Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said that his country is "the country where the rule of law is supreme, human dignity is safeguarded and rituals are protected." This comes at a time when Bahrain is criticized for violating human rights, and depriving the Shiite majority from practicing their religious rituals.

In the speech he delivered during the opening ceremony of the third session of the Fourth Legislative Term, King Hamad claimed, "In spite of the exceptional economic situation across the world, our esteemed government has been able to maintain an appropriate level of economic growth."

The Bahraini government has recently intensified its grip against the Shiite majority in terms of religious freedoms. The authorities recently targeted the Ashura events, through removing all Ashura banners from the streets, and summoning religious clerics for investigations, for charges of expressing their religious beliefs.

Arabic Version