‘Strong will vital for reform’

‘Storming’ ruling a lesson

“WITHOUT going through the details or the circumstances related to the political negative and positive stances concerning the issue of storming of the National Assembly building, we can say that this page has been turned over,” columnist, professor at Kuwait University’s Political Science Department and former MP Dr Hassan Abdullah Jowhar wrote for

Aljarida daily. “However, this development means many other pages will be opened. We presume that all of us will benefit from dealing with the lessons of the relevant incident, particularly since we know that such an incident had gripped the mind of the country for almost eight years.

“Nevertheless, the thing that everybody in the country should know is that this incident had resulted in the tearing apart of the national fabric of the country to such an extent that the latter had reached an unprecedented state of fragility and erosion. Such a state had affected every employee working in various government institutions including the junior employees and the senior officials.

“Not just that, only Almighty Allah knows the volume of the country’s wealth, fixed assets and strategic savings that were squandered during this period.

“However, the government at last imposed itself even though it doesn’t have the minimum level of efficiency or vision required for managing the country’s affairs. In fact, most of the personalities and currents had been transformed into just small vehicles in its hand. Some others were waiting for any type of alms that the government was likely to give them.

“Anyway, the final verdicts issued against those involved in the case of the storming of the National Assembly building will teach us how the sentences that had been issued had differed from one case to another even though all of the defendants were facing the same accusations and were involved in the same crime.

“The storming of the National Assembly headquarters was considered by the judiciary as a crime due to which the defendants must be sent to jail. Most of these defendants were indeed sent to jail except for some MPs.

“The final verdicts will teach us a lesson in the field of principles. In other words, those who had bowed to the government, extended many concessions to it and reached a truce with it had been fiercely stomped upon by the latter. Those who had rescued the government from many interpellations and helped in ignoring the cases of illegal naturalization, Twitter users, and the laws for confiscating freedoms and the dossiers related to public funds’ issues were actually ignored along with the other cases.

“As a matter of fact, the judicial verdicts constitute a message to young MPs and their comrades affiliated to the popular current in order to study the same and think how to manage containing such a case. These MPs should be careful about falling in the same trap of the government, which is likely to lure them even though this government does not have an ally at the moment.

“The judicial verdicts will teach us a lesson in the political action of a country that is deprived of forming political parties and organizations that can work without dealing with narrow affiliations. The government had changed the individual and denominational action such that it seems easy to contain it. This entails that the political action should be based on national basis that is capable of unifying public interests and preventing any type of private breaches.

“Furthermore, the judicial verdicts affirm that the road to reform seems to be too long and does not depend on any individual, even a specific personality irrespective of the latter’s potentials. We instead are in need of political courage, education for governing the national action, and a generation that should believe and show necessary reactions for the sake of reform.

“The judicial verdicts may teach us that the tax of the political opposition is likely to be big, but the reward for fighting corruption is bigger. This entails that the popular will should be bigger in order to protect us from the corrupt, because closing an eye to the latter will help them become masters and play their role in terms of dominating people based on their own vision.”

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Jowhar

“I was and am still convinced that the case of storming the National Assembly building represents mainly a political case due to which it should not be handled by the courts. Instead, this case should be discussed under the dome of Abdullah Al-Salem Hall of the National Assembly,” columnist Dr Hamad AlAnsari wrote for Al-Rai daily. “I say the above, because the incident revolves around the storming of some MPs and youth into the National Assembly headquarters irrespective of whether those MPs belong to the opposition or they are loyal to the then National Assembly.

“In other words, the incident could be separated from the then political situations and events that led the youths to storm the National Assembly building that night.

“During that time, inflation of some MPs’ bank accounts had been revealed. Such an incident had transformed into “the case of deposits and million remittances” which shocked the Kuwaiti street. This case had represented the basic instigator for the youth who had called for the submission of statements containing the names of the corrupt and those who were behind them in order to bring them to trial.

“However, as long as the judiciary had said its word through the verdict of the Court of Cassation, we have no right to oppose such a verdict. We say the above despite the state of frustration and sadness that befall on us as a result of the relevant verdict, because the verdict will send a group of youth and former MPs to jail.

“One may suggest that the relevant case can be discussed and solved through a political manner, particularly since the situations that led those youth to the Erada Square and later storm the National Assembly headquarters still exist and have not yet been handled. Those who were accused in the case related to deposits and remittances are still free, and some among them are still occupying leading positions.

“The legislative vacuum that resulted in shelving the case still exists. Cases of corruption and embezzlement of public funds are still open. Reports about them are published in the daily newspapers in a manner that exceeds the reports published in 2011 when the incident of the storming of the National Assembly building occurred.

“However, to settle this issue, we suggest that we are in need of a political decision through which the people will agree with the legislative and executive branches to turn over the page of political crisis for good and achieve political détente.”

“The infiltration of political Islamist groups into curricula and teaching on the whole happened through expatriates who came to the emirates and other countries within the region, especially in the sixties, seventies and eighties of the twentieth century — a period known for Egypt and Syria’s expulsion of those elements and readiness of the ministries of education in the region to receive them with or without the consent of concerned authorities,” Dr AbdulAlmalik Khalaf Al-Tamimi wrote for Al-Jarida daily. “First, the early period of public and university education in the emirates of the Arabian Gulf and its countries had been built with the approach and teaching of Arab expatriates. Secondly, the dominant Islamic culture allowed the infiltration of elements of political Islam into the curricula of education and teaching in public education. The region was either satisfied, oblivious to what’s going on or encouraged the trend. The current is resistant to its opponents differing on its direction.

“The issue of curriculum development has been raised from time to time, but the problem is anchored in the formation of development committees that supported those groups. Development was mostly in the form of an increase in religious dose of materials, focus on conservation, indoctrination, and lack of understanding and criticism.

“Justifying the need for teachers in most disciplines, among those hired were parties who formed sleeper cells quietly infiltrated into our school curricula and the minds of our children, resulting in the building of local cadres. The incubator was a wellknown local religious figure within the region.

“Situation in the Arab Gulf states has allowed such infiltration, coupled with the goodwill of officials to receiving Arabs and employing them regardless of their political orientation. They could be dominated by the ideology of political Islam or opposed to the authorities in their home countries. The regional countries have detected the infiltration, but they detected it too late due to the presence of sleeper cells and their negative impact on curriculum.

“What is important about the political stream of Islam is argument and not quality education to the extent that high school students are taking part in demonstrations against the Ministry of Education’s anti-fraud measures. This unprecedented negative trend could have been the opposite if our education or culture was qualitative and advanced. We have already addressed the subject considered to be a dangerous precedent, so educators must study the incident from the educational point of view to inspire a culture that opposes corruption, especially in education.

“We do not tolerate the infiltration of political Islam. We do not differentiate between the learner and the uneducated because certificate is the goal, besides social integrity and qualifying for the job and leadership position.”

“We congratulate the people of Al-Jahra in particular and Kuwait in general on the opening of Al-Jahra Medical City whose completion was celebrated a few days ago by the Amiri Diwan under the patronage and presence of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad,” Dr Hind Al-Shomar wrote for Al-Anba daily.

“I have thought deeply about some things. First of all, why was this huge project completed in just three years, while other projects need twice as much? What is the secret behind that? Secondly, how will the medical city be managed? Will necessary vacancies be provided for the appointment of doctors, nursing staff and technicians so as to attract the highest qualifications and skills from prestigious international centers and hospitals? Will the rules and regulations of government employment routine allow this or will the procedures of providing vacancies for appointment take years such as the previous experiences with government routine and civil service decisions?

“Do we have the necessary competencies to make the health management in the city of Jahra no less excellent in terms of the building, design and equipment? How different will the management of this medical edifice be from those of prestigious international hospitals and health centers?

“I hope to see Jahra Medical City as a teaching hospital and an educational center, because a Faculty of Medicine without a teaching hospital will only receive academic recognition after establishing an affiliated teaching hospital, unlike the current situation. Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital follows the Ministry of Health and there’s a tangle of specialties almost on a daily basis, which affects the educational process and health care in the hospital.

“I wish the people of Jahra will play a role in policy-making and follow-up the activities of this medical city in a clear and organized manner through a board of trustees proposed by concerned health personalities with representatives of the civil society in Al-Jahra, in addition to representation of women from sectors concerned with health issues, including the Ministry of Interior and Education.

“Jahra Medical City is a radiation center — a base to launch and manage initiatives and development programs related to health, which should be anchored in the needs, views and priorities of Jahra inhabitants, and not leave the edifice to administrations and methods that are outmoded, futile and no longer fit for the modern era.

“We have the opportunity to apply the latest visionary health management methods through the running of this medical edifice to realize His Highness the Amir’s vision to transform Kuwait to an outstanding center while fulfilling the third of the 17 global goals for sustainable development until 2030, which is related to health and affluence for people of all ages.

“I am optimistic the choice of staff for this edifice, whether the administration, doctors or employees, would be based on efficiency and full transparency away from pressures and courtesies that contributed to the deterioration of health management. Due to its success in establishing and equipping hospitals in a record period not exceeding three years, it is more appropriate for the Amiri Diwan to manage and operate this project if the Ministry of Health does not have the capability to handle it.”