Bahrain to host forum on Iranian threats

Manama, Aug. 5 (BNA): Bahrain will host on Saturday a key forum on Iranian threats to Arab human security. Held under the auspices of the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al-Mulla, the first edition of the pan-Arab Forum is organised by the Arab Federation for Human Rights under the theme "No Rights Without Security". Arab MPs, Shura Council members, representatives of Arab and international human rights watchdogs, UN human rights and development agencies, think tanks, leading academic figures and researchers in the field of human rights will attend the symposium. Commenting on the forum, Speaker Al-Mulla underlined parliamentary support for human rights work, stressing human beings’ inalienable right to live in security as stipulated by all divine religions and international covenants. "No life or development are possible without providing and ensuring security and stability," he said, affirming that combating terrorism is the duty of everyone, especially amid the Iranian clear and announced role in support of terrorist groups that pose a threat the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab human security, as a whole. He expressed hope that the symposium will achieve its ultimate goal of proposing a national strategy and forming committee of experts to follow up on its implementation. The strategy will confront the Iranian interference in various fields, in partnership with all effective Arab parties. Al-Mulla underscored the importance of the kingdom’s hosting of the forum aimed at countering Iran’s negative conduct in the region, strengthening security, stability and human rights across the Arab world and confirming the Arab identity and Arab efforts to denounce and put an end to sectarian conflicts. He said that the acts of Iran and its affiliate parties and organisations have reached a level that can no longer be accepted or tolerated, noting that Iran has failed to respond positively to all Arab efforts aiming to contain its meddlesome conduct and build up relations with it on the bases of good-neighbourliness, peaceful co-existence and shared keenness on consolidating regional and international security. However, he said, Iran persisted in its destructive terrorist plots which led to many wars and conflicts across the Arab Nation. The Speaker called for the need to step up joint Arab cooperation in confronting the wave of multi-polar ideological and sectarian extremism resulting from Iran’s unwavering interference in the Arab internal affairs to implement its dangerous sectarian policies in a bid to subjugate and weaken the Arab region and distract it from carrying on its development plans. Al-Mulla called upon the organisers and participants, particularly experts and specialists, to come up with an Arab strategy that can contribute to strengthening security, development and human rights in the Arab region, and to curbing Iran’s expansionist ambitions.