Well-known organizations in Kuwait and other Gulf countries have been announcing fundraising campaigns for projects aimed at purchasing churches and synagogues and converting them into mosques. We had previously written about the dangers of this trend and warned against it, as it could provoke an uncomfortable backlash in the future. The goal is not to spread religion, but to challenge the sentiments of others in their homelands.
The message being sent is that their faith is weak, as they sold their temples and churches for low prices to us to convert them into places of worship for our religion. If the objective behind these projects were genuinely to serve the Muslim community in the region by building mosques and religious centers, then why target places of worship belonging to others, as this causes hurt to the local population, when there are many other available plots and buildings for sale?
The reason could be that those in charge of these projects are aware that announcing the construction of religious projects in other people’s lands would not generate the amount of funds they intend to collect.
However, when the announcement involves buying a church or a synagogue, it becomes much easier to stir religious emotions among naive individuals and prompt them to donate more generously. This is where those “in charge” benefit from the idea of purchasing churches and temples, as opposed to buying vacant plots or regular buildings and converting them into mosques.
Moreover, the timing is now ripe for such announcements, as sentiments of hatred and animosity towards others in the region are at their peak. On the other hand, purchasing such projects and converting them into mosques or religious centers for millions does not mean, as often claimed, that the spending is subject to oversight by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Kuwaiti embassies worldwide. Buying, building, or renovating such places and converting them into mosques is a complex and costly undertaking.
Effective monitoring requires the presence of engineers, technicians, supervisors, and accountants in every Kuwaiti embassy of the countries where our charity organizations operate. This capability does not exist at present, even in a country like Britain. However, what about in African countries or in places like India, Pakistan, and others where projects are carried out hundreds of miles away from the capital? I do not blame the so-called charity associations, and I will not question their goals or the sincerity of their desire to generate funding for their causes and for those responsible for them.
Rather, I place the blame on the relevant government institutions that automatically grant these charity associations approval to collect millions for projects that are nearly impossible to monitor effectively by any government agency. In addition to the aforementioned issues, there is also a negative impact on the residents of the areas where these projects are implemented, as it can create hostility towards Islam and Muslims, especially when churches and temples are seized with Muslims’ money. It is not far-fetched to imagine a time when the concerned ministry will issue a circular to ban such projects. Why not ban these controversial projects before damage is done? What if the church or temple is purchased, and the local authorities or municipality later refuse to convert it into a mosque, which has happened more than once?
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
