You cannot transpose the U.S. system on Turkey, and the Turkish system on France etc. You have to understand the people and their culture. That's leadership.
— Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Bahrain is very dear to me.
Societies cannot move forward without law, and our constitution is the cornerstone of the law and our National Assembly is its umbrella and fortress.
There are no 'political prisoners' as such in Bahrain. People are not arrested because they express their views, we only have criminals.
In a sense there is no 'opposition' in Bahrain, as the phrase implies one unified block with the same views. Such a phrase is not in our constitution, unlike say the United Kingdom. We only have people with different views and that's ok.
I care about Bahrain. Bahrain is very dear to me. I will not allow people to play around with our laws.
Sectarian divide has created a schism in our society that is a major challenge. As monarch of all Bahrainis, it pains me to see many harmed by the actions of a few. And yet I am optimistic and have faith in our people. We all realize that now is the time to strike a balance between stability and gradual reform.
The Bahraini people are eager to obtain facts to enable them to shape a comprehensive national opinion without division among its people. We confirm to all journalists and media personnel in the kingdom of Bahrain that their freedom is preserved and their rights are safeguarded.
Any government that has a sincere desire for reform and progress should understand the benefit of objective and constructive criticism.
The decision to open up Bahrain to embrace all people indiscriminately was fostered in me ever since I was a child.
It's good to have a leader, otherwise we argue too much.
History shows that no enemy remains hostile forever, nor do friends remain friendly forever. For that reason, we intend to have normal relations with all.
No king should rule absolutely, like a dictator.
I care about Bahrain.
Bahrainis are better off than many other Arabs. We have a welfare state, everybody gets a salary whether they have a job or not. Electricity and food are subsidized; school and healthcare are free. And we don't differentiate between Bahrainis and foreigners. We are very proud of that.
We are a constitutional monarchy. I don't order laws, I propose them. Article 35 of our constitution states that the king can only refuse a law of parliament once, then he has to sign it - if the same law is then supported by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament.
There is no ethnic cleansing in Bahrain, no mass genocide, no policy of killing innocent people.
We invite American companies looking to raise capital to list on the Bahrain Stock Exchange. The region has a liquidity oversupply approximating $1 trillion and this pool of capital can be tapped into by creative American companies. The next Facebook may very well get funded on the BSE.
Bahrain lies at the epicenter of Gulf security and any violent upheaval in Bahrain would have enormous geopolitical consequences. Global economic stability depends on the uninterrupted export of crude oil from the Gulf to markets around the world - a job that historically has been assigned to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.
Reform is the mission from which we shall not digress; it is an expression of belief and determination between us and our people. With the help of Allah, we will proceed forward in this promising national process within the natural progress of the life cycle and the development of people and nation.
Democracy is not just constitutional and legislative rules; it is a culture and practice and adhering by the law and respecting international human rights principles.
I cherished the dream of a country embracing all its people.
If you like your brother and he's prospering, you'll be pleased for him.
By being friends with all, we are not alone.
I don't order laws, I propose them.
If people have done something wrong then they should be held accountable.
In establishing democracy, we have to be sensitive to the regional and national context. Democracy also means to guarantee the rights of the minorities. That's my job as a king. We have for example a Jewish ambassador in the US and a Christian in the UK.
There is no doubt that some in Iran have an unhealthy focus on Bahrain, as some of the broadcast coverage shows.
We have evidence that a number of Bahrainis who oppose our government are being trained in Syria. I have seen the files and we have notified the Syrian authorities, but they deny any involvement.
Along with our friends in the GCC, the first order of business is stability. Beyond the imperative of stability, the most important priority is job creation for all Bahrainis.
May Allah guide us to the good of the kingdom of Bahrain and its loyal people.
The reform process began with the historic consensus on the Charter of National Action, in which the Bahraini people decided on a new chapter of their history.
Our people have proven their desire for continuing with reforms. We complete the march today with those who have an honest patriotic desire for more progress and reform.
Bahrain 's margin of freedom is growing day after day as we head into the future with steady steps.
If somebody gives me his hand, I will not look at him with suspicion.
