prince stressed there was no conflict between thought and religion
“What is being faced today is the desperate attempt to exploit religion and commit crimes and spread chaos,” he said.
In his conversations with visitors to the majlises, he highlighted the importance of shunning heinous acts of extremism and terrorism from society in various countries, and called instead for “coming together in pursuit of shared prosperity and development.”
He added that Bahraini society must uphold its central values and strong beliefs in pluralism, in line with the vision of King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa for the country.
Prince Salman has been regularly visiting majlises since the start of the holy month across the kingdom, keeping up with a cherished tradition and availing of the opportunity to communicate and interact directly with the people over a wide spectrum of issues.
At the two majlises he visited on Monday evening, Prince Salman said that Bahrain’s “strong and flexible economy has enabled it to deal with the effects of the changes in the oil market.”
“The Kingdom is committed to implementing initiatives that support innovation, creativity, and the development of a knowledge-based economy which enhances expertise and high skilled jobs,” he said.
