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Kuwaiti clerics firm against segregation in public places Published Date: December 16, 2009 By Ben Garcia, Staff Writer KUWAIT: Even as the Kuwait's parliamentary legislative committee has initially approved of the move to impose gender segregation at all private schools, a Saudi cleric has issued a new fatwa. The content: To ban social contact with the opposite sex especially in public places. "No, I don't think it is a good idea for everybody. I think the government should really take a strong stand against it. What kind of a country are we trying to build if we follow that? A country that is afraid of the opposite sex? I n that case, we should send the men to Mars and the women to Venus. May be we can lead more peaceful lives then? But that is simply against the principle of Islam. I don't see any good outcome if that kind of fatwa will be followed," said 24-year-old Ahmed commented about the fatwa. A number of Kuwaiti clerics have issued statements protesting against the new fatwa, and called it based on 'weak and insufficient evidence' and labeled it as an 'extreme decision rather than normal'. The Saudi cleric, according to some reports, was subsequently fired by Saudi authorities' right after releasing the fatwa. "It's a backward fatwa. What are they trying to achieve? The government should consider the future generations, not just the present. It's an infringement of human rights. People should live and work together regardless of gender. We are human beings and can move about freely. By imposing that fatwa, you are trying to curtail people's freedom. It does not have to be studied, but immediately scrapped. It should be promoted and deserve no space in the media," Abu-Khalid, a media professional commented. A teacher at one of the schools disagrees with any form of segregation especially in schools or even public places. "Whether it is segregation at schools or in public places, I found it (segregation) harmful. You cannot ignore the role played by women in the society. As long as men and women live, they should co-exist peacefully. They can learn from each other's presence. If we follow such segregation strictly, it means that men cannot be taught by women at schools. Individual abilities are different (from both sexes) and the weakness of one can be strengthened by another. So, men and women should be able to complement each other," Abu Khalid argued. Just recently, many private schools have rejected the proposal to impose segregation at private schools. It does not help develop students' personalities which could lead to subsequent problems with regard to students' ability to socialize and work with their counterparts. Some MPs' lobby hard for the complete gender segregation in Kuwait's private schools. Except for compulsory gender segregation practiced at mosques, the Holy Quran does not impose segregation in public places or even at learning facilities. "The Holy Quran has spelled out in clear terms about the sexes mixing in public. I have been a Muslim preacher for so many years. The Holy Quran forbids a man and a woman from sharing a room in private as they may be tempted to commit forbidden acts. But again, a husband and wife, or a close family relative may do so," the preacher explained. "Please bear in mind that we should not disrespect a country's culture and tradition, especially if the government says so, we should respect and tolerate this," the preacher added. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
