Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa today said that there was a general resentment towards Qatar's policy of offering the Qatari citizenship to some Bahrainis, and asking them to give up their Bahrain one.
The Interior Minister asserted that such a conduct is incompatible with the brotherly and cooperative spirit prevailing among members of the GCC, and is inconsistent with the Gulf Union for which we aspire.
"Bahrain continues to call for fostering the principle of GCC citizenship, and has treated all GCC nationals accordingly," he said , adding that the two countries belong to one family, have strong bonds of kinship, religion, language and joint history, and work together within the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League.
"Unfortunately, illegal procedures taken by the State Qatar led to the arrest of a member of a Bahraini family. We know that his family is among the most loyal and law-abiding citizens of Bahrain who have been known for their good reputation," he also said.
He affirmed that if Qatar's "unfriendly and humiliating" policies and incitement of Bahrainis to give up their nationality continue, "we will be obliged to take counter actions that we have never wanted to".
"Therefore," he said, "we call on Qatar to stop its unjustified measures."