HRH Prince Salman’s call is in line with His Majesty King Hamad’s reforms initiative aimed at supporting all efforts for the best interest of country.
HRH Prince was talking to community leaders as he visited the majlises of Ali Saleh Al-Saleh, Speaker of the Shura Council, Faisal Jawad and the Al-Bin Ali family.
His Royal Highness stated that a more moderate and reasonable approach must be adopted by all. He stressed that actions that divide people and create tension only serve to harm the country and hinder the process of reform.
Leaders of political and religious communities must always seek to place the Kingdom at the top of its priorities and not be steered by a divisive agenda, he added.
His Royal Highness emphasised that in a society which embraces pluralism and individuality, excluding certain opinions only harms the social fabric; everyone should urge community leaders to take some responsibility to build bridges.
His Royal Highness stated that polarisation harms the nation, and that each party claims to have been most affected by recent events; dialogue helps to resolve differences. His Royal Highness further added that it is important to communicate openly and honestly, in order to gain clarity on issues of disagreement.
His Royal Highness added that efforts to seek to resolve recent issues do not appear sincere when some community leaders continue to highlight and take certain issues out of context, without seeking to find a practical solution; certain recent pronouncements have proven the narrow attitudes towards the current situation, leading to an escalation of instability and violence whenever a solution and consensus is close.
His Royal Highness added that it is not reasonable to use freedom of opinion and freedom of expression solely to harm the nation’s unity. Responsible use of these rights is through positive actions, and seeking to overcome obstacles, rather than encourage them. He stressed that this right also brings duty for leaders to stop irresponsible addresses that spread hatred and creates hostility within society.
His Royal Highness stated that incitement, violence and terrorism must be rejected as they harm Bahraini society, and pose a threat to security and stability, and will therefore be dealt with by force of law, and fair justice, in order to maintain security and to protect the people.
His Royal Highness emphasised that political development must be a consensus-based process encompassing all of society in order to ensure results that guarantee sustainable development. True citizenship requires that everyone must seek to play an effective role in preserving social cohesion and respect the rights of others.
Reform and development within the Kingdom is guaranteed to include all members of society. Right now, it requires the cooperation of everyone, without exclusion or discrimination, to overcome the present challenges, along with those that may be encountered in the future, he stressed.
His Royal Highness added that growth and development within any country encounters many challenges, which require a rational response in order to overcome these challenges, and move to next stage of development.
Attendees of the majlises expressed appreciation for His Royal Highness’s visit, and lauded his determination to seek national unity. They also praised the leadership’s efforts to uphold the best interests of the Kingdom, and expressed support to all efforts in this regard.