HM the King accorded the Samuel Zwemer award

New York, Sep. 28 (BNA): In honor of His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, may God protect him, the Reformed Church in the United States presented the "Samuel Zwemer" award to His Majesty, in recognition of his prominent support of the American Mission Hospital and health services in general in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as his Majesty’s keenness to promote freedom of religion. On behalf of the King of Bahrain, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa received the award at a ceremony held Tuesday,September 27 in New York. Shaikh Khalid conveyed his majesty’s honour in receiving this noble award, which aims to promote acceptance and coexistence among all countries of the world and its peoples and give attention to human development. The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed His Majesty’s best wishes and continued success for those in charge of the award, stressing his Majesty’s appreciation for the efforts of the Reformed Church in strengthening the close historical ties between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States, and the services provided by the American Mission Hospital. He pointed out the keenness of His Majesty on providing various ways of cutting-edge health care to all citizens and residents in the Kingdom, which will remain inclusive to all religions, and enrich the local community and contribute to progress and prosperity. Shaikh Khalid noted that His Majesty the King is keen to promote the advanced status that Bahrain has achieved in the field of human development, which is monitored by international reports. His Majesty is always trying to embody the spirit of tolerance and freedom of religion prevailing in the country, and host regular meetings with members of all sects to confirm His Majesty’s conviction and faith of the need to maintain this acceptance as a force within the community. The minister stressed that the citizens of the Kingdom of Bahrain practice their religion with all the goodwill and freedom, pluralism and peaceful coexistence is not a new phenomenon, it extends for centuries, which made Bahrain always a pluralistic society of freedom and religious tolerance, where there is a wide range of denominations, each with full freedom of religion and belief, and that Bahrain will continue to welcome all people from different religions and cultures. Shaikh Khalid referred to the tireless efforts of "Samuel Zwemer" to found this sophisticated health institution and the burdens of travel that it carries, and patience at a time when travel was full of difficulties and risks, in order to serve the people in the region without charge, and all that was sought was the happiness of the people and contribution to improve their lives through health and education as pillars to human development. The minister also praised the services provided by the American Mission Hospital and Al Raja School in the lasting development between the duo of health and educational services in the Kingdom of Bahrain with all sincerity and efficiency which have had a significant role in the development of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Secretary General of the American Reformed Church, Tom de Vries, awarded a commemorative medal to His Majesty the King, in recognition of the concrete support provided by His Majesty that had a deep impact on the achievements of the American Mission Hospital and significant progress in health services, stressing the strong relationship between the hospital and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and his confidence that these relations will witness further development thanks to the care and attention of the King of Bahrain. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Chairman of the American Mission Hospital, stressed His Majesty’s support to the hospital, reviewing the history of the hospital since the beginning of its establishment in the Kingdom of Bahrain and health services it provided to its citizens. While Rev. James Neville reviewed aspects of Samuel Zwemer’s life and his efforts in the provision of health services in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the region through the American Mission Hospital. Hull Delano Roosevelt, a member of the council of the American Mission Hospital, talked about the hospital's performance and role, its future plans, visions, and ideas to be implemented by the hospital during the next period in the framework of the permanent efforts to develop performance and improve services. Ambassador of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Bahrain, William Roebuck, praised the keenness and the patronage of His Majesty the King to the hospital, stressing that the relationship between the two countries is characterized as having commenced through communication between the two peoples which has become a pillar of these relationships and motivation to evolve constantly, pointing out that the bilateral relations extend to the various aspects of cooperation in all fields, particularly the military and political ones. Dr. George Cheriyan, the Chief Executive Medical Officer, spoke about the history of the hospital in Bahrain, spoke about the Bahraini society’s religious diversity, pointing out that the American Mission Hospital provides health services for all members of the Bahraini society, and it is the only hospital among US hospitals founded in the Gulf, which is still continuing in the provision of health services, and praised the outstanding level of health services in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the government's keenness to provide these services free of charge. The audience at the ceremony continued with a documentary prepared by the American Reformed Church on the history of American Mission Hospital in Bahrain and its development and services.