Democratic process is Bahrain's safety valve, says ambassador

The University of Bentley has hosted Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States, as a guest of honor to meet with approximately 200 of the university students.
The ambassador on Tuesday talked about coexistence in the Kingdom of Bahrain such as religious coexistence and tolerance that have prevailed for hundreds of years and were maintained by His Majesty the King in his reform approach to serve later as a shield against foreign attempts to destabilize the security of the Kingdom. 

He added that Iran leads the attempts to mislead the youth by driving them into extremism and training them and equipping them with weapons to launch terrorist attacks.

"The threat posed by the Iranian regime and its Revolutionary Guards is not only against Bahrain but also represent a threat to the security and peace of the Arab countries and beyond" he said.

"Such threats stem from the Iranian constitution which stipulates the export of the revolution and this stance will not change unless Iran abandons its revolution export ideology and acts as a normal state in the peaceful international community that respects norms of international law and the United Nations Charter including sovereignty of other states and non-interference in their domestic affairs."

He added that the democratic reforms of his Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa including separation of powers and representation of citizens have stood in the way of Iranian interference that threatens security in Bahrain and Iran's incessant attempts to support radical groups and trick the youth into adopting its ideology, 

"For instance, the unified family law which has been recently issued and approved by the parliament came to reflect the openness and coexistence of the local community and the ability and effectiveness of the political process in terms of consultation and democratic practice.

He described this gain as undoubtedly a historic achievement that pours into the reform approach of His Majesty the King and his keenness to empower women and protect their rights.

In this context, the ambassador touched on Bahrain’s long history in terms of women empowerment noting that Bahraini women are participating in the domestic affairs as effective members and have acquired the right to vote in municipal elections since the 1950s and to vote and run for legislative elections since the adoption of the constitution in 2002.

This entitled Bahraini women to be the first in the Gulf region to obtain full political rights in line with the reform approach of His Majesty the King that emphasizes gender equality and women empowerment, he explained.

To conclude, the ambassador gave a number of tips to the students, including the importance of commitment to achieve their dreams, and wished them success in their educational and professional life