Of deserving and underserving laws

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Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli Former Minister of Oil
Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli Former Minister of Oil

THE Russian-Armenian belly dancer Sofinar Gourian whose stage name is ‘Safinaz’ was sentenced to six months imprisonment for humiliating the Egyptian flag. On Monday, the Egyptian Misdemeanors Court set her free but decided to double the fine and ordered her to pay 30,000 Egyptian pounds. The Public Prosecution in Egypt had charged the dancer with humiliating the Egyptian flag because she wore it during a ceremony for artistes which was held in the town of ‘Ain Sukhna’ on the western shore of the Red Sea’s Gulf of Suez.

The Egyptian Prosecution found the artiste guilty based on a law which was issued by Egypt’s former interim president Adly Mansour. The law called for punishing anyone who does not respect the flag and it included those who do not stand during the singing of the country’s national anthem (CNN Arabia).

On behalf of the people of Egypt, we thank Adly Mansour for that ‘deserving’ law, and we hope Kuwait will follow suit. We have seen with our naked eyes and a heavy heart our Members of Parliament who sport long beards and wear short ‘dishdashas’, remaining perched on their seats toying with their cell phones when the national anthem of our country is being played, while others continue to do whatever they want without reverence or respect for our symbol of peace, love, security and stability.

These are leaders we are tempted with, who in the past tried to revive the centuries-old innovations and their mischievous rituals with utter disregard to humans or stones. These kinds of shenanigans do not recognize either the nations or their borders, and a good example of this is their product, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). We hope, the Russian beast will stampede it and cast it in the dustbin of history.

One of the foreign readers wrote to me in protest of the bylaw which was recommended by MP Kamel Al-Awadhi. He has proposed increasing vehicle charges on expatriates, because according to him this is his contribution to end the growing traffic problem.

The foreigner says, “Such measures will never solve the deep-rooted traffic problem, the problem that is caused by the absence of proper planning and projects which take many years to complete.

“Those who possess many vehicles are the citizens, whereas an expatriate at the most owns two vehicles — one for him and the other for his wife. This is in addition to the burden of huge rent, medical expenses and school fees of children.

“Kuwait is generous by disposition, and its generosity is felt in every corner of the world. Therefore, it does not make sense if it gives with one hand and takes back with the other.” It is in our duty to call on MP Kamel Al-Awadhi to contemplate radical solutions to end the traffic congestion through the ministries of Interior and Public Works because the solution definitely is not in increasing fees and charges on foreigners. This is a totally ‘undeserving’ law.

By Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli

Former Minister of Oil

This news has been read 8754 times!

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