Consolidating tribalism
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Every day we see the increasing devotion to all types of tribal and sectarian tendencies while the voice of the nation continues to become faint. What we mean here is that the voice of the nation has become inaudible.
To add insult to injury shy voices from time to time issue calls to renounce adherence to those strives and talk of the need to revive nationalism contained in the basket of nations, but unfortunately plagued by some.
One of the examples of shy voices was the campaign organized by the Al-Qabas newspaper and one of the most active national media women our dear colleague Iqbal Al-Ahmad under the title (so as not to fade), but with great regret – the campaign – was like a cry in a valley.
While this modest campaign was admired, I mean modest because it should have been raised to the level of the entire society with the active participation of civil society institutions as well as the government media, who were watching the precious effort that we wish will not be forgotten.
We have seen and noticed several manifestations that prove the indifference of some groups in the campaign.
We have recently seen in the social media a congratulatory banner of Kuwait University with the slogan ‘Tribe so and so… College so and so… congratulates graduates from the tribe on the success in examinations.
In the end it says, ‘for those wishing to join the college … contact the under mentioned brothers on their telephone numbers mentioned therein to inquire about registration at the college … Kuwait University’ and this is repeated on behalf of more than one tribe in the same language and tribal tone.
I do not know if the university administration has moved to face such obnoxious declarations that do not belong to science or civilization or at least the 21st century which has renounced the tribe since long ago or at least moved the administration because of the use of its logo in those ads that are totally unacceptable especially since the add also has names of people who are proud and boast about stirring tribalism in the community.
Such incidents will prevail if we do not act now to stop such behavior.
This was an unacceptable behavior – the behavior of those who are future leaders and honorable citizens of the nation. Thousands of people who have not been addressed by this advert have already read it and perhaps they will be influenced by the tribal spirit and we will see it in the future on many occasions if nothing is done to stop it.
Our society has been plagued by such acts and even some are encouraged directly either by the government or by those who turn a blind eye in the belief they will benefit through their devotion to tribal outlook.
To be more precise and more objective, I saw one of the recent editions of the Official Gazette, Kuwait Al-Yawm and read the page where the decisions of the Births and Deaths Committee are printed on the amendment of names.
I was shocked when I saw the decisions of this government committee that added the name of the ‘tribe’ to 55 out of the 71 names which were submitted to add the name of the tribe to his/her name or the name of his son.
Imagine what will happen when a number of citizens, for example, lose or did not want, or did not have the original identification document that includes the name of the tribe at birth, comes later to add it to their name or the name of their children.
The authorities of our wise government have done nothing in the face of this phenomena, except one authority that deserves salute and veneration, that is to say the National Guard Authority, led by the deputy head of the National Guard, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber, who prevented the addition of the name of the tribe to the National Guard without any objection from anyone whoever he is.
We sincerely salute from the bottom of our hearts this model Sheikh, who, we hope will be a role model for the rest of the government authorities (who are afraid of their own shadows) to follow in his footsteps.
No one is greater than God Almighty.
email: [email protected]
By Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli
Former Minister of Oil
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