The prestigious “King Hamad Peaceful Coexistence Award” was launched in a grand ceremony in Los Angeles. The event held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was attended by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, along with ambassadors, diplomats, religious leaders, and cultural and media figures.
The first-of-its-kind award named after His Majesty the King was announced in November last year at the interfaith forum titled ‘Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence’. The award aims to recognise the importance of dialogue, understanding, and joint cooperation among countries.
In his opening address at the launch, Foreign Affairs Ministry Political Affais Under-Secretary Dr Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa highlighted His Majesty King Hamad’s efforts to promote Bahrain as a global centre to promote cultural convergence among followers of different religions and faiths. He underlined the continuous support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in delivering this message of coexistence to nations around the world.
“The launch of the award is the royal approach to promoting coexistence and religious freedom and countering racism, bigotry, and extremism,” said Dr Shaikh Abdulla, who is also the Board of Trustees chairman of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence.
He noted that the Bahrain Declaration was also launched in Los Angeles in 2017 as a document that aims to consolidate the approach of moderation and rejection of intolerance.
He also praised the Bahraini-US ties and their ongoing development in all fields.
“Bahrain is known as a country of civilisations, openness to other cultures, and a safe place for everyone to practise their religious beliefs and rituals freely, based on the values of protecting freedoms, respecting diversity, and building bridges of coexistence and harmony,” he said.
“The King Hamad Peaceful Coexistence Award, which was first announced during the opening of the Bahrain Dialogue Forum “East and West for Human Coexistence” last November, provides an opportunity for the global recognition of efforts that support coexistence and peace.” The prestigious award is added to the series of initiatives launched by His Majesty the King in this domain, including the establishment of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, the launch of the Bahrain Declaration, and the inauguration of the King Hamad Chair for Dialogue between Religions and Peaceful Coexistence at the University of Sapienza in Italy, explained Dr Shaikh Abdulla. He highlighted the positive role played by the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence as a global partner in defending human rights and promoting the spirit of human fraternity among people of all religions and cultures.
In his address, Secretary Pompeo praised the efforts made by Bahrain to promote values of tolerance and coexistence.
“The King Hamad Award for Peaceful Coexistence represents yet another important initiative in this direction,” he said.
He highlighted the continuous collaboration between the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre to bring together followers of different religions and faiths. He described his participation in the award’s launch as “wonderful” and expressed his readiness to cooperate with the initiatives of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in this regard. United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office head Ambassador Marco Suazo highlighted that the King Hamad Award for Peaceful Coexistence is closely aligned with the goals and objectives of the UN, particularly in relation to promoting the message of peace and peaceful coexistence among peoples.
Bahrain has always taken the lead internationally in initiatives that promote peace and peaceful coexistence,” he affirmed.
A press conference was also held to announce the launch prior to the ceremony, which was attended by Dr Shaikh Abdullah and a number of political and religious figures, as well as representatives of American and international institutions and various media outlets. At the conference, the most prominent initiatives of Bahrain in the fields of peace, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence were highlighted.