KUWAIT CITY, Oct 10: The revised version of the cooperative societies draft bill extended the period for filing a complaint against anyone proven to have violated the law from one week to one month, says Rapporteur of the parliamentary Health Affairs Committee MP Saleh Ashour.

Speaking to reporters after the panel meeting Sunday, Ashour disclosed the judicial arrest provision in the third paragraph of the amended bill states that complaints against those who have violated the law should be submitted within a month, not one week as stated in the bill presented to the Parliament earlier for its first reading. He affirmed the committee has finalized its report for the second reading of the bill in the next legislative round.

Ashour said the committee retained the board of directors election system, stating the election will be held every three years and all nine members will be nominated, instead of the current stipulation on the re-election of one third of the members each year. He explained the new bill gives voters the right to choose not more than a quarter of the members. He added the panel also approved the amendment proposed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor on prohibiting the installation of banners bearing the names of candidates during elections, stressing these banners can be installed only at the headquarters of the candidates a day before the elections.

The committee also endorsed the proposal of the government to mandate the ministry to schedule the general assembly meetings of cooperative societies, Ashour concluded.

Unfair
In another development, the Women and Family Affairs Committee will meet the minister of Housing Affairs and the director general of the Credit and Savings Bank (CSB) next week to look into the alleged unfair treatment of women in relation to granting housing loans.

Committee Chairperson MP Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak revealed the panel will discuss the reasons for reducing the housing loan amount from KD 70,000, as agreed in the previous meeting of a joint panel consisting of members from the Housing and Women Affairs committees, to KD 42,000 according to the decision of the bank.

Meanwhile, MP Mohammed Hayef said he will not hesitate in submitting a grilling request against Minister of Education and Higher Education Ahmed Al-Mulaifi if he does not cancel a decision on the removal of the Hadith — Tradition of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) — from the Islamic Studies curriculum.
Hayef admitted he did not comment when he first heard rumors on the removal of the subject because he thought it was nothing but speculation. However, he was surprised after the publication of news on the decision. He stressed the importance of the subject as it teaches students on the need to respect the Prophet’s companions, Peace be Upon Them.

On the same issue, MP Mubarak Al-Waalan has forwarded questions to the minister to know who ordered the removal of the subject, reasons for taking this step, and names of the committee members and their curriculum vitae. He pointed out former minister Dr Mudhi Al-Humod and a group of MPs had agreed not to tamper with the curriculum, in the presence of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

In a press statement, the Ministry of Education explained the Islamic Studies subjects are reviewed and amended from time to time, like any other subject to improve the educational process and keep pace with the latest developments in the sector. It also appreciated the efforts of those who raised the issue on the removal of the subject as this clearly indicates their concern for the religion.

According to the ministry, a committee of elite professors from the Faculty of Sharia in Kuwait University was formed to revise the curricula for grades 1 to 12, affirming this is a neutral panel because it consists of experts outside the ministry. The panel has reviewed the curricula objectively, while taking into consideration the technical and legal aspects.

On the Islamic Studies textbook for grade 7 (part 1), the ministry said the Hadith, which was mentioned on page 30 in the first edition of the book, was deleted as per the recommendation of the committee, because the subject is on faith in righteous angels, their attributes and rights, while the Hadith focuses on love for the companions of the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Them. The committee suggested that it is better to put the Hadith in appropriate subjects, not the angels.

The ministry went on to say the Hadith is mentioned in a lesson on the relationship of a Muslim with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on page 180 under the sub-title: ‘Duties of Muslims towards the Prophet, his Family and his Companions, Peace Be Upon Them’.