Kuwaiti crackdown on unlicensed mosques

Kuwaiti authorities have announced that they will take action against all unlicensed mosques and places of worship, amid security concerns.

The Gulf state has become more cautious of small and makeshift mosques that were built to make praying in public easier. The government fears that reports that the mosques are being used as discreet hubs for extremists to carry out sermons are true.

The Kuwaiti cabinet has tasked the Municipality of Kuwait City to find a solution for the misuses in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.

The interior ministry expressed concern for the grave security concerns regarding the mosques, which they deem illegal structures and have called for an end to the situation, Kuwaiti daily news outlet Al Rai reported yesterday.

A report detailing the whereabouts of unlicensed mosques is underway by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.

The report, which will be presented by the cabinet within two months, is also to include counter-extremism policy recommendations.