I had the honour to be among those from the Capital Governorate who visited His Majesty the King to greet him on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
His Majesty is very keen to meet people from all sectors to personally congratulate them on preserving the Bahraini way of life and contributing to the development of Bahrain.
During the meeting, His Majesty spoke about various issues but he discussed at length social media and the need to rethink ways of using this double-edged sword. Technology these days is used to enhance communication and discuss but is also increasingly being used to create divisions and fissures within society.
That is why His Majesty’s directives to the security services to take whatever action necessary to contain abuse and exploitation of social media are welcome. Many have used this to damage society and the nation and defy the law, which is unacceptable and must stop.
His Majesty also praised people’s awareness of the importance of tackling rumours that affect the stability of society and said all those responsible would not escape accountability and punishment. He said the security of a nation can never be compromised.
His Majesty stressed the time had now come for everyone to realise that homeland security was above all else. There should be no tolerance of voices that confuse facts and exploit the right to freedom of expression and democracy to try and achieve their nefarious goals and designs since the interest of Bahrain and its security and safety is above all else.
I recall having written about this issue last year as well where I had discussed the advantages and disadvantages of social media. I now reiterate my appeal so that we can all work together and make His Majesty’s guidance a beacon of light and a roadmap for correcting the situation for the good and well-being of Bahrain.
I would also like to thank His Majesty for his hospitality and honour. For me, this was indeed one of the most beautiful nights of the holy month. I would like to mention here the sincere commitment of His Majesty during the meeting to congratulate everyone personally in spite of around 450 people being present.
His Majesty, with his usual smile and humility, is an example of respect and simplicity and comes across as a benevolent ruler. This, of course, is nothing new.
May Allah protect the Kingdom of Bahrain from all evil under the leadership of His Majesty, HRH the Prime Minister and HRH the Crown Prince. May Allah preserve and care for them and may He give us the commitment to stand behind them with strength to build the present and future of our dear Bahrain.
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