KUWAIT: The National Assembly's legal and legislative committee yesterday approved a proposal to amend the nationality law to allow granting non-Muslims Kuwaiti citizenship. Under the current law issued in 1959, Kuwaiti citizenship can be granted only to Muslims and the amendment - if approved by the Assembly and the government - will remove a major obstacle for naturalizing non-Muslims. The committee easily approved the amendment mainly because three of its Islamist members, who normally oppose such proposals, have resigned. The Assembly, dominated by conservatives and Islamists, is not expected to accept the sensitive amendment.

By B Izzak and A Saleh