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<\/a>\nBahrain’s “forces for good” deliberately shot 14 year old Ali Jawad Ahmad in head from 3 meters with gas canister <\/p>\n
Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa said on Friday that Sunday’s race would go ahead despite growing tensions in the Gulf kingdom.<\/p>\n
Addressing media at the Sakhir Circuit, he said cancelling the race would “empower extremists”, adding that he was “here to go racing”.<\/p>\n
“I genuinely believe this race is a force for good… We are not trying to say we are perfect. We are a real country with real issues,” the Crown Prince, who was instrumental in bringing Formula One to the country in 2004, said.<\/p>\n
“For those of us who are trying to navigate a way out of this political problem, having the race allows us to build bridges across communities and get people working together. [The race] allows us to celebrate out nation as an idea that is positive, not one that is divisive,” he added.<\/p>\n
He added that he could guarantee that any problems seen over the race weekend “were not directed at Formula One”.<\/p>\n
He insisted that he would not regret not cancelling the race, saying: “Why should our openness be used against us? The race is the race and we are here to celebrate that. I’m here to go racing.”<\/p>\n
And he downplayed calls from UK politicians for the race to be called off.<\/p>\n
Following comments from Labour leader Ed Miliband and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, the Crown Prince said he did not believe their view were representative of the UK political scene.<\/p>\n
His comments came after protests had flared in villages surrounding the Bahraini capital on the eve of race weekend.<\/p>\n
Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators in clashes that have been building in the week leading to Sunday’s round of the World Championship.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Force India tightened up their security procedures after petrol bombs were thrown near a car taking staff back to their hotel from the Bahrain Grand Prix circuit.<\/p>\n
The team said two staff, one a data engineer and the other a radio contractor, had decided to return home to Britain after the incident.<\/p>\n
Bahrain has been in turmoil since a democracy movement erupted last year following uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.<\/p>\n
Protests were initially crushed with the loss of dozens of lives, but youths still clash daily with riot police in Shi’ite Muslim districts, and thousands take part in opposition rallies.<\/p>\n