Bahraini Prime Minister Meets with Local Church Leaders, Says Country is a Model of Toleration

MANAMA, Bahrain, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bahraini Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa met with community church leaders yesterday to discuss religious tolerance and national unity efforts in the country.

The prime minister reaffirmed that the country will always be a "vivid model of toleration and co-existence." He noted that, "The cultural and social ingredients in Bahrain are based on melting all sects in the same cauldron, freedom of religion and acceptance of the other."

The Prime Minister thanked the religious leaders for their commitment to the country during the crisis and for their help in protecting Bahrain's national achievements.

"Bahrain has been able, thanks to the contribution of all factions, to lay down the basis of a modern country characterized by harmony, cohesion and love among all," he said.

The constitution lays the groundwork for this cohesion by supporting religious freedom and tolerance and safeguarding the rights of all factions, the Prime Minister said. He then urged continued unity to ensure the stability and future progress of the country.

"All Bahrainis, regardless of their different faiths and doctrines, have to work for the benefit of the kingdom and its prosperity, security and stability as no one is immune when threats loom," he noted. "We are all partners sharing the same homeland and bound by a common destiny and goal which is to ensure a thriving nation benefiting all."

SOURCE Bahrain News Agency