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| Arabia |
| Bahrain MPs shoot down anti-terror law |
| 2005-04-19 |
| A new law to combat terrorism, proposed by the Bahraini Cabinet, is being opposed by senior lawmakers who say the parliament should change all articles that could be used to restrict constitutional freedoms. The country's political societies also voiced concern over the proposed legislation and said they will meet this week to discuss alternative versions. "The draft will be radically amended to scrap all points that are sources of concern or resemble the abolished State Security Law," Adel Al Mawdah, Second Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives, told reporters at his office. He said His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa has stressed, during a recent a meeting with the MPs, the importance of the new law but he also called on them to amend it in order to protect personal freedoms and constitutional privileges. During the meeting, the king was quoted as saying the proposed law was prompted by the rise of terrorism regionally and globally. The terrorist attacks "result in casualties and people are frightened," the King told the MPs. "Our responsibility before God and the nation is to protect Bahrainis and residents from these threats of terrorism which is directed from abroad and which is alien to our peaceful societies," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |