Kick Kuwaitis out of Kuwait!
Iknow, dear readers, that this article’s title might be shocking, but what is happening nowadays by advocates of racism begets such a call. The best proof of this is what happened in Souq Mubarakiya a few days ago, right in front of Mubarak Kiosk, the historic and cultural landmark of Kuwait. We unfortunately watched how the symbolism of such a historic edifice was utilized, when according to her sick, racist and most ugly description, a woman described Kuwaitis protesting there as ‘lafo’ (newcomers). She even repeated this hateful description more than once on various occasions and on various media outlets. This woman acted very snobbishly without any consideration for Kuwaiti norms or traditions that have been known for generations.
The funny yet baffling thing is how official government bodies have been keeping silent about such an act that is incriminated by the national unity law number 19/2012, which includes “criminalizing any form of agitation and incitement of public through any means, instigating hatred and disdain towards any sect, initiating sectarian or tribal crises, and publishing ideologies to encourage racial, class or group discrimination or the superiority of a certain race, group, color, origin, doctrine or lineage to others.” The law also penalizes whoever commits such a crime by “a maximum of seven years in prison and/or a KD 10,000-100,000 fine.”
Well, it has been the fact that this law has not been imposed for years on any of the racist people that founded the ‘Juwaihelish’ ideology (named after hawkish former MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel) based on undermining social security through classifications such as within and outside the Kuwait wall, Bedouin and urban, authentic (genuine) and newcomers, all the way to Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti.
Things have become so bad that large segments of Kuwaitis are starting to feel a sense of estrangement in their home country because of such a sectarian-based exclusionary approach. It is also not strange, in view of the government’s silence and lack of accountability, that we might someday hear a call to ‘kick Kuwaitis out of Kuwait’, just the way some people called for kicking expats out. The shameful thing is that the majority who make such a call are those who claim to be the ‘Kuwaiti educated elite’ - what kind of elite are we talking about, gentlemen?!
Finally, I urge the Interior Ministry to firmly stop such atypical calls that are trying to tear the Kuwaiti society apart by foolish actions, threatening our unity and coherence at a time when we are going through regional and international challenges that call for more consolidation and unity!
—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Jarida