Manama: Pledging full allegiance to King Hamad and to the political regime and stressing their undivided patriotism, thousands of Bahrainis have called upon Iran to stop its interference in the domestic affairs of the country.
Religious figures, media people, parliamentarians, academicians, sports and youth personalities, clubs, associations, committees, majlis groups, families and tribes with extensions in other Gulf countries have been issuing statements to reiterate their loyalty to the kingdom’s leaders and to express their rejection of the statements made by Iranian officials and seen in Bahrain as blatant and objectionable interference in the country.
The support pledges and the Iranian interference rejections were posted mainly on social media, in the local press and on the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) website.
Full commitment to an Arab, undivided and strong Bahrain and the utter objection to Iranian interference under any guise were often expressed in strong terms in a new fervour of patriotism and loyalty.
Last week, Bahrain summoned the Iranian acting charge d’affaires to protest against statements attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Khamenei said during the Eid prayers that whether the deal reached between Tehran and world powers is approved or disapproved, Iran will never stop supporting its friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon.
Bahrain rejected the statement, saying it “represented a flagrant and unacceptable interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs, a blatant encroachment on its sovereignty and independence and a violation of the UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) principles.”
Iran must put an end immediately to such statements and concentrate, instead, on improving the living conditions of the friendly Iranian people, Bahrain said.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – a loose alliance of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -, has condemned Iran’s interference in Bahrain.
Cairo-based Al Azhar, the highest religious authority in Egypt, condemned Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain and other Arab countries.
On Thursday, Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa called upon Bahrainis and residents to openly express their support to the country and their condemnation of Iran’s interference in the domestic affairs of the kingdom.
The minister said the multifaceted Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain was totally unacceptable and did not conform to international norms that respect the values of good neighbourliness.
The interference includes antagonistic political statements, the smuggling of explosives, weapons and ammunitions into the kingdom, the harbouring of fugitives and the use of Iranian military camps to train Bahrainis on terrorist acts that target innocent people, he said.
The interference also includes orchestrating and launching constant and misleading propaganda campaigns against the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people to disseminate misinformation and false narratives about the kingdom, Shaikh Rashid added.
“Despite the adversity, Bahrain has been working to reinforce ties with Iran through a positive approach and has respected the ‘good neighbour’ approach,” he said in the statement.
“We say to the Iranians that you are involved in attempting to disrupt the security of Bahrain, that you have provided weapons and explosive training to Bahrainis, that you have exported the culture of terrorism to Bahrain and that whenever we make progress with our national stability, you purposefully provoke an escalation of violence in the Kingdom through your interference in our domestic affairs.”
Shaikh Rashid called upon all “patriots and all those who love Bahrain and have allegiance to the kingdom to condemn in unison the ominous Iranian interference regarding the kingdom’s security.
“Those who refuse this patriotic stance and do not condemn violence are in fact saying ‘Yes’ to violence, terrorism and Iran’s interference to destabilise Bahrain security,” the minister said.
On Saturday, the foreign ministry said it recalled Bahrain’s Ambassador to Iran “for discussions,” and expressed hope that relations could improve between the two countries, based on the principles of good neighbourliness, mutual respect, and non-interference in internal affairs.
Also on Saturday, the interior ministry said it disrupted an attempt to smuggle explosives into the country.
Two Bahraini suspects were arrested after the Bahrain Coast Guard, in coordination with the Police Aviation Unit and Bahrain Royal Naval Force, intercepted a vessel heading towards Bahrain, the ministry said.
Initial inquiries showed that one suspect received military training in Iran during August 2013, the ministry said. The training included the manufacturing and use of explosive ordinance and improvised explosive devices, as well as firearms training at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ camp.
