What makes a person a kafir?

The Islamic Party of Britain does not intend to engage in giving Islamic legal opinion, but we respond to this question simply because the term "Kafir" is frequently misunderstood and a proper understanding is particularly important for Muslims living in a non-Muslim environment. The meaning of kufr (the stem of the word kafir) is rejection, denial, ingratitude, so a Kafir is someone who rejects or denies the truth and does not show gratitude for the divine guidance. In this sense it is more precise than the term disbeliever by which it is often translated. To reject a message, one must first have had an opportunity to be acquainted with it, therefore only when the message has been conveyed and explained and is then rejected by a person can this person be considered a kafir. There is, therefore an important distinction between disbelief out of ignorance and disbelief out of arrogance and denial.