I did not know personally, late Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah and my meeting with ‘Abu Abdullah’ came by chance thirty years ago. I deliberately avoided as I did with other senior ruling family members and statesmen, especially those in senior positions, and did not create any kind of relationship with him. Rather, I accepted “willingly” to keep the distance between us despite my admiration for his biography, and my appreciation and respect for his history.

Now, after you left our world, I feel that I was wrong and I was supposed to fulfill the desire and met you.

I started my relationship indirectly with you shortly after the liberation when I attended the meeting of founding of the Kuwait Association for Protecting Public Funds, and it was nice to have someone who was in your position and standing among the founders.

After a very short time, you did not hesitate to donate a large sum of money to the association of which I was the first treasurer to help it achieve its goals.

Your generous donation showed not only your generosity, but more importantly, how a defender and protector you are of public money, and your desire to stop waste and fight corruption as you sincerely believed.

You also showed later on more than one occasion during the positions you held that there is no development, no justice, and no progress when corruption is around and the corrupt abound, and this is what often pushed you to do unprecedented things in our political history as soon as you assumed the portfolio of Defense Ministry.

For thirty years I have been keenly following up your activities and I was sad for many reasons, when you assumed your first political office, and I think that your psychological and physical troubles began after that, perhaps because you felt that day that you were fighting alone, and that is why you may have chosen at the time to leave the scene.

Your journey was wonderful by all means, and no one found any wrongdoing against you. The truth about your position was in the hearts of your lovers reflected in the big demonstration that I watched and participated in after your return, almost two years ago, from the long journey of medical treatment and it was a great and spontaneous participation and devoid of any compliment.

Your career was full of giving and I saw in you a feeling of pride, with the wonderful Sheikha Hussa, your companion beside you in your march for what you have achieved for Kuwait, whether on the official level, or through the Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyya, and other impressive works.

You had the amazing quality of self-denial and acceptance of the nation’s share in enjoyment with your own valuable possessions; this is in addition to the beautiful modesty, gentleness of your refined ethics, good upbringing and your distinction of high culture.

You were a first-class statesman. O Abu Abdullah, despite the short time you spent in the ministry, every lover of Kuwait and humanity wished your journey to be long.

The country and the nation put their ‘hope’ in you that you would give them the best you have. “Will the glimpse of hope continue to glow in our hearts after you have departed us? This is the question citizens are asking.

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By Ahmad Alsarraf