Manama: Bahrain’s foreign ministry has summoned the acting Lebanese charge d’affaires in Manama to protest against the holding of a press conference in Lebanon calling for civil disobedience in the Gulf kingdom.
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Abdullah Abdul Lateef told Ebrahim Assaf that Bahrain was keen on the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported on Tuesday.
“Bahrain remains committed to this principle and does not accept that another sisterly country hosts media activities that target other countries,” the Bahraini official reportedly told the Lebanese diplomat. “Bahrain is dissatisfied with such an unacceptable attitude.”
The Lebanese diplomat said that his government did not support the conference and that his country refused to be used as a platform to target Bahrain and remained committed to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, BNA reported.
Al Assaf said that he would consult with the Lebanese authorities in Beirut on the issue.
On Sunday, a Bahraini Salafi society called for “prompt and effective” action against Lebanon over reportedly targeting the kingdom’s national security.
The Islamic Asala Society charged that Lebanon threatened the Kingdom’s stability and hosted “terrorist elements who incited chaos, violence and disturbances in Bahrain.”
MP Abdul Halim Murad, a leader in the society represented by several lawmakers at the parliament, said that Lebanon “had regretfully hosted a press conference by Tamarrod Al Bahrain movement in which it called for a repeat of the February 2011 scenario.
The movement has been pushing for Egypt-style street protests on August 14, similar to the events that unfolded in the island kingdom in February and March 2011 and that ultimately divided the nation politically and socially.
The lawmaker said that “the Lebanese media dominated by Hezbollah have been promoting the movement and its calls to hold the protests in Bahrain.”
