Hasan Almarzooq | Unitary National Democratic Assemblage (Kingdom of Bahrain)
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades,
At the outset, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Global Platform Against Imperialism for organizing this important event at a time when the world is witnessing an unprecedented escalation of wars, conflicts, and humanitarian crises. This makes strengthening international solidarity among peoples and progressive democratic forces more urgent than ever.
I also express my full solidarity with the detained comrades and call for their immediate release, in accordance with the principles of fundamental rights and freedoms, and the right of all people to freedom of expression and peaceful political activity.
Dear Comrades,
On behalf of the Left forces in Bahrain, we firmly believe that lasting peace cannot be built through arms races or the expansion of military alliances. Rather, it must be founded on respect for the sovereignty of states, adherence to international law, and the right of peoples to self-determination, free from all forms of domination and coercion.
From this perspective, we offer a political critique of the policies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). We believe that military expansion and armed interventions in various regions have, in many instances, failed to bring security and stability. Instead, they have contributed to deepening crises, prolonging conflicts, and intensifying human suffering, with civilians paying the highest price.
The end of the Cold War presented a historic opportunity to build a more just and balanced international order based on equal cooperation among states, respect for national sovereignty, and a strengthened role for the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security. However, the continuation of military alliances and arms races has kept the world trapped in polarization and tension, undermining the prospects for a fairer and more peaceful international system.
We also believe that the enormous resources devoted to military spending could instead be invested in fighting poverty and hunger, improving education and healthcare, addressing climate change, and advancing sustainable development.
The major challenges facing humanity cannot be overcome through military force, but through international cooperation, social justice, development, and solidarity among peoples.
We reject double standards in the application of international law and call for the principles of justice and human rights to be applied equally to all states without exception. We also call for full respect for the Charter of the United Nations and for the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy rather than through military force or the imposition of faits accomplis.
Distinguished Participants,
Our message is not a call to replace one form of hegemony with another, nor is it a call to align with one geopolitical bloc against another. Rather, it is a call for a more just and balanced international order in which human dignity, the rights of peoples, social justice, and respect for national sovereignty constitute the foundation of international relations.
In conclusion, on behalf of the Left forces in Bahrain, we reaffirm our commitment to the struggle for peace, social justice, and the right of peoples to self-determination. We envision a world free from war, occupation, and domination—a world in which the interests of humanity prevail over the logic of power, and where dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity among peoples pave the way toward a more secure, just, and peaceful future.
Thank you. Long live international solidarity, peace, freedom, and social justice.