| Islam is the official religion of the State. Islam means total submission to the will of Allah. Islamic law (Shariah) is the major source of legislation. The basic tenet of Islam is that there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is the last messenger of Allah. There are 5 basic pillars of Islam : 1 - Shahada or Profession of faith (there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah). 2 - Salat or Prayers (A muslim should pray 5 times a day at prescribed times). 3 - Zakat or Almsgiving (A muslim has to pay 2.5% per annum on the annual savings). 4 - Saum or Fasting (Total abstaining from food or drink from dawn to dusk for a period of one whole month). 5 - Hajj or Pilgrimage (Every muslim should at least once in lifetime go for pilgrimage provided he or she is physically and financially capable). Quran is the holy book of Islam. It not only provides complete way of life and guidance for the whole of mankind but defines every aspect of life through social, commercial, political and judicial set of rules. Islam is the first religion to grant men and women equal rights and they have been specified with different duties to perform. Women in Islam are entitled to inherit, hold property in their own name and are permitted to work outside the house. Women for the first and only time got the right to divorce in case of any marriage problems. Modesty of dress demands muslim women to cover from head to toe in public. Though Muhammad (PBUH) is the final prophet of Allah, muslims believe in all the previous prophets. People such as the Jews and Christians to whom prior revelations were made are called as the "People of the Book". Non-muslims living under Islamic Government are regarded as Ahl-Addimmah (Protected People) and are allowed to practice their own faiths. Before the spread of Islam in the seventh century, Eastern Arabia and the Gulf region was truly at the crossroads of religious belief. The population consisted of nomadic tribes that were Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian or pagan, influenced by the variety of religious beliefs found in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Persia. The prominence of these faiths, however, dwindled when the majority of the Arab tribes embraced Islam. By the late seventeenth century, the Bani Khalid tribe had gained control over Eastern Arabia, and in building the first city that lies in present day Kuwait, began to establish the permanence that Islam has maintained in the area until today. Christianity in Kuwait Christians and other religious minorities enjoy an unusual amount of religious freedom. Kuwait truly exemplifies the words of its constitution, which states that “freedom of belief is absolute,” and that “the State protects the freedom of practicing religion in accordance with established customs, provided that it does not conflict with public policy or morals.” The Christian community’s history in Kuwait began in the early 1900’s with a number of humanitarian projects conducted by missionaries from the Reformed Church of America. Most notable among them was the establishment of a hospital (“the American Hospital” is still fondly remembered by older Kuwaitis). In 1931, the first church in Kuwait was built on a parcel of land granted to the hospital, where the National Evangelical Church stands today. The church conducted services in both English and Arabic. By the 1950’s, the oil boom had attracted many foreigners to Kuwait, thereby expanding the Christian community, and two more churches were constructed, one of them Roman Catholic. Today, the state authorities officially recognize three principal churches: the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait (Protestant), the Roman Catholic Church, and the Roman Orthodox Church. Smaller churches generally ally themselves with one of these larger “umbrella” churches. There are some 200 Kuwaiti Christian families today, and many more Christian expatriates. “We, the Christians in Kuwait,” says the Reverend George Varghese, “are given full freedom for worship, prayers, and all other church activities. We are thankful to the authorities for their kind cooperation.” A landmark occurrence for Kuwaiti's Evangelical community was the ordination of a Kuwaiti citizen as priest and pastor of National Evangelical Church on January 8, 1999. Emmanuel Benjamin Al-Gharib, born in Kuwait in 1950, is the first Gulf Arab to become head of any Protestant church. “We all feel proud of being Kuwaitis,” he declared. “We were among those who stayed here during the Iraqi occupation.” Al-Gharib told the Kuwaiti press that he planned to initiate Muslim-Christian dialogues in order “to show love for our home which has nearly 200 Christian citizens.” The Evangelical Church embraces more than 40 Evangelical denominations and is frequented by a diverse community of about 12,000 worshippers throughout the week. Similarly remarkable is Kuwait’s invitation of a representative of the Holy See in 1996 that made it the first Gulf Arab country ever to receive a top Vatican official. Kuwait is the only member of the Gulf Cooperation Council to maintain diplomatic ties with the Vatican State, dating back to 1968. Kuwait’s Roman Catholic community, described by Pope John Paul II as “vibrant,” is 100,000 strong and composed mainly of East Indians and Filipinos, though many are European, American, and Lebanese. The Vatican stressed its support for the return of Kuwaiti POW's in Iraq and for all UN resolutions relating to Kuwaiti liberation and the Gulf War. The Kuwaiti's have approved a Vatican request to open an embassy in Kuwait, as well as appoint an ambassador. |
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