Bahrain’s Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa has accused Iran of opening its camps to train terrorist groups which target the lives of innocent people.

He also condemned relentless misleading media campaigns against Bahrain, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

“So I tell them, you are implicated in subversive plots to disrupt Bahrain’s security. You train (terrorists) on the use of weapons and explosives. You export to us the culture of terrorism,” he said.

“Every time the situation in Bahrain starts to stabilise and heal you start stirring unrest and foment escalation by your interference in our internal affairs,” he added.

He said that Bahrain, on the contrary, spared no effort to consolidate relations with Iran, taking positive steps and making overtures out of a keen desire to be good neighbours.

He urged GCC states to step up co-operation and bolster their international alliances so as to achieve the security objectives for the peoples of the region.

“We should start first by correcting the pillars on which the GCC home stands to get rid of double loyalties and allegiances,” he said.

“For us in Bahrain, we reject double loyalty and it shall not exist as it contravenes the law without any doubt,” he said.

The minister said that double allegiance resulted from mixing religious platforms with politics.

“This is a long-standing Iranian agenda which politicises religious seminars (Hawza Ilmiya) in Qom.

Meanwhile, support for the Interior Minister’s call for a national protest against Iranian interference in Bahrain’s affairs as well as condemnations of Tehran’s stand poured in yesterday.

Editors of Bahrain’s newspapers denounced the Iranian interference.

They, in a statement, pledged unstinting support for His Majesty  King Hamad’s leadership and protection of national interests and democratic practices.

They condemned the Iranian interference in Bahrain’s affairs, which are flagrant infringement on national sovereignty and a breach of UN principles and international norms, conventions and charters.

Editors-in-chief who issued the statement include Anwar Abdulrahman of Akhbar Al Khaleej, Isa Al Shayji of Al Ayam, Mansour Al Jamri of Al Wasat, Yousuf Al Binkhalil of Al Watan, Moanis Al Mardi of Al Bilad and Abdulmonem Almeer of Al Naba’a.

The Foreign Media Correspondents Club in Bahrain stressed the importance of the commitment to all international norms and conventions by all countries of the world.

Welcomed

It said the statements of interference in other countries’ internal affairs will harm relations among states, which are based on mutual respect and non-interference in their internal affairs.

The club welcomed the Interior Minister’s patriotic call against Iranian interferences in Bahrain’s internal affairs.

The Grand Ajam Ma’atam condemned continuous blatant Iranian interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs.

In a statement yesterday, it strongly denounced Iran’s meddling in Bahrain’s internal affairs and encroachment on its national sovereignty.

It condemned hostile statements against Bahrain, misleading media campaigns, aiding and abetting terror acts, the smuggling of weapons and explosives, training terrorists and harbouring fugitives and criminals.

Parliament chairman Ahmed Al Mulla denounced hostile Iranian statements, abetting of terrorism, violence and sabotage and incitement, in addition to media campaigns against Bahrain.

The Shura Council condemned the statements by Iranian officials which represent a clear interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs and incompatible with international relations and good neighbourliness.

Arab Gulf Forum for Strategic Planning secretary general Dr Fahad Al Shehabi condemned the Iranian interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs and welcomed the patriotic call of the Interior Minister. He denounced provocative Iranian attempts and interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs.

Muharraq Electronic Network also denouncing the repeated Iranian interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs.

MP Mohammed Al Ahmed expressed full support to the Interior Minster’s call to rally ranks against foreign interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs. He also denounced hostile and provocative statements by the Iranian leaders. - TradeArabia News Service