|
 |
555 Challenge
Week 33 |
#33 - Kuwait
|
 |
 |
Rank: 33
Score: 49/100 |
Leader: Emir Sheikh Sabah
Government: Constitutional emirate |
Main Religion: Islam
Population: 2.9 million (420,000 Christians) |
|
*Representative photo used to protect identity.
There are a few
countries on the World Watch List that we can’t share stories from. Even
if we were to use different names, the information could be traced back
to the Christians mentioned in the stories. For their security, we are
providing a different way to pray for this country this week.
Here are the top 10 things to know about what life is like for Christians in Kuwait:
- Although
Islam is the state religion and the constitution requires the state to
safeguard ‘the heritage of Islam,’ it also calls for ‘absolute freedom’
of belief.
- Religious tolerance in Kuwait is significantly higher than in most of the region.
- In practice, religious minorities experience some discrimination as a result of governmental policies.
- Non-Muslims
- and those who are not Sunni Muslims - find it difficult or impossible
to obtain legal permission to establish new places of worship.
- Evangelization of Muslims is prohibited.
- The
Christian population consists mostly of migrant workers from outside
the country. There are only a few hundred indigenous Kuwaiti believers.
Most of them are descendants of foreigners who have moved to Kuwait
before the establishment of the state.
- Christians
from other countries are free to gather informally for worship. Four
denominations are registered and have compounds where they can gather,
but these places are too small for the number of people who meet there.
- Converts often face persecution from their families.
- Converts
also risk harassment, police monitoring of their activities, arbitrary
arrest and detention, physical and verbal abuse, legal discrimination
and property challenges in court.
- In
May 2012, the Parliament of Kuwait voted for an amendment to the
country’s blasphemy legislation to make insulting Allah and the Prophet
Mohammed by Muslims punishable by death. Since then, the Emir has
dissolved parliament, and vetoed the amendment, but his veto might be
overruled in a later parliamentary vote.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar