Bahrain’s Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, emphasized the importance of the role played by the police in protecting the security of the Bahraini people, praising their calm and patience in dealing with the increasing number of violent incidents during unlawful protests.
The Minister described the difficulties faced by the police who are confronted by danger every day, but also urged society as a whole to be responsible for safety as well.
“The safety of policemen is my responsibility,” he said. “But we are all responsible for the safety of society.”
The Minister acknowledged that the security force’s top mission is to protect lives, private property and general order.
He added that that the recent violence and rioting had impacted on all aspects of Bahraini life and had a damaging effect on people’s lives and businesses, accentuated by false and inaccurate rumours on social networking sites.
His comments came a day after Bahrain’s Cabinet announced that it plans to draft a law that would impose a 15 year jail sentence on protesters who assault policemen.
“The current state of security in Bahrain has led us to increase the security presence in order to protect civil peace. We are responsible for focusing on a peaceful coexistence that achieves a sense of hope, safety and unity that turns a deaf ear to any and all incitements,” the Minister said.
“Encouraging and inciting violence that leads to illegal behavior cannot be tolerated,” he said. “The law will punish those who commit illegal acts.”