Manama, April 24 (BNA) Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa received today an American delegation from a group of evangelicals. Led by Middle East Media founder, media expert and policy advisor, Joel Rosenberg.
The meeting was attended by the Head of Public Security, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and the Director General of Media and Security Culture.
Interior Minister Rosenberg and the accompanying delegation welcomed him, stressing the importance of interaction and exchange of views. He stressed that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s reformist approach is based on coexistence, tolerance and openness. This approach forms the basis of the Ibrahim Agreement signed in September 2020 to promote security, stability and peace in the region.
The Minister of Interior affirmed Bahrain’s openness to different religions as part of the society’s culture. He said Bahrain’s constitution focuses on individuals and protects their rights to freedom of worship.
He added that long-time residents of various nationalities and religions obtained Bahraini citizenship due to the coexistence and openness of Bahraini society.
He briefed the delegation on the existence of places of worship for various religions as an indication of the religious tolerance of the Bahraini culture and the honorable efforts of His Majesty the King to promote peace and understanding in the region and the world.
During the meeting, the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Follow-up Committee of the National Plan to Strengthen the Spirit of Belonging to the Fatherland and Promote the Values of Nationalism highlighted more than 100 initiatives of the plan.
The plan was presented in March 2019, and is being implemented jointly with 27 public institutions in cooperation with the private sector.
He pointed out that extremism and extremism still pose a great danger to young people, especially with quick and convenient access to information or misinformation on the Internet through various social media platforms.
He said the Department of the Interior signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DARE America, a drug abuse resistance education program, in 2011. Through the MOU, the Maan (Together) Program to Combat Violence and Addiction was launched.
The program succeeded in reducing more than 54% of the negative and wrong behaviors of school children. It has been expanded to include a curriculum to combat extremism and radicalization and to teach religious tolerance to achieve peaceful coexistence.
In the meantime, Mr. Rosenberg and the accompanying delegation expressed their appreciation for Bahrain’s efforts in promoting coexistence and openness as part of His Majesty’s approach. They wished Bahrain more progress, security and stability.
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