,,iv  #aag? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,h4 ,,res4 #hda  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,decemb] #g1 #bjba,ms4
 ,malliotakis 7= h]self1 ,mr4 ,got!im]1 
,mr4 ,cr5%aw1 ,mr4 ,meus]1 ,mr4 ,cole1  
,mr4 ,jackson1 ,mr4 ,issa1 ,mr4 ,wilson 
( ,s\? ,c>ol9a1 & ,mrs4 ,rodg]s (       
,wa%+ton7 submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2 
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,=eign  
,affairs  ,,resolution  ,recogniz+      
,bahra9 on ! #ej? anniv]s>y ( its       
indep5d5ce4  ,:]eas five decades ago1 ! 
p ( ,bahra9 vot$ to ga9 recognition ( _!
 id5tity 9 a full indep5d5t & sov]eign  
,/ate free to decide = itself its       
relations ) o!r ,/ates 9 ! ,unit$       
,nations indep5d5ce survey2 ,:]eas1 on  
,may #aa1 #aigj1 ! ,unit$ ,nations      
,security ,c\ncil unanim\sly pass$      
,resolution #bgh1 end+ ! ,briti%        
,protectorate 9 ,bahra92 ,:]eas1 on     
,augu/ #ae1 #aiga1 ! indep5d5t /ate (   
,bahra9 0 e/abli%$2 ,:]eas1 on ,decemb] 
#af ( ea* ye>1 ! p ( ,bahra9 celebrate  
_! ,national ,day to honor ! anniv]s>y (

 ,emir ,isa b9 ,salman al ,khalifa's    
coronation on ,decemb] #af1 #aifa2      
,:]eas ! ,con/itution ( ,bahra91        
promulgat$ 9 #bjjb1 e/abli%es a gov]nm5t
 ) p[]s divid$ among ! executive1       
legislative1 & judicial bran*es2 ,:]eas 
! ,con/itution e/abli%es a bicam]al     
,national ,assembly elect$ by ! p ?r\gh 
univ]sal suffrage2 ,:]eas ! ,con/itution
 gu>antees fre$om ( religion1           
expression1 & ! press2 ,:]eas ,article  
#bb ( ! ,con/itution provides t fre$om (
 consci5ce is absolute & gu>antees !    
inviolability ( wor%ip1 & ! fre$om to   
p]=m religi\s rites & hold religi\s     
p>ades & meet+s 9 accordance ) ! cu/oms 
obs]v$ 9 ! c\ntry2 ,:]eas ,k+ ,hamad b9 
,isa ,al ,khalifa wrote3 ,ignorance is !
 enemy ( peace1 x is1 !re=e1 our duty to
 le>n1 to %>e1 & to live toge!r1 by !   
t5ets ( fai? 9 ! _s ( mutual respect &  
love2 ,:]eas ,k+ ,hamad b9 ,isa ,al     
,khalifa au?or$ ! ,k+dom ( ,bahra9      
,decl>ation on ,july #c1 #bjag1 :i* (f]$
 ! c5turies-old traditional ,bahra9i way

 ( life z an example to inspire o!rs    
ar\nd ^! pr9ciples-- 7#a7 t religi\s    
fai? & expression are basic inali5able  
rights 4 4 4 ,we decl>e t :5 extremi/   
cl]gy prea* hatr$1 viol5ce & seek to s[ 
! se$s ( discord1 t !y are incit+ !     
desecration ( ! "n ( ,god2  7#b7 t ,god 
in/ructs u to ex]cise ! div9e gift (    
fre$om ( *oice ''' ,!re=e1 we           
unequivocally reject compell$ obs]vance 
& decl>e t e individual has ! fre$om to 
practice _! religion2  7#c7 t all       
enlight5$ religions reject invok+ ,8 "n 
to legitimize viol5ce aga9/ innoc5t p & 
!re=e call ^u all good p ( ,fai? to     
dis[n practices su* z s[+ ! se$s (      
t]ror1 ! enc\ragem5t ( extremism &      
radicalization1 suicide bomb+1 promotion
 ( sexual slav]y1 & ! abuse ( wom5 &    
*ildr52  7#d7 t p ( all fai?s %\ld be   
accord$ ! "r to congregate to wor%ip1   
educate1 celebrate1 & practice !        
requirem5ts ( _! respective fai?s & t x 
is ! responsibility ( gov]nm5ts to      
respect & protect equally1 bo? religi\s 

m9orities & majorities2 &  7#e7 t !     
,k+dom ( ,bahra9 w d all )9 our p[] to  
ensure t religi\s fai? is a bless+ to   
all mank9d & ! f\ndation = peace 9 ! _w2
 ,:]eas ! ,unit$ ,/ates ,commission on  
,int]national ,religi\s ,fre$om         
p>ticipat$ 9 ! #bjj? anniv]s>y          
celebration ( ,bahra9's ,h9du community 
9 ,m>* #bjai2 ,:]eas ,bahra9 is home to 
a ?riv+ ,jewi% community1 desc5d$ f     
,jewi% ,iraqi trad]s :o settl$ 9 ,bahra9
 9 ! late #ai? c5tury2 ,:]eas ! ,jewi%  
community 9 ,bahra9 lives op5ly &       
practices _! fai? freely2 ,:]eas !      
,jewi% community has integrat$ into     
,bahra9i society & is repres5t$ 9 high  
(fices ( ! /ate2 ,:]eas ,bahra9 has     
promot$ peace 9 ! region by recogniz+ ! 
,/ate ( ,israel's "r to exi/ 9 ,may     
#bjah & e/abli%+ full diplomatic        
relations ) ,israel on ,septemb] #aa1   
#bjbj2 ,:]eas ,bahra9's ,m9i/] ( ,=eign 
,affairs ,abdullatif ,al ,zayani &      
,israeli ,prime ,m9i/] ,b5jam9          
,netanyahu sign$ ! ,decl>ation ( ,peace1

 ,coop]ation1 & ,con/ructive ,diplomatic
 & ,fri5dly ,relations ,betwe5 ,israel &
 ,bahra9 on ,septemb] #ae1 #bjbj2 ,:]eas
 ,bahra9 has s]v$ z a /rategic p>tn] &  
ally ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates s9ce ! ,unit$    
,/ates diplomatic recognition ( ,bahra9 
z a sov]eign /ate 9 #aiga2 ,:]eas !     
,unit$ ,/ates designat$ ,bahra9 z a     
major non-,,nato ally on ,m>* #ad1      
#bjjb2 ,:]eas ,bahra9 has contribut$ to 
br++ political /ability to ! ,middle    
,ea/ & ,nor? ,africa1 provid+ a ,unit$  
,/ates naval base 9 ! ,gulf s9ce #aidg2 
,:]eas ,naval ,support ,activity ,bahra9
 s]v$ z ! prim>y base 9 ! region =      
,unit$ ,/ates ,arm$ ,=ces naval & m>9e  
activities dur+ ,op]ation ,endur+       
,fre$om & cont9ues to provide op]ation  
support to ,unit$ ,/ates ,arm$ ,=ces &  
,coalition ,=ces & home to ,unit$ ,/ates
 ,naval ,=ces ,c5tral ,comm& & ! ,unit$ 
,/ates #e? ,fleet2 ,:]eas ,patrol ,=ces 
,s\?we/ ,asia1 bas$ 9 ,bahra91 s]ves z a
 critical duty /ation = ! ,unit$ ,/ates 
,coa/ ,gu>d 9 ! ,gulf2 ,:]eas ,bahra91 z

 a memb] ( ! ,global ,coalition to      
,defeat ,,isis & ! ,gulf ,coop]ation    
,c\ncil1 has work$ ) ! ,unit$ ,/ates to 
increase coop]ation on bord] security1  
m>itime security1 milit>y prep>$ness1   
cyb]security1 & c\nt]t]rorism2 ,:]eas   
,bahra9 provid$ critical assi/ance to ! 
,unit$ ,/ates 9 a "t ( ne$ by help+     
evacuate ,unit$ ,/ates citiz5s f        
,afghani/an 9 ! f9al days ( ! )drawal & 
accept+ to ho/ ,unit$ ,/ates-b\nd       
,afghan refugees = process+2 ,:]eas     
,bahra9 is a significant p>tn] 9 free   
trade1 ) bilat]al trade rea*+           
#a1ijj1jjj1jjj 9 #bjag2 ,:]eas ,bahra9  
has made significant advancem5t t[>ds   
g5d] equality by acc$+ to ! ,conv5tion  
on ! ,elim9ation ( ,all ,=ms (          
,discrim9ation ,aga9/ ,wom5 7,,c$aw7 9  
#bjjb2 ,:]eas wom5 9 ,bahra9 h ! "r to  
vote & /& = election1 ! "r to           
inh]itance1 fre$om ( movem5t1 access to 
f9ancial cr$it1 & protection f *ild     
m>riage2 ,:]eas ,bahra9 e/abli%$ !      
,supreme ,c\ncil = ,wom5 on ,augu/ #bb1 

#bjja1 to emp[] ,bahra9i wom51 to       
consolidate ! pr9ciple ( equal          
opportunities1 & to enhance ! /atus (   
wom52 & ,:]eas ! ,bahra9i ,%ura ,c\ncil 
is compris$ ( #bg4e p]c5t wom5 :ile wom5
 comprise only #ae4b p]c5t ( p>liam5ts 9
 ! l>g] ,arab region1 indicative ( !    
,bahra9i ,gov]nm5t's ef=t to enc\rage   
wom5's political p>ticipation3 ,n[1     
!re=e1 be x ,t ! ,h\se (                
,repres5tatives-- 7#a7 ext5ds w>m       
congratulations & be/ wi%es to ! p (    
,bahra9 z !y celebrate ! #ej? anniv]s>y 
( ! indep5d5ce ( ,bahra92  7#b7         
expresses support = ! pr9ciples &       
fre$oms ^u :i* ! nation ( ,bahra9 is    
f\nd$1 z protect$ by ! ,con/itution2 &  
7#c7 recognizes ! importance ( !        
alliance betwe5 ! ,unit$ ,/ates &       
,bahra9 to ! /ability ( ! region & !    
prosp]ity ( bo? c\ntries4