04/12/2022
48074 times read
04/12/2022
48074 times read
WHAT has happened to us? Is it forbidden for people to rejoice? Did Kuwait, which was a beam of openness and tolerance, extinguish its fire, only to be overwhelmed by darkness? When the state gives in to a handful of MPs who impose their vision that is different from that of hundreds of thousands of Kuwaitis, it means that its institutions have become farms that operate under the command of an MP from here and there, and that ministries are nothing more than a transaction handler.
Otherwise, what does it mean for an MP to stop a marathon in which thousands of people participate annually, prevent a concert from being held, and stop people from having a joyful time? Is this the Kuwait that was a source of hope for the past four centuries for millions of people who came to it to learn tolerance, resided in it and then set off to the whole world, carrying what they learned here of love, tolerance and non-racism? It is good that the Ministry of Interior agreed to hold a marathon as planned for one of the big banks, but it would be better if it did not respond to the calls of the MPs of obscurantism in the first place.
It almost felt like screaming in the wilderness because the voice of an MP threatening to impeach a minister is much louder than the voice of society.
The recent grilling of the Minister of Public Works is a good example of maliciousness in the parliamentary practices, in which the MPs waved the baton to terrorize the government if it did not yield to the parliamentarians of the “ethic document” that seems to have become effective, which means imprisoning Kuwaitis and expatriates in cages of repression and oppression, and controlling their behavior, even inside their homes.
What is happening is a “see something - say something” that Kuwait has not witnessed over the past centuries. This is also contrary to the Constitution, which has become clear that the “Negative Phenomena Document” will replace it if things remain as they are. This is the greatest fear for the country and society, as it has become clear that it is the subject of an internal invasion that is much worse than Saddam’s.
When the two most important banks in Kuwait organize marathons of this kind, they contribute to joy for Kuwaitis and expats, and relieve some of the grief caused by the absence of entertainment institutions in the country.
Therefore, it would have been more appropriate for the concerned authorities to refrain from submitting to the bats of “Tora Bora”, who brought all the scourges upon the Arab and Muslim nations from four decades ago to today. Kuwait is their victim also, as evident from the crimes committed against its internal security, which are still fresh in everyone’s minds as the wounds are open to this day.
Indeed, it is a psychological shock for everyone, as we have to look at the great openness that neighboring countries are witnessing, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the Emirates, Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman.
Is Kuwait different from those countries to this extent?! Wasn’t it the initiator of theaters and modern arts in the Gulf region? Didn’t the stars of art and music come from this land? Wasn’t Kuwait at that stage far from the scourge of drugs and extremism that expanded when the crows of darkness cawed during our nights and began to exercise their suppression - both overt and covert - on people and institutions? Why do you mean to obliterate this good land with darkness, and push its people and residents by force and intimidation to flee abroad in order to enjoy and entertain themselves?
In fact, who gave them the authority to impose their vision on society? What is happening guys? Yes, what’s up? We have started feeling ashamed of ourselves in front of our neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and even the world. Is Kuwait afraid of its own shadow to this degree? Therefore, we say explicitly - O leadership, have mercy on us ... Have mercy on people who are tired of the interference of those who are still living in the caves of darkness.
O Almighty Allah, we do not ask you to undo the fate of the past, but we ask you to have mercy on us and be gentle to us.
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times