Kuwaiti Converts to Christianity

Although this isn't about a conversion to Orthodoxy, it's still very interesting for the future of freedom of religion in the Middle East and the Gulf region especially. The following is a translation of an article that appeared in August in the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Jarida, here. It's worth noting that of the eight reader comments for it, two call for the death penalty for the young man, while the other six argue for freedom of religion, even in Kuwait.

A Soldier in the Internal Security asks the Judges to Change his Religion from Islam to Christianity

He Affirmed in his Appeal that he Converted to Christianity and Holds to all its Teachings

In an event that is the first of its kind and without judicial precedent in the country, a Kuwaiti citizen who works as a soldier for the Interior Ministry submitted a judicial complaint by name against the ministers of the Interior and of Health and Labor, as well as the director of the General Authority for Civil Information, asking for his religion to be changed from Muslim to Christian in all pertinent official documents.

This was recorded in the bulletin of judicial complaints, which was obtained by al-Jarida, and it was designated to be at examined at the end of this coming November. The citizen, born in 1983 and living in the al-Ahmadi district, a Kuwaiti by nationality and a Muslim by religion, upon reaching the age of majority chose the Christian religion and converted to it and holds to all its teachings and principles. He desires to change his religion in all official documents pertaining to him and this necessarily requires this complaint.

The citizen said in his complaint that he is seeking a decision to change his religion from Muslim to Christian in all official documents pertaining to him in the ministries of the Interior and Health and Labor and in the General Authority for Civil Information.