The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) has lauded His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s pioneering initiatives in the fields of religious freedoms, dialogue and co-existence, as the best means to achieve global peace and siege extremism and hatred.

During its regular meeting, held here today under the chairmanship of its President, HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa, and in the presence of Deputy President Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Rashid AL Khalifa, SCIA welcomed the launch of the "Bahrain Declaration Document" to consolidating religious freedoms, and the inauguration of the King Hamad Global Centre for Inter-Faith Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence, noting that the moves crown the kingdom’s rich record in this regard.

The SCIA extended, marking the new Hijri Year, deepest congratulations to HM King Hamad, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, the Government of Bahrain, the Royal Family, the Bahraini people and the Islamic Nation, wishing them many happy returns of the auspicious occasion.

The council also stressed that the Ashoora commemoration season is among the most important religious occasions in the kingdom, and reflects Bahrain’s keenness on preserving religious freedoms and rituals, as well as on maintaining the constructive pluralism within a secure atmosphere of peaceful co-existence for which the country has been known for long, noting that such guaranteed freedoms reflect Bahrain’s authentic fundamentals of fraternity, cohesion, respect and moderation.

The SCIA called on those responsible for the Ashoora commemoration rituals to assume their religious, national and social responsibilities through keeping the rituals away from anything that may violate their sanctity or undermine the national religious fundamentals, stressing the need to respect systems and laws so as to preserve the status of the rituals and provide them with a secure environment.

It called on preachers to commit themselves to the purposeful, constructive and responsible discourse, and to distance themselves from anything that would stir up sedition or politicise the Hussainiya rituals and convert them into events serving partisan or factional agendas.

Ina another context, the SCIA extended congratulations to Saudi Arabia on the success of the Haj season, appreciating highly the role played by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his government to serve pilgrims and the holy sites.

The outstanding success of this year’s Haj season builds on the continuous successes of Saudi Arabia in serving pilgrims, which confirms its merit and ability to be in charge of pilgrimage and Omrah so as to ensure the security, tranquility and easy rituals for pilgrims, SCIA said.

The council also congratulated Bahraini pilgrims on their safe return, wishing them heavenly rewards, and commending the efforts of the Bahraini Haj Mission to serve them.

The SCIA strongly condemned the flagrant violations against the Rohingya Muslims and the use of force and violence against them by the authorities in Myanmar, which claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people and resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of them, calling on the Islamic world and the international community to respond quickly to stop these violations and provide the Muslim minority with the necessary assistance, and stop their sufferings and put an end to such a tragedy.

The SCIA then discussed other topic on its agenda.

Source : BNA