In each diwaniya

This individual comes in handy when the group decides to play cards and is short for one more player

In the past, each diwaniya had some useless visitors whose presence or absence made no difference. They probably were only useful to complete a card playing group. However, those very same people have unfortunately started having their own opinions and have become capable of telling who is a Kuwaiti and who is not. They even form political attitudes’ maps and describe whoever has a different opinion than him as being ‘traitors’ among many other accusations.

Each diwaniya or social gathering usually includes various elements or people with different interests varying between politics, sports and other daily concerns. One of them might be better-informed than others, even if the topic has nothing to do with their career or interest.

Mostly, if not always, one of those people turn out to be useless and dispensable. Their absence makes no difference on any of the topics discussed in the diwaniya. There only remarks are usually limited to inquiries about how everyone was doing, and some other simple bits here and there. Sometimes, this individual comes in handy when the group decides to play cards and is short for one more player. However, after the internet and social media networks revolutionized our lives, people themselves have turned into media channels, posting whatever they wish for a considerable number of people to see.

All you need is internet access and a smartphone. All this allowed such insignificant individuals to gather information from various networks and from whatever is discussed in a diwaniya in order to form a topic to post on social media, as if it was their original idea. And because such individuals are marginal and insignificant as we mentioned, they would always try to make that up by using the internet as a source for having effective opinions amongst others. They tell fake stories as real ones backing up their superficial arguments.

As long as these people form public opinion, we are bound to reach this shaky fragile situation where nobody can stand different opinions and political arguments or disputes, and start having social impacts by classifying others in the most racist and hateful manner that has been tearing the society apart on a daily basis. Those people must be put back on the margins where they belong, because it would be a disaster to listen to and follow them. The consequences will surely be considerable.

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Aljarida