KUWAIT CITY, Dec 5: The showdown between the government and the parliament took place on Sunday when various MPs condemned the harsh beating of Mohammed Al-Juwaihal but blamed the government for the serious consequences of their non-cooperation.

Some have even indicated that the controversial media person had purposely provoked the attack on him by attending the seminar and insulting one of the MPs so that the government has an excuse not to attend Monday’s session. The session has been assigned to debate and decide on the lifting of MP Faisal Al-Muslim’s immunity.

Al-Juwaihal, who is the owner of Al-Soor TV channel, was beaten severely on Saturday evening during a seminar dedicated to the Constitution as it took place at the diwaniya of MP Ahmed Al-Saadoun. He was allegedly attacked for spitting on and rudely gesturing at a screen while MP Mussalam Al-Barrak was addressing the audience.

Speaker of Parliament, Jassem Al-Khorafi, said that the attacks were unfortunate and tragic and that a wrong can never be corrected with another wrong.
“We are in a country that is run by the law and we have to be cautious of rogue actions or our society will transform into the law of the jungle,” he said. He added that the government had so far not indicated its stance for Monday’s session.

Moreover, MP Al-Saadoun was also accused for not interfering while his guest was being beaten and allowing the seminar to continue. The Ministry of Interior (MOI) officers were in turn blamed for not halting the attack soon enough.

Al-Juwaihal and his TV station are at the center of a long standing battle between some media and various tribal MPs. He was accused of stirring sectarian and tribal tensions and verbally attacking a member of the royal family.

Reports say that Al-Juwaihal has awakened from his coma and is in a stable condition while Jawhar Al-Juwaihal denied that his brother had provoked the attack on him, saying that it was a made up story to justify the perpetrators’ actions.

NA Supervisor, MP Ali Al-Rashed, said that the people who claim to protect the Constitution were the same people who have ripped apart its foundations and perpetrated Saturday’s attack on an individual who merely states his opinions.

Al-Rashed further condemned Al-Saadoun for denying his guests protection on his premises while claiming to support the Constitution that gives every Kuwaiti the right to state his or her opinion. He held him responsible for every drop of blood spilt by Mohammed Al-Juwaihal as he was a guest in his public diwan.

“The seminar continued even after the attempted assassination without any stance from the owner of the diwan, which is an indication that he supports what the transgressors have done. It is unacceptable. It was a public seminar and everyone had the right to attend. We differ with Al-Juwaihal on many issues but this does not mean Kuwait should turn into a jungle,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Development and Reform Bloc condemned the violent actions but said that they were provoked by the insulting acts of Al-Juwaihal. In a press statement, the bloc questioned the true objectives of Al-Juwaihal’s presence at the event as he had not been invited and was unwelcome.
The bloc expressed its support for MP Ahmed Al-Saadoun and asserted that it condemned holding him responsible for what occurred while MoI officers were widespread at the event.

On his part, MP Khaled Sultan said that brutal beatings are not actions that befit the people of Kuwait. Even if the individual was in the wrong, the law is more than able to hold him accountable for his actions, he said.

“I am surprised that the MoI didn’t interfere immediately to put a stop to the attack and failed to hold the organizers and the MPs in attendance responsible. These actions are condemned by everyone so I hope they catch the perpetrator of the attack,” he expressed.

Furthermore, MP Sultan added that the repercussions will be severe if the government fails to attend Monday’s session to state its opinion on the matter as well as Al-Muslim’s immunity.

“If the government is convinced that its request is Constitutional then it has to attend. If the parliament maintains Al-Muslim’s immunity then the government can turn to the constitutional court,” he concluded.
MP Mubarak Al-Waalan was one of the attendees of the seminar. He denied knowledge of the attack saying that he was busy with the seminar which was much more important. He held the government responsible for the deterioration of relations saying that it could also have prevented the attack.
“The message sent by 28 MPs on Saturday should have reached the government if it is sincere on cooperating with the legislative authority. The message was also directed to the MPs who did not attend the previous sessions. There won’t be an excuse on Monday,” he said.

Meanwhile, MP Khalaf Dumaitheer recalled a similar incident during the elections of 1999 when an opposing candidate insulted him during his campaign. “He was protected when a few people tried to attack him,” he stated. “Mohammed Al-Juwaihal’s presence at Al-Saadoun’s diwan shouldn’t have provoked anyone as it was open to the public. Even if his presence was provoking, the reactions should not have been this brutal.”

On his part, MP Hussein Al-Huraiti urged MPs to refrain from provocative statements. He said that MPs have constantly made statements that provoked individuals to lash out against the recent political events.
The National Action Bloc, which includes MP Aseel Al-Awadhi, also condemned the attacks but said that the reason for these actions is because the law is not being implemented in the first place.
Meanwhile, securitymen have launched a manhunt for the attackers of Mohammed Al-Juwaihal.

Al-Juwaihal is said to be in a critical condition but regained consciousness after his admission into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Amiri Hospital.  A medical report released by his doctors showed he had bruises on various parts of his body and fractures to his spinal cord.

Security sources revealed four of the attackers have been identified and police have intensified their efforts to arrest them within a few hours.  Sources explained the presence of security officers at the venue of the seminar made it easy for them to identify the suspects because they took the pictures published by the media.  Some of the attackers allegedly chanted, “Kill him, burn him” while beating Al-Juwaihal.  Sources added an attempted murder case number 16/2010 has been registered against the suspects at Khaldiya Police Station.

Senior Ministry of Interior officials, including Assistant Undersecretary for Operations Major General Dr Mustafa Al-Za’abie and Assistant Undersecretary for Public Security Affairs Major General Khalil Al-Shemali have instructed the securitymen to arrest everyone who beat Al-Juwaihal. 

Meanwhile, Al-Juwaihal was quoted as saying, after regaining consciousness, that he cannot identify any of his attackers because they were too numerous and the incident took place immediately after his arrival at the seminar.

Sources affirmed Al-Juwaihal is under tight security and nobody can get near him, except the lawmakers.