PARLIAMENT yesterday condemned a car bomb attack on worshippers at a mosque and called on the government to strip bombers and terror masterminds of their citizenship.
Bahrain’s parliamentary blocs issued a joint statement urging the Interior Ministry to do whatever necessary to bring the terrorists to justice following the blast targeting Shaikh Isa bin Salman Mosque in West Riffa on Wednesday, which sent shockwaves across the nation.
The MPs called for the law on terror to be enforced on the perpetrators as well as their backers and the masterminds behind the blast.
“The people have had enough,” they said, warning against the dangerous escalation in terrorism in Bahrain.
Parliament chairman Dr Khalifa Al Dhahrani urged a strong stance to deter parties seeking to fuel sectarian strife in Bahrain.
“It is no longer possible to keep silent as terror attacks and acts of violence have crossed the Rubicon,” he said.
Dr Al Dhahrani said there was full GCC support for measures taken by Bahrain to maintain national security and stability and fight terrorism.
He urged authorities to bring lawbreakers to justice and adopt an iron-fisted approach to root out the scourge of terror.
He called on all citizens to confront calls inciting violence and sectarian strife.
The MPs in their statement said the bombing was a dangerous attempt to drive the country into sectarian conflict.
They accused the same parties which rejected dialogue of harbouring and condoning terror with the aim of pushing the country down a dark tunnel.
They called on the Justice Ministry to enforce the law on political societies and religious platforms inciting terror, violence, sabotage and sectarianism.
The statement was signed by MPs Abdulla bin Huweil, Ali Al Durazi, Mohammed Al Emadi, Salman Al Sheikh, Abdulhalim Murad, Khamees Al Romaihi, Ahmed Al Mullah, Hassan Al Dosary, Adnan Al Malki, Abbas Al Madi, Adel Al Asoomi, Hassan Boukhammas, Sameer Khadim and Abdulrahman Boumajeed.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Embassy yesterday condemned the terror blast. In a statement, it expressed deep sorrow and grief over the spate of attacks.
It affirmed confidence in the ability of the security authorities to hold the bombers accountable and root out the scourge of terror which is alien to a peace-loving and tolerant society.
Prominent personalities and institutions worldwide joined the chorus of outrage over the terrorist act.
Support
The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union strongly condemned the cowardly bombing and announced its strong solidarity and unconditional support for all actions taken by Bahrain to ensure security and stability in the region and provide security and tranquillity for the people of Bahrain.
Former Iranian crown prince and official of the National Iranian Council Prince Reza Pahlavi condemned the terror bombing on his official website and said it was aimed at fuelling sectarian strife not only in Bahrain, but also across the region.
The Future Movement in France strongly condemned the blast. It denounced the terror attack, describing it as a dangerous assault on innocent citizens in Bahrain and a flagrant affront to all norms and human values with the aim of sowing division among Bahrainis.
In a statement, it urged Bahrainis to stand united and foil attempts by terrorists to fuel sectarian strife, spread hatred and spark violence for the sake of foreign designs.