Mishaal Al-Ahmad … Take back Kuwait from its hijackers

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TO be frank, Kuwait has been hijacked, and this is not an exaggeration. We know this based on what we have experienced throughout the past six decades to this day.

This is because of our choice of democratic system, even though we were not up to it.

If democracy is based on justice, equality, and equal opportunities, then we got none of that.

We instead adopted it merely for freedom of opinion, intimidation, and incitement to sectarian and tribal fanaticism. We turned individual initiative into a monopoly, and the distribution of spoils.

We practiced passive democracy, especially after experiencing the harsh invasion from which we didn’t learn to fortify our national immunity and increase popular fusion, instead of transforming into various tribes, cliques and sects after 1992, each of which has its own amir, mufti and theoretician.

By doing so, we were undermining the state, destroying its institutions, and working to weaken its immunity and its rulers.

For all this, we are no longer a single state, but rather a group of tribal and sectarian fanatics. Also, racism and bullying of others has become widespread.

What is worse is that the number of Kuwaitis does not exceed 1.3 million, and there is much talk these days about a significant portion of them having dual citizenship.

This is followed by the division at the constituent level. It is said that “So and so is from the suburb, and the other is from the tenth constituency”, which is a direct entry into the tunnel of discrimination.

Unfortunately, we did not consider society as an integrated unit that constitutes a supportive force for stability.

We have not benefited from the cultural and social diversity in self-development and education.

In short, we have become strangers in Kuwait, which was founded 400 years ago on tolerance, harmony, and cooperation for the benefit of all.

Could the reason be that our constitution is old and diseases are beginning to appear, such that we need to amend and improve it? Or have we offended our country and ourselves by drowning in disparities due to the corruption in the governmental and parliamentary performance?

Do we have a man who can undertake the task of amending and improving all this in order to serve and save the nation?

We also have to admit that the disease has spread in a way that threatens the entity as a whole, starting with the sectarian and tribal bullying, and ending with racism against expats.

Have we forgotten, due to ignorance, that the national economy is based mainly on expatriates? If we remove Egyptians, Indians, Pakistanis and other nationalities, then who will build, cultivate, clean roads, and provide services?

In all of this, we did not benefit from the experiences of others.

Look at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where more than a third are residents, as well as the United Arab Emirates, which, thanks to the directives of its leadership and the keenness of its people to advance their country, has not only turned into an economic and tourism power but also a regional political power that cannot be underestimated.

It was not intimidated by the percentage of foreigners in it, which amounted to about 87 percent, but it instead benefited from that added value.

On the same path is Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, which have all become economic powers and great investment and tourist attractions.

So what did we do in Kuwait? What did the metamorphic democracy offer us?

Today, after the historic speech of His Highness the Amir, which was delivered by His Highness the Crown Prince, and after the Amir delegated some of his powers to Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad in the second part of the speech to determine the correct path and methods of treatment for the disease that we suffer from, it seems that we are facing a reformist revolution led by Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad.

Indeed, we have begun to feel that there is a government that seeks to restore the prestige of the state.

We have noticed the insistence of His Highness, since the beginning of his entry into public affairs, on achieving justice and reform, just as the case of the great personalities who lifted their countries which were suffering from diseases of corruption.

Therefore, the hope is to restore confidence in the homeland and in ourselves so that tomorrow is better.

Now the question is – Will His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah shorten the distance, and emancipate Kuwait from the hands of its hijackers?

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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