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 Kuwait
is a constitutional monarchy governed by the Al Sabah family, which
has maintained a dynastic regime since the mid-18th century. Prior to
the discovery of oil, power was closely shared with the leading merchant
families, but with the wealth acquired from the new resource, the Al
Sabah were propelled into a more prominent and powerful role vis-à-vis
the traditional merchant class. Since the time of Mubarak the Great
(r.1896-1915), rule has by tradition alternated between the descendants
of two of his sons, Jabir and Salim. This tradition was broken only
in 1965 when Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al Sabah followed another Al-Salim
as Amir, but was reinstated when the current ruler, Sheikh Christians
and other religious minorities enjoy an unusual amount of religious
freedom. Kuwait truly exemplifies the words of its constitution, which
states that "freedom of belief is absolute," and that "the State protects
the freedom of practicing religion in accordance with established customs,
provided that it does not conflict with public policy or morals." The
Christian community's history in Kuwait began in the early 1900's with
a number of humanitarian projects conducted by missionaries from the
Reformed Church of America. Most notable among them was the establishment
of a hospital ("the American Hospital" is still fondly remembered by
older Kuwaitis).Jabir Al-Ahmed Al-Jabir Al-Sabah, appointed an Al-Salimas
Crown Prince. The ruling family holds many key cabinet posts, including
the oil, finance, foreign, defense, and interior portfolios. This reflects
a marked decline over the last two decades, during which the number
of Al Sabah family members in the Cabinet shrank from 11 of 13 to the
current 5 out of 16.
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