Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Quotes

"May Allah guide us to the good of the kingdom of Bahrain and its loyal people."

"The decision to open up Bahrain to embrace all people indiscriminately was fostered in me ever since I was a child."

"Bahrain 's margin of freedom is growing day after day as we head into the future with steady steps."

"Our people have proven their desire for continuing with reforms. We complete the march today with those who have an honest patriotic desire for more progress and reform."

"If people have done something wrong then they should be held accountable."

"You cannot transpose the U.S. system on Turkey, and the Turkish system on France etc. You have to understand the people and their culture. That's leadership."

"If somebody gives me his hand, I will not look at him with suspicion."

"I care about Bahrain."

"Societies cannot move forward without law, and our constitution is the cornerstone of the law and our National Assembly is its umbrella and fortress."

"Democracy is not just constitutional and legislative rules; it is a culture and practice and adhering by the law and respecting international human rights principles."

"By being friends with all, we are not alone."

"History shows that no enemy remains hostile forever, nor do friends remain friendly forever. For that reason, we intend to have normal relations with all."

"If you like your brother and he's prospering, you'll be pleased for him."

"It's good to have a leader, otherwise we argue too much."

"I cherished the dream of a country embracing all its people."

"Any government that has a sincere desire for reform and progress should understand the benefit of objective and constructive criticism."

"The reform process began with the historic consensus on the Charter of National Action, in which the Bahraini people decided on a new chapter of their history."

"The Bahraini people are eager to obtain facts to enable them to shape a comprehensive national opinion without division among its people. We confirm to all journalists and media personnel in the kingdom of Bahrain that their freedom is preserved and their rights are safeguarded."

"Along with our friends in the GCC, the first order of business is stability. Beyond the imperative of stability, the most important priority is job creation for all Bahrainis."

"I care about Bahrain. Bahrain is very dear to me. I will not allow people to play around with our laws."

"We have evidence that a number of Bahrainis who oppose our government are being trained in Syria. I have seen the files and we have notified the Syrian authorities, but they deny any involvement."

"There is no ethnic cleansing in Bahrain, no mass genocide, no policy of killing innocent people."

"In a sense there is no 'opposition' in Bahrain, as the phrase implies one unified block with the same views. Such a phrase is not in our constitution, unlike say the United Kingdom. We only have people with different views and that's ok."

"There is no doubt that some in Iran have an unhealthy focus on Bahrain, as some of the broadcast coverage shows."

"We are a constitutional monarchy. I don't order laws, I propose them. Article 35 of our constitution states that the king can only refuse a law of parliament once, then he has to sign it - if the same law is then supported by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament."

"There are no 'political prisoners' as such in Bahrain. People are not arrested because they express their views, we only have criminals."

"In establishing democracy, we have to be sensitive to the regional and national context. Democracy also means to guarantee the rights of the minorities. That's my job as a king. We have for example a Jewish ambassador in the US and a Christian in the UK."

"Bahrain is very dear to me."

"I don't order laws, I propose them."

"No king should rule absolutely, like a dictator."