Kuwaiti parliament members Abdul Wahab Al Haroun and Yousuf Al Zalzalah yesterday submitted a draft law in parliament to combat rising religious extremism and related violence in the aftermath of deadly gunfights that hit the country a few months ago. The draft law bans issuing of religious fatwas (edicts) by individuals and calls for setting up of a supreme council for fatwa and religion to be entrusted with issuing fatwas related to modern-day issues. The council is to comprise religious scholars and specialists in scientific and economic fields, the Bill proposed. The Bill bans declaring any individual or group of the society as infidels or non-believers and states that lawsuits on such matters must be filed by the information ministry and not individuals. The Bill proposes stiff jail terms of up to 15 years for individuals or groups who carry arms with the aim to use them against security forces or other people.The measures target a group of religious extremists which has been issuing fatwas based on their understanding of Islam against their rivals, thus risking social rift in the society. The Bill also bans publications that promote hatred against any group in society or instigating others to kill based on religious interpretations.