‘People of Sea’ pioneers

‘Council of tribal elders not needed’

“LOCAL newspapers recently reported on the proposal to establish the council of tribal elders under the auspices of the State,” columnist Abdulmohsen Mohammad Al-Husseini wrote for Al-Anba daily.

“The news reports announced the functions of the council that had been defined by the proponent of the council as to help the State to address the problems facing them, while the second objective is mostly based on urging the tribesmen to be proud of their tribes.

“However, as you may observe this proposed council will not have representatives from the ‘People of the Sea’ or the genuine Kuwaiti families who shouldered their responsibilities towards building Kuwait, because the ‘People of the Sea’ and the Kuwaiti families are proud only of their belonging to Kuwait as a homeland and territory.

“Therefore, one of the most important links of the people of Kuwait – the ‘People of the Sea’ is their belonging to Kuwait to its land and sea. It is a historical link, and we all remember that the people of Kuwait before the discovery of oil they used dhows and boats for trade.

“They sailed to Basra, India and East Africa to bring food and building materials to the people of Kuwait and used these boats and dhows to harvest pearls from the bottom of the Kuwaiti seas.

“Apart from the above they collected dates from Basra on their way to India and East Africa, and on their way back brought wood for building and some other purposes from East Africa since Africa is rich in forests.

“In spite of the above, it seems based on the proposal in question, these people who are considered the first builders of Kuwait have nothing to do with the proposed council of tribal elders, simply because they are not proud of anything except of their belonging to Kuwait. Not just that, their allegiance is to Kuwait only.

“Unfortunately, and as we have read through the local newspapers, one of the proposed council tasks will focus on assisting the State on how to handle the problems that are likely to face the State.

“It is regrettable that one of the tasks of this council, as we read in the local press, is to help the State deal with the problems faced by it, and here we ask: What is the role of the National Assembly, because these tasks are within the jurisdiction of the National Assembly, the Assembly that is elected by the Kuwaiti people and not the tribal elders.

“It is a mistake to declare that the tribal council is under the auspices of the State. I do not think the State accepts this because the state sponsors and cares for the ‘Council of the People’ which comprises of representatives of the people.

“Apart from the above, we would like to ask here, what about the position of the one who has proposed the council? Does he represent a specific authority that empowered him to declare his proposal in question for the establishing of a council for the tribal elders?

“As a matter of fact, Kuwait is a civilized and democratic country, hence, this proposal doesn’t commensurate with the distinguished position of Kuwait among the countries of the region.

“It is the head of the Kuwaiti family, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, who is fully proud of the people of Kuwait and considers himself as part and parcel of the people of Kuwait.

“This was evident through his presence at the condolences councils to extend his condolences to the people of Kuwait and his participation during occasions of joy of the people of Kuwait.

“This is the spirit of HH the Amir and the father of the Kuwaiti family Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad and we hereby would like to take this opportunity and quote from his sublime words ‘A kiss on the forehead of anyone from those where Kuwait was always in their conscience and emotion’.

“We pray to Almighty Allah to prosper us.”

Al-Husseini

“Many people believe the problem with the formation of the previous government foremost was in the nature of mechanism that governed the selection of ministers based on denominational quota which represented by all its shapes,” columnist Dr Ali Al-Zuabi wrote for Al-Shahed daily.

“Personally speaking, I am totally against this logic, because the implications have never been represented by the nature of the mechanism, rather the implication is deep-rooted in the nature of 1962 Constitution where the then legislator committed a flagrant mistake in terms of forming the executive power on one hand and the nature of the latter dealing with the National Assembly on the other even in terms of forming ‘a technocrat government’ professionally efficient and reputable with clean record. In this event, the type of governments will not escape any ‘destruction or damage’, rather its downfall will be quicker than one can imagine.

“Hence, we suggest the legislator was supposed not to be committed to an option that the members of the Cabinet should not exceed 16 against 50 MPs, because this equation will weaken the executive power compared to that of the legislature on one hand and as such will force the former to succumb to the demands and the requirements of the latter on the other.

“Such being the case, the legislator should have resorted to one of the following solutions: increasing the number of the ministers to 25 instead of 16 or increase their number to 20 provided the number of ministers from among the MPs should not be less than fifty percent of the total ministers, or the legislator was supposed to put in place a system to establish national parties and empower the party which has a majority in the National Assembly to form the government or resort to any other solution that is capable of solving this implication.

“However, as long as the legislator has not resorted to the above, then he was supposed to resort to a partial revision of such issue as swiftly as possible.”

“As I write this article, I am fully aware of the amount of attacks I will be subjected to by a large number of readers who are driven by the sources of revolution — of blood and revenge — and the desire for freedom. But in the case of Syria, the conflict which is about six years old, the spark happened in Daraa, simulating the Arab world of the so-called ‘Arab Spring’,” columnist Mohammad Al-Saadani wrote for Al-Rai daily.

“No one doubts that the Arab revolutions came out of the womb of oppression, ignorance and poverty and the world system used these revolutions to remove from power agents in the region and install others and this is exactly happened.

“But the bitter reality that has afflicted Syria and its people is quite different from what happened in many Arab countries. Millions of homeless persons and hundreds of thousands of dead have made the situation more difficult and more complicated. This led the global regime and international super power to pay attention to their favors rather than supporting the rightness.

“The scenario in Syria is the same as what we witnessed in Iraq for 13 years after the invasion by America, although the causes are different. But what matters to us are the factors leading to the collapse of the entire nation.

“The most important factors of destruction and internal collapse led to the fragmentation of the internal front in both countries, which led to the weakening of international pressure and the inability of the global system to extend the hand of cooperation.

“As we see millions of Syrians in the country and a vast majority of us, we know the magnitude of the disaster that has befallen them. We believe that it has gone beyond the revolution and that is the painful reality in modern history.

“We also believe that we were wrong when we hoped that many countries would support the Syrians in their hour of crisis as if we were blind or stupid. How do we think that countries that arrest their citizens without a cause or an investigation can support people demanding freedom?

“How can we ask the countries for social justice in Syria when they themselves live in a world of chaos, and how can we think that these countries can achieve justice and freedom of belief when they themselves prevent some of the books from their libraries because they do not like or contrary to the whims of the deputies of the People’s Assembly or the nation or Shura?”

“Our successive governments seem to carry on the legacy of dead kings. People no longer know the names of the successive ministers, who do not have the time to warm their chairs or know the details of their administrations, until they become a laughing stock,” columnist Waleed Al-Rujaib wrote for Al-Rai daily.

“In the post-independence period, especially after liberation, our voices are barely heard. It is not important to change faces, but rather to change the approach. Therefore, the government’s failure is repeated with every attempt to form a new government.

“No one knows why the governments have failed repeatedly to meet the minimum expectations in the area of development and construction or eliminate waste, corruption, underdevelopment, recruitment and training.

“The solution is not through the policy of quotas nor by choosing technocrat ministers, but rather appointment of powerful people with political and administrative capabilities, ie, statesmen who have the sense of initiative and leadership.

“We need ministers who have the courage not to be intimidated or blackmailed by powerful deputies or those led by powerful opponents, who are puppets in the hands of those who pay more.

“We want ministers who satisfy the aspirations of their people for progress and prosperity and protect the Constitution of the country instead of falling prey to intellectual terrorism and groups of darkness who want to drag the country and the society into the oblivion.”

“The majority of human rights organizations are definitely playing their roles with regard to the mammoth task of shedding light on many significant humanitarian issues across the world,” Faisal Mohammad Bin Sabt wrote for Al-Qabas daily.

“Without the sincere efforts of the organizations, we wouldn’t be aware of those issues. However, it seems that some organizations are not free from politicization and succumb to the desire of many countries, because they depend on funds from the countries where they carry out their activities. As a result, they lose credibility among the countries across the globe.

“In my opinion, the Human Rights Watch tops the list of organizations that lost credibility and neutrality by applying double standards while reporting most of the incidents. This is specifically emphasized in the Arab countries or Middle East. Reports about the countries in the Middle East are full of errors, while events believed to have happened in those countries are far from reality. Another methodology is applied while talking about incidents in the West.”

“Is it possible to rely on Turkey as a strategic alternative to the Arab world? The researcher Dr Mohammad Seyyid Selim raised the question during the Arab-Turkey dialogue in Istanbul in 2009, and skeptically said Turkey is surely a significant country in the Middle East and Asia,” Khalil Ali Haider wrote for Al-Jarida daily.

“Specialists have said Turkey is strategically located to connect the East, West, North and South, as well as Christianity and Islam. The location gives Turkey an edge to influence many countries that are thousands of miles away from the Bosphorus. It also enjoys steady economic development and growth among the middle class.

“However, specialists revealed that Turkey is battling difficulties such as population and environmental pressure, serious ethnic minority challenges and renaissance of Islamist fundamentalist movement, which put burden on the budding democratic institutions.”

“General Traffic Department started the traffic campaign early this week to control those who violate traffic rules and cause traffic jams by parking vehicles on pavements or spaces meant for pedestrians,” Dr Adel Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim wrote for Al-Anba daily.

“There is no gainsaying that enforcing traffic laws should be comprehensive. It should not be limited to specific violations only; thus General Traffic Department should use its various departments to execute their duties toward implementation of laws and perform their obligation to road users.

“The obligations include but not limited to commitment to pedestrian crossing locations and traffic signs should be erected conspicuously at the appropriate distance, ensuring the safety of motorists and vehicles by painting speed bumps, putting traffic signs and directions on roads, changing the position of surveillance cameras on roads constantly. Traffic officers should be distributed across various highways to arrest reckless drivers.

“Traffic checkpoints should be available in the remote north and southern part of the country, as well as the farming areas to arrest reckless drivers. They should encourage societal and institutional activities and public awareness to curb recklessness. Trucks that violate safety rules should be issued citations, especially those carrying construction materials such as blocks and sand without cover.”

— Compiled by Zaki Taleb