Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, commended the wise approach of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa in consolidating the values of tolerance, human brotherhood and peaceful coexistence between religions and cultures, and rejecting extremism and hatred.
In a statement on the occasion of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech in response to the United Nations General Assembly resolution issued on July 21, 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of concerted efforts by the international community to spread a culture of peace and tolerance, and reject calls for inciting hatred, discrimination, hostility or violence, in accordance with the international conventions and the United Nations strategy and plan of action on hate discourse.
He further expressed his pride in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the leadership of His Majesty the King, and the directions of the esteemed government headed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, as a civilized model in promoting national unity and establishing a state of justice, law and institutions. He described Bahrain as a global beacon for spreading a culture of peace and coexistence, stemming from its religious principles, authentic historical values, and its constitutional and legislative system.
He stressed that the promotion of religious freedom and peaceful coexistence between religions and cultures represents the first goal of the National Plan for Human Rights (2022-2026), which is compatible with the constitution, the principles of the National Charter and the National Plan for Promotion of National Belonging and Consolidation of Citizenship Values “Bahrainouna”, and the international human rights charters, foremost of which: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In this regard, he referred to the keenness of the Kingdom of Bahrain with all its media, cultural, educational and religious institutions to spread a culture of tolerance and peace and respect for religious and cultural diversity, and to promote responsible freedoms in all media, communication and channels of expressing opinion, including digital platforms, in a way that supports citizenship rights, and enshrines the rule of law in criminalizing hate speech or intolerance on the basis of religion, sect, race, colour, origin or gender.
The minister affirmed the distinction of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a global model for coexistence between races and ethnicities, guaranteeing the rights of expatriate workers and combating human trafficking.
He praised the royal initiatives at the regional and international levels, launching the “Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain” as a global document to promote tolerance and religious freedom, the establishment of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, and the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence at the Sapienza University and the signing of the “Abraham Accords” to promote coexistence between the three Abrahamic religions, the role of the he Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) in providing relief and development assistance, and providing international awards for women’s and youth empowerment, serving humanity, developing education and promoting sustainable development. He pointed out the Kingdom’s hosting of international conferences for the dialogue of civilizations, the latest of which is the conference ‘Broadening the Tent: Freedom of Religion and Belief” in cooperation with the European Union, after the successes of Manama Dialogue.
He stressed that the royal vision of tolerance and peace, with its high human principles and values, represents an impenetrable bulwark to protect humanity from the scourge of hatred, wars and conflicts, within the framework of His Majesty the King’s keenness to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region, to settle disputes by peaceful means, and to call on the international community to adopt an international convention to criminalize religious, sectarian and racist hate speech, including combating Islamophobia, xenophobia and anti-Muslim crimes, and preventing the abuse of media, Internet, social media and open spaces in inciting extremism, violence and terrorism.
The Minister further affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain, as it marks the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, affirms its adherence to its human values and its constitutional and historical principles in consolidating the spirit of citizenship, tolerance and moderation. He noted the kingdom’s support to the international efforts in spreading a culture of peace and dialogue between religions and civilizations, upholding human brotherhood, and renouncing speeches that incite hatred, extremism, violence and terrorism. He underlined the importance of the values of tolerance, acceptance of the other and coexistence among nations and peoples.
Source: Bahrain News Agency