Forum focuses on Al Khalifa’s thriving rule in Zubarah

Manama, June 30 (BNA): Bahrain’s essential role in turning desert spots into thriving commercial centres was highlighted today as a forum brought history alive today when it focused on the rule of Al Khalifa in Zubarah on the western coast of the Qatar peninsula. The forum, “Al Khalifa Rule in the Qatari Peninsula: History and Sovereignty” was organised by the Bahrain Institute for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (DERASAT) and brought together illustrious historians who presented papers that shed light on the history of the region in the 18th century onwards, the tribes, sub-tribes, clans and segments in the region, and the rule of Al Khalifa in Zubarah, the Qatar Peninsula and the Bahrain Islands. The forum also covered the Qatari aggression in Fasht (Shoal) Dibal in 1986. In his introduction, DERASAT board of trustees Chairman Dr Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said that the rule of Al Khalifa has throughout the ages presented an outstanding example of openness, pluralism and progress. He stressed how Al Khalifa when they moved to Zubarah turned the dormant place into a prosperous mercantile centre. “The year 1762 was a turning point in the history of the Arabian Gulf region,” he told the wide audience attending the forum. “Al Khalifa achieved all the duties of sovereignty in that region within the framework of good governance. They presented a great model in management and trade protection, securing maritime navigation, establishing security, enforcing law and order, carrying out the tasks and responsibilities of the modern state, and implementing the provisions of international treaties on the Peninsula of Qatar and the Bahrain Islands. As a result, Zubarah became a political metropolis and a prosperous commercial centre and a major front area in the Arabian Gulf.” Al Zubarah, under the rule of Al Khalifa, was the symbol of the eternal unity between the Qatar Peninsula and the Bahrain Islands, a fact confirmed by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa who said “We know the people of Qatar, They are our family and our friends and they are our people before the rule Al Thani”, Dr Shaikh Abdullah added. “On the other hand, Al Thani rulers have always been the epitome of rebellion and conspiracy and the source of strife and division for the sake of domination and expansion by all illegal means, including recourse to brutal armed force and forced displacement, as happened in the military aggressions on Zubarah in 1937 and in 1986. There is also blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain through the support of terrorist groups, media incitement and the naturalisation of certain segments of the Bahraini society in order to influence the social fabric,” he said. In his paper, Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Executive Director of Isa Cultural Centre, highlighted the establishment of the state in Zubarah, while Dr Mohammed Ahmed Abdullah, the Director of the Bahrain Studies Centre at the University of Bahrain, highlighted in his presentation Al Khalifa rule in the Qatar Peninsula. Dr Hamad bin Mohammed bin Seray Al Nuaimi, professor of history at the United Arab Emirates University, and Dr Saif bin Mohammed Al Bedawi, advisor at the Emiri Court of the Ruler of Ajman, focused on the alliance between Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in the second half of the 19th century. Other topics brought into focus the rebellion against the legitimate rule of Al Khalifa in the Qatar Peninsula and on the Qatari aggression on Al Dibal in 1986. “There are many lessons that can be learned and several conclusions that can be drawn from this conference. Unfortunately, there are many facts that are not highlighted or not stressed enough in research and studies,” Dr Shaikh Abdullah said. “We look forward to the development of ideas and visions and to the stimulation of efforts to better appreciation through rich debates and interactions in order to confront all those who target our security, capabilities and sovereignty in any way.”