His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah along with other officials pray at the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque on June 14.

KUWAIT CITY, June 14, (KUNA): His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, accompanied by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque in Al-Sawaber area on Tuesday.

His Highness the Amir was greeted by Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yaqoub Al- Sani’a. His Highness toured the mosque after the completion of renovations and repairs for all damage following the heinous terrorist attack last year. His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince signed in the guestbook.

His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince then met families of the martyrs who were killed by the heinous incident, stressing to them that “our national unity is the impregnable fence to maintain security, besides the national spirit manifested by the people of Kuwait, as well as love, dedication to their homeland and loyalty to it with God’s help would fend off all criminal and terrorist acts”.

His Highness asked Allah Almighty to bestow his mercy on the martyrs and keep Kuwait safe always. His Highness the Crown Prince said that a year after this grave event, “we all thank Allah Almighty for the completion of renovation of the mosque in a record time”, praising the return of life to normal and to prove unity of the nation in confronting deviant thoughts and ideolgies, asking Allah Almighty to keep Kuwait safe from all evil thoughts. Then, both His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince performed the prayer in the mosque.

His Highness the Amir was accompanied during the visit by His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al- Hamad Al-Sabah. Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque attack martyrs’ families touted His Highness the Amir’s visit to the renovated mosque as reflecting unity between the ruler and the ruled.

In separate remarks to Kuwait TV and KUNA, they voiced thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Amir for his visit to the mosque which embodied the firm and historical bond between the leadership and people. Ahmad Al-Refa’i, son of the martyr Abdulhameed Al-Refa’i, highly commended His Highness the Amir’s initiative and the government’s care, hailing His Highness the Amir as “the kind father” who always patronizes such occasions.

He recalled that the fact that His Highness the Amir went immediately to the site of the mosque blast was a “spontaneous behavior” that impressed everyone in the country. His Highness the Amir’s directives and initiatives following the mosque bombing, including the holding of the mourning service at the Grand Mosque, have boosted national unity and encouraged everyone in the country to condemn terrorism openly, he added.

Yusuf Al-Hader, son of the martyr Mohammad Al-Hader, believed that the coincidence of the reopening of the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque with the first anniversary of the terrorist act undoubtedly reflects the heed and care the wise leadership gives to people. Naif Al-Faili, the martyr Ali Al-Faili’s son, said His Highness the Amir’s visit to the renovated mosque is a significant day for the martyrs’ families. His Highness the Amir’s immediate presence at the site of the mosque bombing had granted the martyrs’ families full confidence in the political leadership’s great support to them, he added.

Mohammad Al-Khawaja, the martyr Dr Jassem Al-Khawaja’s son, said His Highness the Amir has supported the martyrs’ families since the terrorist incident took place in June 2015. Ali Al-Sheikh, son of the martyr Hussein Al-Sheikh, expressed sincere thanks and appreciated His Highness the Amir for his visit to the mosque as a great paternal gesture. Waleed Buhamad, son of the martyr Taher Buhamad, said all the martyrs’ families were impressed by His Highness the Amir’s initiative. He thanked His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince, Kuwaiti government and people for sympathizing with them during this tragedy.

The Kuwaiti people have offered the finest examples of cohesion and unity and support of their leadership at crucial historical stations that posed challenges to the nation, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim has said. “We still, after a whole year, recall the extraordinary heroic stance of the great Kuwaiti people,” Al-Ghanim said in a press statement Tuesday on the first anniversary of the terrorist blast that targeted Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque in Kuwait City.

The Speaker recalled the heartfelt phrase by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah from the site just a short time after the blast, namely “These are my kids,” referring to the victims of the incident. The “black terrorism” sought to incite a sectarian strife and foment discord, but all Kuwaitis, young and old, men and women, instead presented a “national epic of unity,” he said.

Reaction of the Kuwaiti people toward the heinous attack was obviously manifested during the funeral of the victims. Then thousands flocked to the Grand Mosque the following evening to pay tribute and express their condolences, led by His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince, MPs and senior state officials, Al-Ghanim said.