Last week's meeting in Washington DC, of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin 'Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deuty Supreme Commander, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was both historic and significant, in a sense that the US was provided with first-hand information regarding unrest in Bahrain.

However the Secretary of State's reply was that "Bahrain should do more in its reform process". Yes, we need more reform, but have the 'opposition groups' appreciated the processes that have already been reformed? If not, further reform is unlikely to impress the opposition groups.

Poor Madame secretary!!! Had she known that the opposition in Bahrain, have disavowed the 'democratic demand' long time ago ,and that they are now allegedly involved in organising vandalism and sabotage and are ready to wipe out anybody who disagrees with them, she would have thought twice before making such an intemperate remark.

Political pluralism is a way of life in a functioning democracy, provided the opposing parties work towards the economic development and political liberty of a nation, so ultimately, ensuring social justice, economic freedom and respect for human rights. It is this very principle that makes political parties create viable options for future improvements in societies.

In Bahrain's case, there is neither the willingness to adopt those principles nor mental capacity to execute the principles. In short the opposition are not ready for a democratic transition and that is why they resort to religious figures for advice, so exposing themselves to claims of sectarianism.

On top of this the propaganda machine of the Iranian regime serves them very well. Last week, Iran's permanent representative to the UN has requested the UN to probe the human rights record in Bahrain, a country where he has neither the mandate, nor the authority , to talk in lieu of the people of Bahrain. His actions were not only a flagrant interference in Bahrain's internal affairs, but also an indication that Iran 's support for the opposition groups is still on its political agenda.

By the same token, the Iranian parliament's speaker, on the sidelines of Iran's nuclear talks with world powers that took place in Baghdad last week, also raised Bahrain's issue to the world community, even though the matter was not on the table for discussion at the summit.

What do all these pieces of information tell us?

While the solution for Bahrain's political settlement remains domestic, the opposition groups are trying to internationalise the conflict to garner world support, which will neither bring a solution nor remedy for the sectarian rift which has already taken root in the society.

A Shi'ite political faction in Baghdad, headed by a high-ranking leader of the Supreme Iraqi Council, organised a rally after Al Wefaq denounced the Bahrain government for destroying more than 30 places of worship since May (UPI.com news, May 26, 2012). There was no indication whether these house of worship were those claimed last year,or new fabrications.

The best approach, according to many experts, is for government supporters and opposition groups in Bahrain to work together, sort out their differences and recognise the government as a legitimate representative of the people of Bahrain. Pulling the rope in different directions will bring more tension rather than a solution.

How do we achieve this target objective and can it be realised? Can we think of a cause where the government supporters and opposition groups rally together? Answering these questions will open a new dawn in Bahrain's history, which is the perfect road for building a democratic nation.

Abu Mohammed