Back multi-faith culture

By Labeed Abdal
Lawyer

Arab Times News paper

KUWAIT was accused of setting obstacles in the path of those who practice religions other than Islam in recent media reports, including the annual US State Department report on religious freedom.The Kuwaiti Constitution includes international regulations aimed at protecting religious freedom, particularly Article 35 which states that “freedom of belief is absolute. The State protects freedom of religious practice in accordance with established customs provided it does not conflict with public policy or morals.” According to the explanatory notes of the Constitution, freedom of belief is absolute as long as it is done personally — between the person and his God. If the practice becomes public, it should be regulated by the authorities.
A mechanism to develop the multi-faith culture in the local community is required to ensure that people respect one’s freedom to practice his religion. Government, non-government, profit and non-profit organizations should all work together to promote interfaith tolerance, encourage a genuine dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims, eradicate misconceptions about Islam among those with other faiths, and support all efforts to guarantee peaceful coexistence of people with various religions.The establishment of a trusted authority is also essential as a decision-making body on how the local authorities regulate the practice of different religions to avoid contradictions in ‘fatwas’ issued through the Sharia Law, clarify misunderstandings, and rectify mistakes in the enforcement of the law.

labeed@lalaw.com,kw
http://labeedabdal.com

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/kuwaitnews/faqdetails.asp?faid=1135&faqid=14