By DPA,
Geneva: A Bahraini minister urged opposition protesters Tuesday to sit down for a national dialogue with the government, as another mass rally was expected later in the day in the capital, Manama.
“We cannot have a fruitful discussion unless we sit at one table. Everyone can bring his ideas and his thoughts about the future of Bahrain,” said Minister of Social Development Fatima al-Balooshi, speaking with reporters in Geneva.
Her plea came days after members of an Islamic Shiite opposition group resigned from parliament. There has also been a partial cabinet reshuffle, and the release of hundreds of prisoners by the king.
Parliamentarians from the largest opposition bloc, al-Wefaq, resigned Sunday to protest seven people killed in clashes between protesters and security forces. The group, which held 18 of 40 seats in the lower chamber, is calling for the government to step down.
“We don’t want civil war or sectarianism,” said Al-Balooshi, noting that citizens on the small island nation hail from several major religions and sects. “Bahrain is a multicultural nation that lives together side by side.”
Shia Muslims, who have complained of discrimination by the ruling Sunni monarchy, form the bulk of the opposition movement. More than 70 percent of Bahrain’s population is Shia.