Agency Report

Dozens of Kuwaiti women staged a protest Monday against the suspension of a women’s yoga retreat deemed “indecent” by conservatives — a move that sparked controversy in the small emirate.

Event organiser Eman al-Husseinan announced the suspension of the retreat last Thursday, stating she had not received a permit from the authorities, a day after MP Hamdan al-Azmi tweeted to denounce the retreat as “dangerous”.

“This is not about sports, although that is important,” said activist and university professor Ibtihal al-Khatib, who attended the demonstration in Kuwait City’s Erada Square, in front of the parliament building.

“The important point is that if we give in, we will see much more regression,” she said.

Unlike most Gulf countries, Kuwait is known to have an active political scene, with MPs regularly challenging the ruling authorities.