Are Gog, Magog back to wreck our Earth?

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HAS Kuwaiti democracy exhausted itself and reached a stage where it suffers from illnesses related to early aging? Or is there still any room to remedy and reform what has been spoiled by the misconception about this kind of system that elevates nations instead of dragging them into ruin and downfall?

This question is for all officials who seem to have not realized the high price that the country will pay as a result of the current crisis, let alone the fact that the loss expands with every new dawn. Raising the ceiling of aggravation and escalation would definitely lead to suicide.

Undoubtedly, we all know the actual reason that led Kuwait to choose democratic system as its source of authority. In 1961 when the then Iraqi President Abdul Qasim attempted to derail Kuwait’s independence with the support of the Soviet Union, the British advised Kuwait about the need to establish institutions and draw up a constitution on the basis of the democratic system in order to facilitate its admission into the United Nations as a modern country.

Indeed, great men drafted a great constitution, but if only the generations would better its implementation. Unfortunately, that generation is gone, and after it, the popular representation began to decline until we reached the point of prevalence of tribalism, sectarianism, and regionalism because there are those who do not have any culture that qualifies them to be legislated.

In fact, the language of speech has become bigotry in many aspects. MPs exploited their authority to employ kins and kiths, and spread corruption. Institutions turned into farms for some ministers and influential people.

On the other hand, some dark forces have been exploiting democracy to creep over the legislative authority and dominate it but to later reveal its ugly face when it began seeking to make Kuwait a religious state by amending article No. 2 of the constitution.

They bullied ministers who were not at the level of responsibility, rendering them to yield to them. They worked on changing the open cultural approach, imposing on the institutions all the desires of the dwellers of the Taleban’s Tora Bora caves.

Parallel to this, freedom of opinion and expression – one of the most important principles for societal development, has turned into freedom of insults and “nosiness”. This has prompted many straight-up and competent citizens to decline taking up any ministerial portfolio lest their names and even that of their families be smeared. In fact, many of the children of this country avoid public work for this reason.

This situation has continued since after the liberation of the country from the Iraqi occupation. Talking about liberation, it was a historical opportunity that could have been properly utilized to rebuild the state on clear and modern foundations, instead of slipping into the current situation.

The image of our country is distorted abroad, be it through the many reports on human trafficking (visa trading) or money laundering scandals, and blatant bribery, which has become a source of bragging for the culprits. We have seen this in a number of files, some of which are with the courts.

It is really unfortunate that Kuwait, which was the pearl of the Gulf, is lagging behind and descending into a very ugly depth. There are neighboring countries that are on their way to leadership, and have plans that their institutions are working on implementing under the guidance of enlightened rulers who are aware of the needs of their people. Their doors are open to all, and they choose “shura” (consultation) councils from a social and scientific elite.

Under this system, the state’s path is not hindered by the National Assembly, where the majority of its representatives are dedicated to squandering public money and controlling state institutions for their own interests, and not the interest of the citizens, let alone the nation. In fact, their sessions are disgusting.

What is happening in Kuwait is not the democracy that the first generation wanted. Rather, it is the fight of a group to seize the powers of other authorities, and this leads to the destruction of the country.

Ladies and gentlemen, see what the defective and distorted democracy based on sectarianism and tribalism has done in Iraq, Lebanon, and other countries. You should also look at the enlightened dictatorships in some Gulf countries in order to learn from them.

The current crisis will continue if nothing is done to stop it and amend the crooked standards to conform with the enlightened rulers “who gave God what belongs to God and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar”, and thus managed to lift their countries to the highest levels. In Kuwait on the other hand, we made democracy a knife with which we peel the nation and the citizens. Are the Gog and Magog back to wreck the Earth?

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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