Shia Islam in Kuwait


Shia Islam in Kuwait constitutes 25%-30% of Kuwait's Muslim population. Many Shias are also of Iranian ancestry.
In 2001, the US Department of State reported that there were 300,000 Shia Kuwaiti citizens and 820,000 Kuwaiti citizens in total thus Shias formed 36.5% of the Kuwaiti citizen population. In 2002, the US Department of State reported that Shia Kuwaitis formed 30-40% of Kuwait's citizen population, noting there were 525,000 Sunni citizens and 855,000 Kuwaiti citizens in total. In 2004, there were 300,000-350,000 Shia Kuwaiti citizens and 913,000 Kuwaiti citizens in total. In 2008, the Strategic Studies Institute reported that 40% of Kuwaitis were Shias. Shiites are usually under-represented in the National Assembly parliaments.
Contrary to the expectations of the Iraqi government, Shia Kuwaitis founded the local armed resistance movement during Saddam Hussein's occupation of Kuwait in the Gulf War. Most Kuwaitis arrested, tortured and executed during the occupation bore Shia names. The Kuwaiti resistance's casualty rate far exceeded that of the coalition military forces and Western hostages. The resistance predominantly consisted of ordinary citizens who lacked any form of training and supervision.
Shia citizens as a group are well integrated into the Kuwaiti state. Kuwaiti government policy, on paper and in practice, does not discriminate citizens on a sectarian basis. Kuwaiti Shia citizens are considered the most integrated Shia group in the GCC region.
The Shia Kuwaiti community has produced a number of well-known individuals, notable in many fields, especially business and commerce, thus contributing significantly to the general economic development of the country. Kuwait's first female minister Massouma al-Mubarak is a Shia. One of the first women elected in the parliament, Rola Dashti, is a Kuwaiti Shia.