Kuwait parliament demands severing of ties with Denmark

Kuwait’s parliament today voted to severe diplomatic ties with Denmark over the controversial Prophet Mohammed’s cartoons and to spend about €37m to defend the prophet’s image in the West.

Both votes were non-bonding, meaning the Cabinet does not have to abide by them. Foreign Minister Sheik Mohammed Al Sabah said any cutting of relations should be part of a group step by other Muslim nations.

Sheik Mohammed said Kuwait froze plans to appoint an ambassador to Denmark earlier this year to protest the cartoons published by the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

The drawings sparked a wave of demonstrations across the Arab and Islamic world, with many countries – including Kuwait – removing Danish products from the shelves for months

Twenty-two lawmakers of 37 present in today’s meeting voted for severing ties with Denmark. The vote for setting up a fund from state-run Muslim charity money for defending Islam and its prophet in the Western media was approved by acclamation.

“We have to cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Denmark,” said lawmaker Adnan Abdul-Samad. “We don’t have to eat Danish cheese.”

Lawmakers also accused the West of waging a crusade against Islam, but liberal legislator Ali al-Rashed said Muslims have to be positive and remember that it were some individuals, not governments, who insulted the Prophet Mohammed.

“We here in Kuwait curse Christians in many of our mosques, should those (Christian) countries boycott Kuwait?” he said.