KUWAIT CITY: A Shia member of Kuwaiti Parliament Saleh Ashour said we will hold street demonstrations if the government continues neglecting the rights of shia community in the country.

He was talking to participants of a seminar on the consequences of the approval of Zakat Law organized by the Future Cultural Society with Judge Adel Al-Khudari in attendance.

Indicating HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has never mentioned Zakat Law, Ashour said HH the Amir had repeatedly emphasized that “Kuwait is for everybody”. He urged the government to reject Zakat Law in respect of HH the Amir’s words warning that approval of Zakat Law will undermine national security.

“Passage of anti-minority laws in the Parliament will force us to voice out our objections through demonstrations and we will exhaust all legal means including the media to oppose such laws,” says Ashour.

Ashour added implementing the law at the expense of the minority only proves that the government has disregarded democracy and seems to be leaning towards autocratic rule.

The government has committed a grave mistake with the approval of the law and has deprived shias of their rights.

According to official records Shias are one third of the country population.

He appealed to the majority to respect minority opinion for the welfare of the country. He also criticized the Islamic Bloc for prioritizing Zakat Law over writing off the loans of citizens indicating the Bloc even issued a Fatwa prohibiting the cancellation of any kind of loans. Citizens, who voted for pro-reform MPs, have started doubting motives of these MPs when they passed Zakat Law in spite of warnings from constitutional experts that the law is against the Constitution, he said.