London – July 2004. King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain received a high level delegation of Christian leaders in London during which he affirmed that throughout its history, Bahrain had guaranteed the free practice of all religions and urged other nations to follow suit for the benefit of humanity.
The one hour royal audience at the Dorchester Hotel in London , was organised by Anthony Bailey, Delegate in Britain and Ireland of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, a Catholic dynastic order which is pro-actively engaged in inter-church and inter-faith dialogue initiatives.
The 54-year-old monarch, who was on a weeklong visit to Britain during which he met The Queen, invited Muslim scholars and Christian clergymen to work for peaceful co-existence at local, regional and global levels. The King underlined their role in spreading awareness, correcting distorted concepts and promoting the principles of peace, tolerance and love among people. His Majesty also warmly welcomed the role which the Constantinian Order is playing in this field.
King Hamad also reiterated Bahrain ‘s strong condemnation of acts of terrorism, which he said conflicted with the principles of all religions. He again underlined his kingdom’s keenness to support international efforts to fight terrorism.
British & Irish Delegate Anthony Bailey presented His Majesty with the Jubilee 2000 medallion of the Constantinian Order on behalf of the Grand Prefect, His Royal Highness The Duke of Calabria.
Among those attending were Bishop James O’Brien, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster , who delivered a personal letter from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster and the spiritual head of the Constantinian Order in Britain . In his message, Cardinal Cormac said’ I am very conscious that Your Majesty is most active and committed to inter-faith dialogue, both national and international, and that there is complete freedom of worship and a very sizable Christian population in the Kingdom of Bahrain ‘ . Currently there are over 8,000 Bahraini nationals who are Christian.
Among other senior clerics attending were Anglican Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali of Rochester who delivered a personal letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury and who is responsible for Christian-Muslim dialogue internationally for the Church of England. Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain , Head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Great Britain and Anglican Bishop David Gillett of Bolton also spoke.
Among others attending were the Rev Canon David Marshall, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury and Secretary for Interfaith dialogue , the Rev Canon Jonathan Gough, Ecumenical Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Rev Father Michael Seed , Ecumenical Secretary to the Archdiocese of Westminster.
Constantinian Order delegate Anthony Bailey said ‘Many people are totally unaware of the long tradition and freedom of worship that has existed for centuries in the Gulf region. Bahrain ‘s example is one of great hope and needs to be brought to the public’s attention at a time of widespread misconceptions concerning the Christian communities in the Arab world as a whole. King Hamad is firmly committed to greater interfaith dialogue and understanding and we look forward to engaging with His Majesty more fully in ecumenical projects in Bahrain and across Britain and Ireland.