Bahrain participates in ministerial conference on promoting religious freedom

Washington, July 26 (BNA): Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, affirmed that under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Kingdom of Bahrain has become one of the best models of religious coexistence in the world. This, he said, was attributable to His Majesty's care and pioneering initiatives to promote peaceful coexistence and consolidate tolerance and dialogue among all religions, cultures and civilizations at all levels. The minister’s remarks came as he participated in the Ministerial Conference on promotion of religious freedom, held in Washington D.C today and attended by representatives of numerous governments and Civil Societies from all over the world. His Majesty the King is keen on accomplishing the initiatives and exerting all efforts to establish peaceful coexistence between all human beings, Shaikh Khalid added, referring to the recently established King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Co-existence that made of Bahrain an important international hub for interfaith understanding and dialogue. He was also hinting at the establishment of "His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s Chair for peaceful coexistence" at La Sapienza University of Rome to teach interfaith dialogue and peace in an initiative aimed at spreading these noble values. Shaikh Khalid affirmed Bahrain’s pride to have been and will remain an incubator of various religions and beliefs while mosques, churches and temples are erected side by side and the national constitution guarantees religious and personal freedoms. The Kingdom, he said, allows freedom of expression, belief and worship, which have enriched the local society, asserting that Bahrain will maintain this approach, whatever challenges it may face. The Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the Middle East boasts of a long history of peaceful coexistence and that extremism and ignorance are the most important obstacles to religious freedom and its respect. This, he said, necessitates a fight against the extremist ideology so that the region can return to the same level of tolerance and peace among all, emphasizing the need for respecting religious pillars and peculiarities. At the end of the conference, leaflets outlining the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain in promotion of religious freedom and highlighting the Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration of July 3, 2017, have been distributed to the participants in the conference.