The Sunni and Shia Islamic movements in Kuwait

The importance of Dr. Ali Fahad Al-Zuma's book; published by Nuhud Publishing and Studies, in 2018, titled "Sunni and Shia Islamic Movements in Kuwait: (Muslim Brotherhood - Tablighi Jamaat - Salafi Movement - Islamic Dawa Party - Islamic Action Organization), their ideological and historical development: founding pathways, Part One, 1950 AD - 1981 AD." It is known that this book is a translation of the doctoral thesis completed by the author in English, during the period from 1985 to 1988. It was translated into Arabic by Mr. Badr Nasser Al-Mutairi. The author, through this study, attempts to extend the scope of interest in the Islamic movement to include the Gulf region, specifically Kuwait; which has experienced noticeable Islamic activism for decades due to its relatively strong parliamentary experience compared to many other Arab countries. The study sheds light on the main Islamic movements in Kuwait during the period between 1950 and 1981; a second part of the book will be published, in which the author will discuss these movements during the period from 1981 to 2017. The book has been divided into two main parts, with the first part dedicated to the historical period from 1950 to 1963; and the second part covering the period from 1963 to 1981. Each part includes three chapters: the first discusses the historical background of Kuwait, the second covers the Sunni movement in Kuwait, and the third addresses the Shia movement. Accordingly, the study comprises six chapters: Firstly: Transformations in Kuwaiti society from 1950 to 1963 and their implications for the Islamic movement. In the first chapter, Dr. Al-Zuma attempts to identify the most prominent features of Kuwaiti society during the period from 1950 to 1963, aiming to understand the social, cultural, ideological, and cultural frameworks that formed the umbrella under which Islamic movements in Kuwait grew and developed. This is done by focusing on a set of variables, most notably: demographic, social, economic, sectarian composition, intellectual and cultural conditions, the political system, and the emergence of non-religious political groups and movements during this period. The study concludes in this part that Kuwaiti society experienced profound changes, most notably: waves of migration from surrounding communities, leading to a diverse demographic composition in terms of religion and sects; oil discoveries that brought about a qualitative shift in the Kuwaiti economy and income distribution structure, resulting in changes to the social fabric; a transition from traditional (Islamic) education to modern (Western) education, which led to the rise and dominance of liberal elites at the expense of the Islamic intellectual elite, especially in the late 1950s and 1960s; in addition to cultural activism driven by the emergence of journalism, clubs, associations, educational missions, political development through the Shura Council, the Legislative Assembly, the constitution, and nationalist and reform movements that clashed with the princes over certain issues, especially those related to Islam's role in legislation.