Al Wefaq on International Peace Day: Bahrain in most need for comprehensive peace

September 21^st, 2015

Today, Bahrain is in most need for comprehensive peace on all levels far from the destructive security approaches.

The achievement of peace in Bahrain entails a real national project through courageous and genuine political and economic solutions that put the benefits of the country and its citizens in core consideration.

Peace is a national demand that should be reached by the implementation of justice, balanced representation of all society sides, respect of human rights and democratic principles and equality on the bases of citizenship and law.

These are the essential demands of the Bahraini opposition and the popular movement that erupted in February 2011.

In the strategic Declaration of the Non-Violence Principles, issued on 7^th November 2012, the opposition parties in Bahrain presented nonviolence principles and encouraged others to adopt them:

1-    To respect the basic rights of individuals and community groups, and to defend it.
2-    To uphold the principles of human rights, democracy, and pluralism.
3-    Never to adopt any means of violence or violations to Human rights or democratic means.
4-     To condemn violence, in all its forms, sources, and parties.
5-    To defend people’s rights for freedom of expression and assembly.
6-    To emphasize and urge in our literature, speech, and programs on a culture of nonviolence and adopt peaceful and civilized means.

Sheikh Ali Salman, who is Secretary General of Al Wefaq opposition party and who played an essential role in the writing of this declaration, should not be in prison today for defending the democratic demands of the peaceful popular movement.

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