http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NDcxNDIxNDI3
Egyptian liberal thinker banned from entering Kuwait Published Date: December 17, 2009 By Hussain Al-Qatari, Staff Writer KUWAIT: To the disappointment of Kuwait's liberal front, the Ministry of Interior has banned Egyptian liberal Islamist thinker Nasr Abu Zaid from entering Kuwait. As soon as he arrived at Kuwait International Airport on Tuesday evening, Abu Zaid was told that his visa was invalid and informed that he would be sent back to Egypt on a return flight the same night. Abu Zaid had been invited by the Women's Cultural Social Society to give two lectures on Islam and democracy. Abu Zaid, who is known for his radical theories on Islam, has previously been accused of abandoning the Islamic faith, leaving in the mid 1990s for Europe, where he now lives. The Ministry of Interior's decision to ban Abu Zaid from entering Kuwait appears to have been influenced by pressure from Islamist MPs, most of whom had adopted a negative stance against Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, whose no-confidence vote session in the parliament is due to be held today. Talking to the press, Islamist MP Walid Al-Tabtabae said that it is surprising that a person like Abu Zaid was invited to Kuwait in the first place, questioning the intentions of whoever organized this event. "Kuwait does not need to import issues; these radical views on religion are alien to our society and are not welcome," he said. MP Ali Al-Omair asserted that Kuwait is a land of faith, where religion figures hugely and thanked the Ministry of Interior (MoI) for its efforts, saying, "Such radical ideology has no place here in Kuwait. Tribal MP Mohammad Al-Mutair said that a "blasphemous irreligious person like Abu Zaid is not welcome to enter Kuwait with his beliefs because it is damaging to our society," adding that religion is a red line that cannot be crossed in the name of freedom. Liberal MPs Aseel Al-Awadhi and Rola Dashti held wholly different opinions on the issue, however, calling on the government not to take such drastic measures and asking for an explanation from the concerned authorities of what had happened in this case. Al-Awadhi told the press that if the interior ministry gave in to the pressure of Islamist MPs, this would damage the government's image and demanded that the ministry explains its stance, saying: "If he was granted entry at first, why would the ministry change its mind very abruptly? The Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS) echoed Al-Awadhi's sentiments, telling the press that the government's decision is disrespectful to human rights, and is taking the country into a dark tunnel. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
