Freedom of Religion in Kuwait - Societal Abuses and Discrimination

Societal Abuses and Discrimination

See also: Societal abuses and Religious discrimination

In general, citizens were open and tolerant of other religious groups; however, there was a minority of ultraconservatives who oppose the presence of non-Muslim groups in the country and reject the legitimacy of Muslims of other sects than their own.

While some discrimination based on religion reportedly occurred on a personal level, most observers agreed that it was neither systematic nor widespread. There was a perception among some domestic employees and members of the unskilled labor force that there would be better treatment from employers as well as from society as a whole if they converted to Islam. Cases supporting these claims were reported during the reporting period; however, most workers did not feel undue pressure to convert to Islam.

Some church officials reported that domestic workers complained of not being allowed to leave their homes by their employers, thus making it impossible for them to worship with their congregations.

During Ramadan 2006 a Shi'a minister sparked controversy by handing out a book of prayers to Parliament members that contained a remark in the introduction deemed offensive to Sunni Muslims. Some conservatives called for the establishment of a committee to enforce standards of public action based on a specific interpretation of Islam.

During the period covered by this report, there was continued debate over whether it was proper for Muslims to wish non-Muslims well on their holidays. While a small number of conservatives opposed the practice, most found no problem with it, and none of the many Kuwaiti stores that had Christmas-themed displays reported negative incidents.

Pope Benedict XVI's quote of a fourteenth-century Byzantine emperor who disparaged the Prophet Muhammad triggered controversy and vociferous condemnations in the public sphere, but most Christians reported little or no animosity from Muslims on a personal level. An unknown group printed and circulated a virulently anti-Christian brochure in response to the Pope's remarks.

In December 2006 a parliamentarian criticized a state-run orphanage for accepting Christmas gifts and hanging Christmas greetings during a visit by a U.S. Army delegation. Many Kuwaitis criticized the parliamentarian for his intolerant views.

Many if not most retail stores boycotted Danish products because of controversial cartoons published in a private Danish newspaper in 2005. The boycott had weakened significantly by the end of the reporting period.

Some Shi'a government employees reportedly had more difficulty in appointments in certain Government agencies; however, two Shi'a ministers were appointed in the February 2006, July 2006, and March 2007 cabinets.