KUWAIT CITY, Sept 20: Kuwait stripped Shiite activist Yasser Al-Habeeb of his citizenship on Monday, accusing him of abusing religious symbols and attempting to trigger sectarian tensions.
The cabinet made the decision at the recommendation of Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Khaled Al-Sabah, said a government statement that added Habeeb was also convicted of undermining Kuwait’s national interests and social system.

He lost his citizenship based on a law that allows authorities to cancel the nationality of naturalised Kuwaitis if they commit certain crimes.

The cabinet ordered authorities to take all the necessary measures to bring Habeeb, who has been living in self-imposed exile in London since 2004, to court for crimes he committed.
More than two weeks ago, Habeeb made disparaging remarks against Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) wife Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her), triggering a sectarian rift between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that prompted the government to ban all public gatherings on Sunday.

Acting premier and defence minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah warned on Sunday the “government will firmly confront all those trying to drag the country into a sectarian rift.”

Habeeb, who fled Kuwait to escape two 10-year prison terms for abusive remarks about Islam’s first two caliphs, held a ceremony to celebrate the anniversary of Aisha’s death (May Allah be pleased with her) at his London office, when he made the remarks, according to a video on his website.
His comments were condemned by Sunni Islamists who urged the government to seek Habeeb’s extradition or revoke his citizenship, while Shiite MPs also called for similar action against Sunni activists critical of Shiism.

Some Sunni Islamist MPs threatened to grill the premier or interior minister in parliament if the government failed to take action.
Shiites make up about one-third of the Kuwaiti population of 1.1 million people. They have nine members in the 50-seat parliament and two members in the  16-member cabinet.
On the Al-Habeeb issue, the cabinet reviewed the legal steps taken by the Ministry of Interior to bring the man to justice under the charges of slandering Muslim icons, harming the national unity and fomenting sectarian sedition among the Kuwaiti society,” Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan disclosed.
“Minister of Interior Lt.-Gen. (rtd) Sheikh Jaber Khaled Al-Sabah told the cabinet that Al-Habeeb had been given several court sentences over his shameful acts which target the national interests and the social coherence, and disseminate hatred.
“The Kuwaiti Public Prosecution informed several Arab and foreign countries as well as the Interpol of the issue. As the security services refused to renew the man’s passport, he used a passport issued by another country to travel,” the minister recalled.
The cabinet weighed whether he deserves the Kuwaiti nationality after “committing shameful crimes” which drew condemnation from all walks of life in Kuwait.
Acting on the provisions of Article 13 of the Nationality Act of 1959 and the subsequent amendments, the cabinet approved the move to withdraw the Kuwaiti nationality from Al-Habeeb and his dependents who gained the nationality for association with him.
“The cabinet instructed the concerned departments to complete the legal actions to bring the man to justice for the shameful crimes he has committed,” Al-Roudhan revealed.
On behalf of the government, Sheikh Jaber Al-Hamad Al-Sabah expressed relief on the understanding, shown by the brotherly MPs, the local mass media and the broad social spectrum, of the legal steps adopted by the security services to deescalate sedition and maintain the coherence of the social texture.
“The cabinet reaffirmed commitment to enforce all provisions of the laws on all people without exception while preserving the public liberties and sticking to the democratic approach in which we take pride.
“It called on everybody to shoulder their responsibility to serve the national interests of the country and maintaining the unity and safety of the society,” the minister added.
Several lawmakers voiced their opinion on the decision immediately after the ministerial session.
MP Khalid Al-Tahous said it would have been better if the government took legal steps to push for the extradition of Al-Habeeb before stripping him of his citizenship, since he committed a serious crime when he offended Aisha - the wife of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). He said the executive should first coordinate with the Interpol to extradite the blogger and charge him for insulting the Prophet’s (PBUH) wife before taking this decision.
“Al-Habeeb has committed a shameful crime and undermined national unity. He is a criminal who evaded justice, so he should face the legal consequences of his act. We will not comment on the cancellation of his citizenship, because this is under the jurisdiction of the government. The issue will not be resolved through the revocation of citizenship alone as it also requires the strict implementation of the law and protection of national unity, away from the ‘silencing of mouths’, similar to what happened recently when the executive banned seminars and other gatherings,” Al-Tahous asserted.
MP Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash said, “The Development and Reform Bloc and other groups have been waiting for this decision over the last days.  Although I commend the government for taking this decision, I cannot disregard the fact that this is still part of the ongoing crisis in the country.”
Al-Harbash confirmed the lawmakers have agreed to cancel the public seminars organized a few days ago. However, he believes the government should not be contended with this measure, urging it to address the national unity issue. He said some people seem keen on dividing the nation; hence, the need for the government to immediately solve the problem before it gets blown out of proportion. He added Al-Habeeb has committed a number of crimes, such as offending the household of the Prophet (PBUH), the Muslims and their religion, in addition to instigating chaos and calling for the obliteration of the state system.
Stressing there is no conflict between the Shiites and Sunnis in Kuwait but there are disagreements over the Al-Habeeb issue, Al-Harbash confirmed the Shiites have denounced the offensive statements issued by the blogger. “The government should take the lead by being proactive, instead of merely reacting to statements from different groups.  Its inability to thwart the attempts of some people to foment trouble has aggravated the situation,” he asserted.
MP Dr Ali Al-Omair stated the government’s decision is a step in the right direction, even if it came late. He thinks the cancellation of Al-Habeeb’s citizenship will serve as a deterrent to others who might be contemplating on committing a similar crime. He said the blogger has not only offended the wife and companions of the Prophet (PBUH) but he also incited sedition by calling on Kuwait to merge with Bahrain and some areas in Saudi Arabia.
MP Mohammad Hayef pointed out the decision is not enough, since the government has yet to take tangible steps to prevent the spread of negative ideologies in the country and punish those who allowed Al-Habeeb to flee from the country.
MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan asserted the decision is in line with the law and appealed to the public to thwart any attempt to undermine national unity, while working towards national development. He said this decision only proves the Cabinet’s commitment to strictly implement the law that prohibits dual citizenship.
MP Saleh Ashour claimed the government took this decision as part of a political bargain and due to pressures from various parties. He warned against the dire consequences of the cancellation of citizenship for political or religious reasons.
“The withdrawal of citizenship should be within the limits of the law, far from any pressure or political deal.  Al-Habeeb should have been referred to a fair court but this seems to be a formidable task now that he is no longer a Kuwaiti. The government has opened doors for us to raise the dual citizenship issue. We will then ask the executive authority to withdraw the citizenship of any Kuwaiti found to be holding another nationality,” Ashour concluded.
In a related development, MP Dr Ali Al-Omair on Monday warned Deputy Premier for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Rashed Al-Hammad on the ramifications of banning religious discussions on the virtues of Aisha.
Al-Omair made the statement after the publication of reports in local daily newspapers on the alleged implementation of a decision, which prohibits preachers from mentioning the virtues of Aisha inside the mosques.  He also announced his plan to forward some questions to the minister in order to clarify the issue.
Echoing the sentiments of his colleague, Hayef lamented it is a shame that such a directive has been issued. He appealed to the government to cancel this decision in case the reports are true. He argued the government has adopted certain policies and turned the country into a military barracks, while ignoring the violations committed by a number of media outfits in the country.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr Adel Al-Falah said on Monday that the ministry did not prevent the mosques’ Imams from preaching sermons on the virtues of the “Sahaba” (companions) and wives of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
“The ministry instructed that only the mosque imams, not unofficial preachers, should deal with such sensitive issues,” Al-Falah said in a statement to KUNA.
“The move stems from the fact that the imams are bound by the mosque charter which is considered to be the constitution of moderate religious advocacy.
“It is part of the guidelines and standards established by the ministry for imams to focus on moderation and keep away from extremism or seditious speech, “ he explained.
Al-Falah stressed the ministry’s keenness on the unity and cohesion of the Kuwaiti society in the face of factors of instability.