A parliamentary panel has approved three proposals calling for curbs on satellite dishes and Internet firms in Kuwait in a bid to stop the spread of pornography, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The proposals were submitted by hard-line Islamist MP, Waleed Al-Tabtabai, to the parliamentary Committee for Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs, Al-Anba said, adding they were now to go before parliament proper and the government.
One proposal called for a "ban on the sale and promotion of dishes for certain satellites that transmit pornographic, indecent and immoral programs."
The two other proposals demanded that Internet service providers in Kuwait introduce proxy servers to block pornographic sites and that Internet cafes prevent users from surfing "immoral websites."
Although Kuwait is a religiously conservative state, it imposes no restriction on the installation and use of all types of satellite receivers and dishes.
Most households here have at least one satellite dish which, with the help of highly advanced digital receivers, can receive more than 300 channels, several of which air pornographic programs.
Tabtabai has been outspoken in his criticism of all forms of "non-traditional and immoral" entertainment, including anything that involves mixing of the sexes.
Kuwait is a conservative country where alcohol is banned under Islamic law, but is the only Gulf country to have an elected parliament, even though women are not allowed to vote. — (AFP, Kuwait City)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
