Years ago, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid was invited to a luncheon hosted by some of Dubai’s dignitaries. A wide variety of traditional Emirati dishes were served and the Sheikh enjoyed the food. He asked, “Who prepared this?” He was told, “A local woman, named Umm Khamis (I believe), prepared it. She works from home.” That day, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid summoned her and granted her a restaurant license.
Later, the restaurant became a chain. I wanted to begin with this story to illustrate that many families in need do not resort to begging. Instead, they rely on themselves to meet their needs, even when they lack social security, support or assistance. They do not ask anyone for help. Among these people are women who cook in their homes and sell meals to those who request them. This is common in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, in other Arab countries, and indeed, worldwide. In Kuwait, we have not heard of anyone complaining about this food, even if it is poisoned. On the contrary, it is popular due to its cleanliness and quality.
Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a decree threatening these families with dire consequences. The threat even extended to imprisoning women who cook in their homes and sell meals. My question is simple: What harm does it do to the ministry, municipality, or any other entity if a woman cooks and sells food? Should she be forced to rely on others? On the other hand, if someone wants home-cooked meals, will the ministry prevent them from eating? Or if someone prefers to eat at someone’s home, will the authorities issuing these decrees try to silence them?
We understand that restaurant owners and others are unhappy with this very limited competition, but no one has the right to prevent people from eating, whether at a restaurant or at home. This is a fundamental right, and no one denies it. As long as no one complains, nothing is preventing these families from working in this field, as long as they are earning a living and not resorting to begging
For a long time, families in Kuwait have worked in this sector, albeit on a limited scale due to limited resources. We have not heard of anyone complaining, and these families do not cost the State anything. So, why restrict them? Did the ministry that issued this decision study the repercussions, or is it simply following the crowd, like all the other decisions issued by various ministries that were amended or canceled when the error was discovered?
Last year, the government issued a decree allowing people to work from home, which had several benefits, including reducing unemployment and enabling people to become self-reliant. Yet, the same government is now targeting these struggling families. Is it not strange? The Cabinet could issue a decree allowing these families, regardless of their circumstances, to obtain licenses to work from home, similar to the sectors permitted last year. This will be done through regular monitoring, unless some of those in the Cabinet or the relevant ministries begrudge people, even the bare minimum they can do, to avoid begging in the streets. Therefore, we say: Fear Allah in the way you treat these families.
