CATHOLICS of Kuwait first, second or third world citizens — include Arab and European Catholics, servants and householders, men and women. They live in the shade of real Islam; not, as is sometimes the case elsewhere, of Islam interpreted erroneously as Christianity is interpreted wrongly, (in my view), by, say, Ian Paisley or Pere le Fevre.
I am therefore surprised to have angered an anonymous critic, April 20, by an earlier comment. Kuwait Cathedral seemed to me "small" in comparison with other Cathedrals in the Middle East. It was certainly "badly built" — I remember part of the roof collapsing. But small is relative and may be beautiful, and doubtless the repairs have stood the test of time!
The decision to move the Cathedral from the central Al Qiblah district, because of traffic and crowd problems, was taken by the municipal authorities four years ago. The issue was raised again recently in National Assembly debate. No date has been set for re-location, but if and when the time comes, land is promised, once more, by the present Emir.
Kuwait spreads, nowadays, over an enormous area with six ring roads and fast traffic; but access to a new Cathedral will be assured by bus or car in a city where no one walks much owing to distance and climate.
In these circumstances, is it reasonable for Catholics to expect to retain, in perpetuity, land in the most expensive area of the capital of a non-Christian State?
Diana Richmond Durham City