His Majesty King Hamad has reiterated Bahrain's commitment to an inclusive society in which all people are represented.

Speaking as he received representatives of Bahrain's expatriate communities, he pledged that the kingdom would remain a country of openness, pluralism, co-existence and tolerance - despite challenges now facing the region and the world, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Around 300 people who took part in events in the UK, Belgium and Germany under the banner 'This Is Bahrain' were welcomed at Sakhir Palace yesterday.

They included expatriates and Bahrainis who have showcased the country's inclusive society in the European capitals of London, Brussels and Berlin.

Members of a European delegation, which included representatives of countries the roadshow has visited, were also present.

“In a world torn by worrisome disputes and conflicts that often push certain individuals to carry weapons of extremism, hatred, fanaticism and unjustified violence, we would like to clarify that Bahrain enjoys a comfortable space and an all-encompassing environment that embraces the various components of our diverse society, and this may not be available in abundance elsewhere,” said the King.

He also offered his backing for the 'This Is Bahrain' roadshows, which are spearheaded by the Bahrain Federation of Expatriate Associations (BFEA).

“We would like to affirm anew our appreciation and support for such efforts, which convey a clear message to the world that Bahrain shall continue to host all of those who live on its land and work for its benefits and interests, without discrimination,” he said.

“We thank everybody for their kind efforts and we commend the outstanding initiative of the BFEA, which sensed the importance of interaction with others through the discourse of culture and economy, which are most of the time more influential than political discourse.”

BFEA secretary-general Betsy Mathieson said more foreign visits were being planned in the coming months.

“We must thank our delegates, Bahrainis and expatriates, who travelled with us to London, to Berlin and to Brussels in the past months and hopefully soon to Paris and onwards to New York,” she said.

“The essence of co-existence in Bahrain is mainly attributed to the fact that everyone is fully free to enshrine his religion, hold his identity and preserve his character.

“All these are based on trust and mutual respect among components of society and emanates from the desire of Bahrainis to co-operate for the good of the whole humanity, deepen mutual understanding between the people of other religions and sects, promote human values and build bridges of humanitarian, civilised and cultural co-existence.”

She described freedoms enjoyed by all religious faiths in Bahrain as 'unique' in the Middle East.

“This freedom is unique to Bahrain in this region and we are very grateful for Your Majesty's sincere belief and commitment to this freedom,' she said as she addressed the King.

“We who are gathered here today, religious leaders from around the world, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jews, are a clear evidence that the Bahrain model of centuries-old peaceful co-existence is the key to combating prejudices, discrimination, fear and ignorance while offering a simple, proven solution towards fighting the rise of global terrorism.

“For centuries Bahrainis have grown up in a multicultural, multi-faith society sharing values, beliefs and cultures and promoting tolerance, peace, love and unity.”

Meanwhile, visiting French Union des Peuples pour la Paix (French Union for Peace between People) president Shaikh Hassen Chalgoumi described the King as a symbol of peace from whom much can be learnt.

“Bahrain's King is the model we need to learn from and, if we take Bahrain's tolerance and co-existence experience, then radical groups such as the Islamic State (IS) would have no place between us,” he said.

Children from Sacred Heart Church choir sang during the event and guests received commemorative gifts from the BFEA. 'This Is Bahrain' is expected to visit Paris in May and New York in September. - TradeArabia News Service