The MP’s tree and the minister
Why did MP Osama Al-Shaheen feel bad about seeing a Christmas tree at Dasma Coop Society? Why did the government, represented by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, immediately react to his demands and order the removal of the tree just like any trash gets removed off of streets? The land on which the co-op society is built is government property.
Upon a complaint made by MP Osama AlShaheen had asked the minister to remove the tree and she immediately responded! It is the same MP who said during his election campaign that he believes that all freedom of expression and the rule of the law cases in Kuwait are ok, as we do not have any midnight visitors or human right violations.
Shaheen represents the nation of which some individuals put a plastic tree at the co-op society. And since his powers include removing major damage or threats from the ‘nation’s co-ops,’ and since the government and minister’s duty include responding to MPs to set things straight, this is how major reform is done. This is how we get rid of worries about imminent economic disasters. Let us not get lost into too much detail about the major priorities of an MP in the new youth parliament. But let me ask again: why did that plastic Christmas tree cause so much psychological harm to the lawmaker or to his voters? Why did the minister immediately respond and feel sorry for hurting the lawmaker’s feelings and, thus, removed the tree from government property just the same way the government uprooted some citizens and withdrew their citizenships on grounds that it had made a mistake on granting those people citizenships in the first place a long time ago? Or even the same way it deprives them of freedom of expression and jails them over a simple tweet or opinion that violates the law? Keep in mind that we are in a state ruled by laws!
Once more, why did that plastic tree hurt the MP’s feelings? That tree did not prevent him from performing his religious rituals and did not distract him from practicing his freedom of religion. That tree was not behind the fall in oil prices. It did not overburden citizens nor did it stop the great economic, health and educational reforms led by the new government with participation from the minister who removed the tree!
Why that particular tree that might be trivial in itself but represents a particular occasion? It was actually the shape of a tree and not a real one. Why does such a plastic mold keep the MP, the ministers and the people preoccupied?
— Translated by Kuwait Times