The King of Bahrain donates land for the construction of a new Coptic church

Agenzia Fides ^ | 13/10/2016

[iowamark]

Coptic Orthodox priest Royce George, engaged in the pastoral care of the Orthodox Coptic community in Bahrain, has confirmed the donation of land by King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa for the construction of the second Coptic church in the Kingdom. The new building of Christian worship will rise in the capital, Manama, and will become a point of reference for the liturgies and pastoral activities that will involve approximately 1,500 Coptic families resident in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The donation was announced after the meeting which took place in late April between the King of Bahrain and Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II, on the occasion of the monarch's visit to Egypt. At the time, during the meeting with the Patriarch, the Sovereign had exalted the "religious tolerance" of his Kingdom, criticized by international organizations for the Kingdom’s discrimination against the Shia majority. In 2013 the Catholic Church received an area of 9 thousand square meters in the municipality of Awali from the King of Bahrain, where in the spring of 2014 work began on what will become the Catholic Cathedral of the Kingdom, dedicated to Our Lady of Arabia. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 13/10/2016)

[iowamark]

There is some good news out of the Arabian peninsula.

[proudpapa]

Coptic Lives Matter.

[Nothingburger]

I never would have expected this.

[BlessedBeGod]

According to the CIA World Factbook, Bahrain is approximately 70% Muslim, 15% Christian, 10% Hindu.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

And the Clintons shook him down for millions.

This king has done his best to maintain public tranquility and to follow the Golden Rule. But the Clintons only care about one thing.

[Jess Kitting]

But the Clintons only care about one thing.

Make that two: Money and power.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Hillary Approved Arms Sales After Big Donations from Bahrain
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3462688/posts

‘... Folks like the prince of Bahrain, who donated $32 million to the foundation, needed to get in touch ...’ — liz

The challenges Bahrain faces coming up in post to ‘all’ ... don’t want to clog your ‘pings’.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Note that the King of Bahrain had to 'break bad' once in a while. It's absolutely necessary when ruling over Islamic fanatics. Assad has the same challenge in Syria, and Obama's judgment of Assad is through far too dark a lens. The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of California (Socal), discovered oil in 1931 and production began the following year. This was to bring rapid modernisation to Bahrain. Relations with the United Kingdom became closer, as evidenced by the British Royal Navy moving its entire Middle Eastern command from Bushehr in Iran to Bahrain in 1935. In the early 1930s Bahrain Airport was developed. Imperial Airways flew there, including the Handley Page HP42 aircraft. Later in the same decade the Bahrain Maritime Airport was established, for flying-boats and seaplanes. [snip] After World War II, increasing anti-British sentiment spread throughout the Arab World and led to riots in Bahrain. The riots focused on the Jewish community. In 1948, following rising hostilities and looting, most members of Bahrain's Jewish community abandoned their properties and evacuated to Bombay, later settling in Israel (Pardes Hanna-Karkur) and the United Kingdom. As of 2008[update], 37 Jews remained in the country. In the 1950s, the National Union Committee, formed by reformists following sectarian clashes, demanded an elected popular assembly, removal of Belgrave and carried out a number of protests and general strikes. In 1965 a month-long uprising broke out after hundreds of workers at the Bahrain Petroleum Company were laid off. On 15 August 1971, Bahrain declared independence and signed a new treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom. [snip] Bahrain replaced Beirut as the Middle East's financial hub after Lebanon's large banking sector was driven out of the country by the war. Following the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, in 1981 Bahraini Shī'a fundamentalists orchestrated a failed coup attempt under the auspices of a front organisation, the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain. [snip] In December 1994, a group of youths threw stones at female runners during an international marathon for running bare-legged. The resulting clash with police soon grew into civil unrest. A popular uprising occurred between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces.[100] The event resulted in approximately forty deaths and ended after Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999.[101] He instituted elections for parliament, gave women the right to vote, and released all political prisoners.[102] A referendum on 14–15 February 2001 massively supported the National Action Charter.[103] As part of the adoption of the National Action Charter on 14 February 2002, Bahrain changed its formal name from the State (dawla) of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Protesters gathered at the Pearl Roundabout for the first time on 15 February 2011. The country participated in military action against the Taliban in October 2001 by deploying a frigate in the Arabian Sea for rescue and humanitarian operations. [snip] Bahraini uprising Main articles: Bahraini uprising of 2011 and Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain Inspired by the regional Arab Spring, Bahrain's Shia majority started large protests against its Sunni rulers in early 2011. The government initially allowed protests following a pre-dawn raid on protesters camped in Pearl Roundabout. A month later it requested security assistance from Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries and declared a three-month state of emergency. The government then launched a crackdown on the opposition that included conducting thousands of arrests and systematic torture. Almost daily clashes between protesters and security forces led to dozens of deaths. Protests, sometimes staged by opposition parties, are ongoing. More than 80 civilians and 13 policemen have been killed as of March 2014. The lack of coverage by Arab media in the Persian Gulf, as compared to other Arab Spring uprisings, has sparked several controversies.

[Cronos]

As a note, this is not unusual for Bahrain. I lived in Bahrain as a child in the late 70s and early 80s and there was already at least one CAtholic Church --> Sacred Heart Church

There is in addition the The Cathedral in Bahrain

In fact there seem to be three catholic / orthodox churches in Bahrain and I know there were many evangelical / pentecostal home churches.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Reposting with paragraph breaks. Sorry. Can't find the html embedded in the notes.

Note that the King of Bahrain had to 'break bad' once in a while. It's absolutely necessary when ruling over Islamic fanatics. Assad has the same challenge in Syria, and Obama's judgment of Assad is through far too dark a lens. The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of California (Socal), discovered oil in 1931 and production began the following year. This was to bring rapid modernisation to Bahrain. Relations with the United Kingdom became closer, as evidenced by the British Royal Navy moving its entire Middle Eastern command from Bushehr in Iran to Bahrain in 1935.

In the early 1930s Bahrain Airport was developed. Imperial Airways flew there, including the Handley Page HP42 aircraft. Later in the same decade the Bahrain Maritime Airport was established, for flying-boats and seaplanes. [snip]

After World War II, increasing anti-British sentiment spread throughout the Arab World and led to riots in Bahrain. The riots focused on the Jewish community. In 1948, following rising hostilities and looting, most members of Bahrain's Jewish community abandoned their properties and evacuated to Bombay, later settling in Israel (Pardes Hanna-Karkur) and the United Kingdom. As of 2008[update], 37 Jews remained in the country. In the 1950s, the National Union Committee, formed by reformists following sectarian clashes, demanded an elected popular assembly, removal of Belgrave and carried out a number of protests and general strikes.

In 1965 a month-long uprising broke out after hundreds of workers at the Bahrain Petroleum Company were laid off. On 15 August 1971, Bahrain declared independence and signed a new treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom. [snip]

Bahrain replaced Beirut as the Middle East's financial hub after Lebanon's large banking sector was driven out of the country by the war. Following the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, in 1981 Bahraini Shī'a fundamentalists orchestrated a failed coup attempt under the auspices of a front organisation, the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain. [snip]

In December 1994, a group of youths threw stones at female runners during an international marathon for running bare-legged. The resulting clash with police soon grew into civil unrest. A popular uprising occurred between 1994 and 2000 in which leftists, liberals and Islamists joined forces.[100] The event resulted in approximately forty deaths and ended after Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999.[101] He instituted elections for parliament, gave women the right to vote, and released all political prisoners.[102] A referendum on 14–15 February 2001 massively supported the National Action Charter.[103] As part of the adoption of the National Action Charter on 14 February 2002, Bahrain changed its formal name from the State (dawla) of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Protesters gathered at the Pearl Roundabout for the first time on 15 February 2011. The country participated in military action against the Taliban in October 2001 by deploying a frigate in the Arabian Sea for rescue and humanitarian operations. [snip]

Bahraini uprising Main articles: Bahraini uprising of 2011 and Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain Inspired by the regional Arab Spring, Bahrain's Shia majority started large protests against its Sunni rulers in early 2011. The government initially allowed protests following a pre-dawn raid on protesters camped in Pearl Roundabout.

A month later it requested security assistance from Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries and declared a three-month state of emergency. The government then launched a crackdown on the opposition that included conducting thousands of arrests and systematic torture. Almost daily clashes between protesters and security forces led to dozens of deaths. Protests, sometimes staged by opposition parties, are ongoing. More than 80 civilians and 13 policemen have been killed as of March 2014. The lack of coverage by Arab media in the Persian Gulf, as compared to other Arab Spring uprisings, has sparked several controversies.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Would I be correct in presuming that Bahrain is taking in Coptic Christian refugees?

[Nothingburger]

Thank you, that’s interesting indeed. Bit of hope when we sure can use some.

[jntrees]

Nice gesture, however, I’d be willing to bet we’d see it destroyed in the very near future by the R.O.P.

[ConservaTeen]

Hmm unbelievable... Good for Bahrain...

[Robert DeLong]

I must admit, at first blush I am impressed, but one cannot help wonder why. It is not like Muslims to accept any religion other than Islam. At least not in recent history.

[Flavious_Maximus]

Gestures like this make me respect Muslims more.

It almost makes me want to trust them. When will the Saudis allow Christian churches on their territory?

[Cronos]

No they aren't. Bahrain was for a long time the banking center of the middle-east, but was upstaged in the late 90s by Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Bahrain was also for millennia an entrepôt -- it was Dilmun, the roumered location of the garden of Eden and it was a way point in the trade between Sumer and Elam and the Harappan civilization from at least 3000 B.C.

Anyway, so they have been pretty tolerant for a few decades. They HATE Saudis and call the causeway linking Bahrain to the Saudi mainland as a highway to devils.

[Cronos]

The first statement you make is difficult to answer, but the second When will the Saudis allow Christian churches on their territory? is easy - never. The Saudis are Wahabbis.

Islam had it's reformation and that resulted in Wahabbiism, a stricter interpretation of Islam and returning back to the days of Mohammad

The Saudis are scum and have succeeded in distorting most of the Sunni world to Wahabbism -- from Pakistan to Somalia to Indonesia to the USA.

The Saudis will never ever allow any non-Moslem religious place in Saudia. They barely allow Shias to do so and don't allow Ahmadiyas

Moslems are a mixed bad -- the ones that are trustworthy are "bad Moslems" -- i.e. they don't follow the Koran's injunction to not take infidels as friends

[iowamark]

Pretty much all of the Muslim countries except Saudi Arabia have some Christian churches. The trend in the Muslim world for the last few decades, however, has been to drive the Christians out.

[WashingtonSource]

Wow 15% Christian.