Islamic Salafi Alliance

The Islamic Salafi Alliance is a Sunni political party in Kuwait headed by Khaled AlـSultan Bin Essa. An affiliate of the Heritage Revival Society, the Alliance opposes women's empowerment. One of the main objectives of the Islamic Salafi Alliance is to enforce Sharia law in the country. It believes that this is the only way to govern the country. It ranks it as the first objective among its 15 priorities. The Alliance says that by doing so, the country can thrive and compete with other nations in the region. The application of Islamic law is also considered as a means to accomplishing social security. It claims on its website, "Nothing other than the application of God's word is competent of the making of a blessed, secure society." The Alliance also suggests solutions to the problems of housing, employment of Kuwaiti youth, and inflation among other issues. It suggests a reform agenda that is derived solely from the Quran and Sunna.

The Alliance's standpoint from the issue of women's rights leans more toward fundamentalism. Although it gives women equality when it comes to job opportunities and income, it states that the jobs "should be suitable for women's abilities and physiological nature."

Of the fifty elected members of Kuwait National Assembly, three belonged to the Islamic Salafi Alliance: Mohammed Al-Kandari, Ali Al-Omair, and Khaled AlـSultan Bin Essa^[1] before the elections of May 17, 2008. This day, they won 10 seats and became the strongest party in the Parlament.^[2]

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