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Wahhabism hits Kuwait
At a Kuwaiti hotel Sheikh Ali Abu al-Hassan holds an audience spellbound with his talk about "the pleasures of heaven", a paradise where true Muslims will enjoy virgins, eternal bliss and bounty. Down the road at Kuwait's university, women and men are brought down to earth with the reality of life in the oil rich emirate. They are segregated to prevent them from "sin". Islamist protests in Kuwait have forced the government to ban pop concerts, while at hospitals devout women surgeons are refusing to operate on men saying it is religiously forbidden for them to see their genitals.In the past, men and women mingled and dated in Kuwait. The country had mixed beach clubs for nationals. No longer. Most now have separate swimming days for women and men. Like other Gulf states, Kuwait is witnessing a rising tide of fanatical Islam. More and more women wear the veil and more men grow beards to display their religious fervour. Islamist extremism indoctrinated by the Sunni Salafi and Wahhabi movements is spreading from Saudi Arabia to neighbouring Kuwait, influencing its youth and affecting all aspects of life. Many Kuwaitis, like other Arabs, denounce the United States and its allies for backing "corrupt" rulers and what they see as Washington's war against Islam and plans to control their region's oil wealth. "Kuwait was a relaxed place 30 years ago. If people choose to be more Islamist you can hardly stop them from doing that," said a Western diplomat with long experience of the country. "There is a significant number of people who believe in the (Muslim) fundamentalist approach. There is also a significant number of people who hate the Americans and Europeans," he said. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-11-11 |
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