Since its inception, Kuwait has been a model in several aspects, particularly in religious tolerance through the multiplicity of religions and sects that have been allowed to exsist on the Kuwaiti land.
In 2019, the ‘Year of Tolerance’ as the UAE described, the spotlight is on Kuwait and Kuwaitis with regards to their admirable show of tolerance to those very different from them. There have been many milestones in the history of Kuwait where the country has pursued justice and equality without any religious, racial or gender discrimination.
On this regard, Director-General of Wasatia Centre of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Abdullah Al-Shoreka explained, “Tolerance is a cornerstone of Islamic law, stressing that Islam emphasizes the preservation of the rights of all people without distinction. Islamic history abound with many examples in this regard, as it allowed non-Muslims to establish their religious rites according to Sharia principles, noting that Kuwait as a Muslim country took that process, he added.
Al-Shoreka pointed out that tolerance in all its forms is evident in this benevolent country, and was thanks to the laws that govern it, especially in the organization of affairs of worship and religions.
For his part, the chairman of the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait, Emmanuel Gharib, stressed that Kuwait is a great example of peace in thanks to its people that support tolerance with all the residents on its land.
“The diversity of religions, languages and cultures should not be a cause of conflicts, but should be a treasure that enriches all mankind,” he added.
Kuwait Society for Human Fraternity Secretary, Bibi Ashour noted that tolerance has an important role to play in the advancement and development of any society as it rejects all forms of intolerance and discrimination. The Society aims at developing a culture of fraternity and coexistence among the components of the community and combating all forms of intolerance and racial discrimination, she added.
In last December, UAE President Sheikh Khalfia Al-Nahyan announced 2019 as the year of tolerance, to consider the value of tolerance as sustainable institutional action through a set of legislation and policies aimed at deepening the values of dialogue and accepting the other.
Finally, in recent days, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in their recent meeting, they declared and praised “the initiative of the UAE President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to name the year 2019 as a Year of Tolerance in UAE, and decided to mark the date of 11 March of each year as a day of tolerance in all OIC member states.
