Christianity in Kuwait
Encyclopedia
Christianity in Kuwait
is a minority religion, accounting for about 15% of the country's population, or 350,000 people.
The vast majority of Christians in Kuwait are foreigners, although there are native Christians in Kuwait. However, this information is not publicized by the government. Roughly 200 Christians in Kuwait are locals/natives, who have Kuwaiti citizenship. Around 50 of them are considered to be 'Kuwaiti', despite originally coming from Turkey and Iraq, as they and their families have been in Kuwait for over a hundred years, and speak Arabic with a Kuwaiti dialect. They have more or less assimilated into Kuwaiti society, with no trace of their original homeland in their cuisine or culture. The rest, roughly 150 or so, are more recent arrivals in the 1940s, mostly Palestinians who left Palestine
after 1948, as well as a few families from Lebanon and Syria. Their dialect and culture remains more Levantine
than Kuwaiti, and their cuisine is also a sign of their ties to their original homeland. Although they are not as assimilated as the former group, the latter group is just as patriotic and tend to be proud of their adopted homeland. Most of Kuwait's local Christians belong to 12 large families, with the Shammas (from Turkey) and the Shuhaibar (from Palestine) families being some of the more prominent ones.
Kuwait is the only GCC
country besides Bahrain
to have a local Christian population.
A 1980 law prohibits the naturalization of non-Muslims. While Muslim Kuwaiti male citizens are allowed to transmit their citizenship to both their spouses and descendants, Christian Kuwaiti males are only allowed to transmit their citizenship to their descendants, and not to their spouses.
In Kuwait, it is not allowed to proselytize Muslims. Christian publishing houses are not permitted. Islamic religious education is compulsory for all students in state schools, and non-Islamic religious education is prohibited at all types of schools. Organized religious education for religious groups other than Islam is prohibited. However, the constitution allows for religious freedom. Many Churches exist in Kuwait, though they are mostly villas and apartment complexes which are rented out by their respective churches and converted into churches. Kuwait's largest cathedral is situated in the eastern part of Kuwait city.
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
is a minority religion, accounting for about 15% of the country's population, or 350,000 people.
History
The denominations include, but are not limited to, the following:- 140,000 Catholics in KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. There is a cathedral in Kuwait CityKuwait City-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...
, which belongs to the Vicariate Apostolic of KuwaitVicariate Apostolic of KuwaitThe Vicariate Apostolic of North Arabia is a Catholic vicariate apostolic located in Kuwait. It covers the countries of: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The superior of the vicariate is the Italian Bishop Camillo Ballin MCCJ....
. The Catholic Vicariate is largely made up of Asians from India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and Arab Christians from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, and Syria. Maronite Christians, mostly from Lebanon, also worship at the Catholic cathedral in Kuwait city.
- 67,500 Orthodox Christians, at least. The Greek Orthodox ChurchGreek Orthodox ChurchThe Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
has about 3,500 members, while the Armenian Orthodox Church has about 4,000 members. The Coptic Orthodox Church has about 60,000 members. Totals for both the Greek Catholic (Eastern Rite) Church membership and Indian Orthodox Syrian Church membership totals are unavailable.
- 50,000 Protestants in Kuwait. The Anglican Church has about 115 members. The National Evangelical Church has about 15,000 members. There are also other Christian Protestant denominations in the country, with tens of thousands of members. These denominations include Seventh-Day Adventists and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons).
The vast majority of Christians in Kuwait are foreigners, although there are native Christians in Kuwait. However, this information is not publicized by the government. Roughly 200 Christians in Kuwait are locals/natives, who have Kuwaiti citizenship. Around 50 of them are considered to be 'Kuwaiti', despite originally coming from Turkey and Iraq, as they and their families have been in Kuwait for over a hundred years, and speak Arabic with a Kuwaiti dialect. They have more or less assimilated into Kuwaiti society, with no trace of their original homeland in their cuisine or culture. The rest, roughly 150 or so, are more recent arrivals in the 1940s, mostly Palestinians who left Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
after 1948, as well as a few families from Lebanon and Syria. Their dialect and culture remains more Levantine
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
than Kuwaiti, and their cuisine is also a sign of their ties to their original homeland. Although they are not as assimilated as the former group, the latter group is just as patriotic and tend to be proud of their adopted homeland. Most of Kuwait's local Christians belong to 12 large families, with the Shammas (from Turkey) and the Shuhaibar (from Palestine) families being some of the more prominent ones.
Kuwait is the only GCC
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf , also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council , is a political and economic union of the Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf and constituting the Arabian Peninsula, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates...
country besides Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
to have a local Christian population.
A 1980 law prohibits the naturalization of non-Muslims. While Muslim Kuwaiti male citizens are allowed to transmit their citizenship to both their spouses and descendants, Christian Kuwaiti males are only allowed to transmit their citizenship to their descendants, and not to their spouses.
In Kuwait, it is not allowed to proselytize Muslims. Christian publishing houses are not permitted. Islamic religious education is compulsory for all students in state schools, and non-Islamic religious education is prohibited at all types of schools. Organized religious education for religious groups other than Islam is prohibited. However, the constitution allows for religious freedom. Many Churches exist in Kuwait, though they are mostly villas and apartment complexes which are rented out by their respective churches and converted into churches. Kuwait's largest cathedral is situated in the eastern part of Kuwait city.
Sources
- Roman Catholicism in KuwaitRoman Catholicism in KuwaitThe Roman Catholic Church in Kuwait is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are over 140,000 Roman Catholics in the country - representing about 6% of the population....
- Protestantism by countryProtestantism by countryFor the purposes of this list, "Protestant" includes the following denominations: Assemblies of God, Anglican/Episcopalian , Baptist, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene, Churches of Christ, Congregationalist, Calvinist, Holiness, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian,...
- http://www.catholic-church.org/kuwait/christians_in_kuwait.htm
- http://www.win1040.com/countries/kuwait.htm
- http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71425.htm