Bahraini king's national dialogue resumption initiative hailed

Minister of State for Information Affairs and Official Spokesperson for the Government, Sameera Ibrahim bin Rajab, said that the initiative of HM the King aimed to resume national dialogue reflects Bahrain's absolute belief in dialogue and the language of reason and understanding as the essence upon which to reach common understanding regarding different issues.The Minister of State for Information Affairs said that ideas and opinions presented so far for discussion are only consultations aimed to reach common general consensuses. She told the London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper on Tuesday that the latest initiative led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister in meeting with effective forces in Bahrain launched a few days ago in compliance with the bold initiative of His Majesty the King was not any surprise to observers or the street. This is the fourth instance the Government offers dialogue which confirms the solid policy of keeping the door open to dialogue and which has been the most perfect instrument to consolidate the firm values of peaceful co-existence in Bahrain over thousands of years.She pointed out that it is only natural that all political forces should present their own demands and this opens the discussion. She said that the initiative is still in its initial stages and that it aims to sit at the negotiating table and to conduct bilateral consultations between all parties transparently and in public so as to reach a common grounds on issues which were once and still are the focus of concern for the legislative authority, the executive authority, electioneering constituencies, and security for all. The discussion of these topics was never denied on any day and there was no security worry with regard thereof.The Minister asserted that there are invisible hands playing havoc, alluding to organized, systematic terrorism inside Bahrain carried out by local culprits, and also from abroad. The Minister dismised any fear in Bahrain from terrorism because our security agencies capably and calmly cope with it in order to maintain the community heritage in terms of security and stability. The Minister at the same time refused to talk about any mediations from abroad regarding this purely internal Bahraini affair which is dialogue and said that what is taking place at this moment is only normal, initial consultations between parties that usually precedes actual serious dialogue. The Government reiterates its insistence to the essential success of dialogue.The Minister said that Iran's interference in Bahrain's internal affairs began long ago, pointing out that there are substantial evidences to such interference which continued non-stop. Bahrain requests nothing more than stopping such meddling, reliant upon the values of Islam and historic relations and the need to establish relations of good neighborliness which is the general policy adopted by the Kingdom with all countries.Regarding latest developments of the Kingdom's media strategy, the Minister said that since she assumed her ministerial portfolio in December 2012, a clear-cut media strategy was laid down to develop official media in the Kingdom on professionalism basis by the Information Affairs Authority (IAA). An integrated youthful team was formed comprising Bahraini university graduates in order to lay down a strategy that satisfies our needs and requirements. Actual work began in its implementation. Strong elements were supplied to run the new media institutions. The Minister pointed out that one of the most significant bases of the national media strategy was to address and reach out to the external media. The developments in this aspect constitute a quality shift in developing the media, accumulation of knowledge, creation of a capable team to cope with challenges in order to improve Bahrain's image to the outside world as was always the case in the past.The Minister said that Bahrain since 2011 has been taking giant reformative strides, especially in the political aspects, led by His Majesty the King, which has opened vast doors for press and media freedoms for the first time. The Minister pointed out that the Press Law of the year 2002 which organizes the current media scene does not satisfy the requisite needs, however, with development and modernization of the media, the need is still great for the current law. A new media organization has been formed under the name of "The High Authority for the Media and Communications" which is concerned with the professional standard of the media akin to Western media organizations and institutions and assumes the organizing of our national media affairs.The Minister of State for Information Affairs said that since the Press Law was issued, no journalist has been incarcerated in Bahrain till now, pointing out there is need to issue a new law commensurate with reform and to satisfy the ambitions of journalists nowadays. The Minister stressed that no Bahraini columnist has ever stopped from writing or publishing his/her opinion through it might be contradictory to opinion adopted by the Government. The freedom of opinion has been guaranteed under the Constitution. The Minister said that she is against writings which promote sectarian strife or hatred nevertheless no Bahraini journalist or writer has ever been brought before any court of law. She added that political media policies are drawn by the relevant media professional bodies and that the Ministry of Information in Bahrain, in contrast with its counterparts in other countries, presents its strategy to the Cabinet for approval and gradual implementation and that it would be a normal procedure that some amendments are made according to circumstances and events in Bahrain or in the outside world however nobody interferers in precise matters or details.The Minister said that the events that took place in some Arab countries should not be called a "spring", the Minister reiterated. She explained that the Middle East is ushering into a new decade and what takes place is to be called "the post-Iraq" era. I wrote so much about this topic before I became Minister. I considered that any Arab regime that changes now would be in favor of religious current which would be a continual attrition against the Arab nation, she envisioned.