Kuwaiti MP proposes constitutional changes to implement Sharia law

Kuwaiti MP Saleh Al-Mutairi submitted a proposal to create an amendment to the constitution to uphold Sharia law in the country.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

23 March, 2021

Kuwait has elected an all-male parliament [Getty]

A member of Kuwait's parliament has proposed the amendment to an article in the Kuwaiti constitution with the aim of establishing Sharia law across the Gulf country.

Islamist lawmaker Saleh Al-Mutairi on Sunday said he submitted a proposal to amend Article 79 of the Kuwaiti constitution.

It states that "No law shall be issued unless it is approved by the National Assembly and the ruling Emir" to include laws being passed "in its accordance with the Islamic Sharia".

"This proposal is not a release of, rather an enhancement to make Article 79 compatible with Islamic law," he said.

Al-Mutairi’s proposal stirred a debate in Kuwait, with many discussing the extent to which religion should be involved in the state, where a civil legal system that is largely secular is followed.

Many fear that the proposal may cause sectarian strife in the country as some schools of thought interpret Sharia differently. Previous requests for this amendment to be made have been rejected.

It is not the first time Mutairi has caused controversy. In December, he faced backlash after being on an all-male panel representing a women's parliamentary committee.

Mutairi, along with Osama Ahmad Al-Munawar and Osama Essa Al-Shaheen were selected to lead the committee after no woman made it to parliament following the December 2020 elections.

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