KUWAIT - Jan 27 - Kuwaiti Mosques Free Of Extremists, Says Minister.

Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs lambasts extremism as an imported phenomenon and says religious fundamentalism has no place in country's moderate society. Dr. Abdullah Al Maatouq said: Extremism is imported from mosques abroad and the recent raids conducted by security authorities in livestock pens, chalets, camps and some houses proved that extremism is a foreign phenomenon. Kuwaiti society is against terrorism and extremists who don't listen to true religious scholars depend on the Internet for Fatwas [legal edicts]. These people have no place in our mosques". Al Maatouq accused religious fundamentalists of creating Internet sites to propagate their "perverted ideas" and pointed out that the image of Islam and Kuwait is above all considerations and that no one in society has the right to criticise the religion or the country. The debate over fundamentalism being fuelled in mosques by religious groups such as the Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood, which has an active chapter here, reached a crescendo last week with liberals and moderate politicians and lawmakers criticising the government for its nexus with these fundamentalist organisations. Al Maatouq also pointed out that Kuwaiti society is moderate in its beliefs and that the country has never seen sectarianism and sectarian wars in its rich history. He appealed to Imams to focus their Friday sermons on faith and values since religious extremism and radical ideologies don't have a place in Kuwait which is innately peace loving. He also said that the ministry plans to adopt a transparent policy in dealing with society based on moderation, tolerance and the acceptance of differing opinions. Al Maatouq said: I am very proud of the theologians and preachers we have at the ministry who deliver 680 weekly sermons on Fridays and more than 32,000 sermons a year". He also went on to say that Kuwaiti mosques are free of terrorist activity and the number of complaints received by the ministry against mosques is decreasing. He further emphasised the importance of dialogue with extremists in order to deliver to them the concept that Islam is a tolerant religion and Muslims are open to people of all races and creeds. He also announced that his ministry is planning to establish an institute to educate Imams in social subjects such as psychology and social sciences and praised the decision by the cabinet to establish two committees from ministries to combat extremism and to protect the younger generation from the adoption of un-Islamic ideology.