Leading Saudi cleric calls for destruction of all churches in Kuwait

Youtube screen grab

Saudi Arabia's top Muslim cleric has called for the destruction of all churches in the Arabian Peninsula after legislators in the Gulf state of Kuwait moved to pass laws banning the construction of religious sites associated with Christianity.

Speaking to a delegation in Kuwait, last Tuesday, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, who serves as the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, said the destruction of churches was absolutely necessary and is required by Islamic law, Arabic media has reported.

Abdullah, who is considered to be the highest official of religious law in the Sunni Muslim kingdom, also serves as the head of the Supreme Council of Ulema (Islamic scholars) and of the Standing Committee for Scientific Research and Issuing of Fatwas.

Last month, Osama Al-Munawer, a Kuwaiti member of parliament, announced his plans to submit a draft law calling for the removal of all churches in the country, according to the Arabian Businesses news site. Al-Munawer later clarified that the law would only apply to new churches, while old ones would be allowed to stay erect.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah has made this call several times before in recent years. Christianity in Kuwait is a minority religion, accounting for 10%-20% of the country's population, or 650,000 people. There are believed to be only about 200-400 native Kuwaiti Christians. The majority of Christians in Kuwait, are expat worfkers from various countries around the world.