KUWAIT CITY, Sept 16: The government lacks the ability to enforce the law, so the Kuwaitis must work together to address the national unity issue, instead of depending on the executive authority, says MP Khaled Al-Tahous. This came after a source from the Parliament quoted State Minister for National Assembly Affairs and Minister of Communications Dr Mohammad Al-Busairi as saying that the Cabinet, in its extraordinary session Thursday, discussed measures taken by the Ministry of Interior against Yasser Al-Habib, who has been accused of insulting the wives and companions of the Prophet (PBUH). He also announced that the government will finalize its decision in the next meeting. Speaking to reporters, Al-Tahous slammed the government for delaying procedures against the blogger. He said the government did not follow the required procedures for the extradition of Al-Habib through coordination with the Interpol. He added the Kuwaiti court should have sent a memo to the Interpol to extradite Al-Habib due to his questionable release from prison. He lamented the executive authority is busy issuing statements on the need to enforce the law to maintain national unity without taking any concrete step to end conflicts among citizens.

Describing the authority as the “government of reactions”, Al-Tahous asked, “Where was the government three years ago when the Kuwaiti society was being torn apart?” He argued more than 17 government statements had been issued over the last years on the need to strengthen national unity and implement the law but no tangible step has been taken until now.
Al-Tahous stated the country is currently facing a crisis caused by the shameful deed of Al-Habib, who also offended the feelings of Muslims throughout the world. He said the incident took place two weeks ago but the government wants three more weeks to enforce the law. “Anyone who is genuinely keen on implementing the law does not need any grace period to do so. It is strange that the government has been calling on everyone to respect the law, considering it had earlier released Al-Habib from jail and allowed him to escape from the country,” he added.

Calling on the government to quickly address the problem to prevent its recurrence in the future, Al-Tahous advised the executive to resign if it cannot implement the law and maintain national unity to pave the way for the formation of a better government.
The lawmaker argued the Kuwaitis, Bedouns, Sunnis and Shiites have been defending national unity. If the previous incidents took place in another country, everything would have turned upside down. However, the harmonious relations of the members of the Kuwaiti society have greatly contributed in strengthening national unity. The government should stop from issuing statements that might escalate tension in the country. It must enforce the law properly if it wants a happy ending, he concluded.
In the meantime, MP Mohammad Hayef believes the cancellation of the citizenship of Al-Habib is not enough. He appealed to the government to take harsher measures and conduct an extensive investigation to identify those who helped the blogger escape from the country. He also asked the Interior and Defense Committee at the Parliament to open its own investigation.
On the other hand, MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said the government’s failure to activate its legal tools against Al-Habib might escalate tension in the country.

Advising the government to refrain from entering into any political deal related to the Al-Habib issue, Al-Tabtabaei pointed out the executive authority can use the existing laws to avert any crisis, in addition to the National Unity Committee. He said the Development and Reform Bloc will press ahead with its plan to submit a grilling request against the minister of interior in case the government fails to stop anyone from fomenting trouble in the country. “National unity is our asset as was evident when Saddam Hussein occupied Kuwait. We might say goodbye to our homeland once this unity is broken. We must remain united against anything that may weaken our ties,” he opined.
Al-Tabtabaei also condemned the attempts of some media outfits to instigate conflicts by supporting certain sectarian or discriminating parties. He stressed the need for everyone to respect the law, instead of defending those who have erred like Al-Habib. He said some people seem keen on preventing the government from taking steps against the blogger despite the consensus to condemn him.
Expressing his disappointment over the statement of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and the deputy premier on the issue, Al-Tabtabaei lamented, “They have downplayed the issue and have not shown any interest in taking serious steps to punish Al-Habib or revoke his citizenship. The executive authority’s lackadaisical attitude towards the problem might lead to chaos in the country.”

Furthermore, lawmaker Dr Mohammad Al-Huwailah said the national unity is not a slogan or poetic phrase uttered in national celebrations, since it is the basis of the existence of any society.
Al-Huwailah added those who have been closely following up the recent developments in the country have realized that some parties and media outfits are calling for sectarianism and discrimination among various groups in Kuwait. He appealed to all members of the Kuwaiti society to use the speech of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on the occasion of the last 10 days of Ramadan as their guide to maintain national stability and harmonious relations between groups.
Despite the assurances given by the premier in his recent interview with Kuwait Television, the government has yet to take action against those trying to escalate tension and undermine national unity, Al-Huwailah asserted.
The lawmaker also praised the statement of Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak on the national unity issue, particularly his promise that the government will strictly enforce the law because national unity is a red line that nobody should cross.