The National Democratic Opposition Parties in Bahrain welcome the clerics and participants in the Civilizations Debate organized in Bahrain these days. We emphasize the humanitarian objectives you have gathered for, such as respect of culture pluralism, religious tolerance, moderation and human rights. We share your denunciation of all forms of violence, extremism and hatred. We believe these objectives are noble and we have and still do work on implementing them through our honest national initiatives and stances.
We would like to emphasize our people’s deep history of religious tolerance and cultural and intellectual pluralism. Our country is capable of contributing to the development of the nation and mankind in general. However, over the past three years, specifically since the eruption of the pro-democracy movement in February 2011, the Authority has carried out a continuous campaign of retaliation on the grounds of identity, cleansing, and sectarian division. Furthermore, it has closed all doors of political dialogue with the influential parties in the society, thus, leading to a number of unacceptable and regrettable violent acts.
The noble values this gathering of clerics and other participants aims to foster through this conference, are faced with a systematic and wide repression in Bahrain, and which will bring destructive social and political consequences if it not stopped.
The UN Human Rights Council and the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) confirmed hundreds of human rights violations to have been perpetrated by the Bahraini authorities. More than 150 citizens were deliberately killed, thousands of men, women and children were arrested for their opinions. Political figures and labor union leaders were handed harsh sentences in sham trials. While killers and torturers are acquitted and continue to enjoy impunity. Thousands were dismissed from jobs for their political opinions. Tens of mosques, even ancient ones, were demolished. In fact, the Authority in Bahrain sponsors and supports hatred speech through its official and quasi-official media and press. All these measures contradict fundamental human rights and humanitarian values.
The Bahraini society has long suffered from poor living standards, unemployment and wide corruption. All this has been loaded with political naturalization, sectarian discrimination and the absence of social justice.
The Authority is ought to open doors for a genuine national political dialogue within the society, we see this essential for any system to contribute in a humanitarian dialogue on the international level.
We, the National Democratic Opposition Parties, would like to reiterate our legitimate demands before the elites participating in the conference on civilizations and culture in Bahrain. We also call on the participants to talk to all sides in the Bahraini society and take a closer look at the facts the regime is trying to hide by organizing such a conference.
From our believe in the noble norms the participants in the conference are aiming to foster, we delivered a number of initiatives, since the beginning of the current political crisis. The latest of which was our initiative for an inclusive political solution, and which was delivered to the Royal Court on February 5th, 2014. This initiative was based on the following:
1. A suitable reconciliatory political environment must be created to support the success of the political process. This must begin with the full implementation of the recommendations both the BICI report and Human Rights Council. It is necessary to halt all politicized trials as well as prejudiced measures that are being practiced against the majority of the people and to release all political prisoners, starting with the detained children and school and university students as well as women, elderly people and those who are disabled or suffer from deformities.
2. It is necessary to halt the intensifying repression and the systematic incitement in the official media to create a suitable environment for the required political process in Bahrain.
3. To agree on clear roadmap and outcomes of the dialogue, and which must then be approved by the people of Bahrain through a national referendum before it is executed. An agreement is also needed on the transitional period between the dialogue and the execution of its outcomes.
4. A genuine dialogue must be launched between the decision-makers in the regime and the influential parties in the society. These sides must directly discuss the establishment and powers of the political system ( the executive, legislative, judicial and security powers as well as the electoral system) on the grounds of the constitutional principle; the people are the source of all powers.
From our believe of tolerance and coexistence, we released the Nonviolence Principles Declaration on November 7th, 2012, in which we condemned all forms of violence from any sides and pledged to advocate a nonviolent culture.
On January 9th, 2014, we issued the “Anti-Hatred Declaration” in which we called for a national program to combat hatred in the society and spread a culture of moderation and reconciliation. Bahrain is part of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that states in Article 20.2. “Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law”.
We in the National Democratic Opposition Parties, share concern with the participating elite over the existing polarization and ethnic, and sectarian divisions in the world and that have led to religious, social and political violence and ethnic and sectarian cleansing. We see that the people in Bahrain are suffering such phenomenon today. We therefore hope the participants in the conference will include the internal Bahraini concerns in their agenda and discussions.
Finally, we wish all participants a pleasant in Bahrain.
Issued by the National Democratic Opposition Parties- May 5th, 2014
Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society (AlWefaq)
National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
The National Progressive Tribune Society (Taqadomi)
National Democratic Gathering Society (AlQawmi)
Ekhaa National Society (Ekhaa)
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