I don’t know who to blame, the envious countries claiming to be friends and allies only to jump and stab us from the back once they get a chance, or blame us, Kuwaitis and Kuwait as a nation and the way we “market” ourselves to the unfortunate countries around us, the countries which God did not bless with the fortune we have and enjoy.
Why are we so misrepresented? Someone needs to be pointed at and be blamed for that. In my opinion it’s not the people, coz the people helped till they grew skeptic with the amount of ungratefulness they saw and felt. Is it the government? Couldn’t they market Kuwait and shed a better light on the nation? I don’t know. It’s just frustrating.
I remember Mom telling me that we, Kuwaitis, since we got rich from the oil, we were always caring for other Muslim and Arab countries around us. Supporting them and being charitable towards them, and thats not just a move the governent is making for diplomatic purposes, but us the people too. My mother used to tell me how when she a little child in school, how everybody took it as a personal duty to fill all the little pigy bank (7a9ala) they used to hand out in schools whenever some country was in need. She remembers that she, even as a little child felt that it’s her duty to help, She used to fill up those 7a9alat every time, and it went without saying that every 7a9ala must be filled and handed back! clothes should be sent, blankets, tents, rugs, whatever those people needed, we must help. From Algeria’s days to Palestine to Somalia, Yemen..etc We always helped and helped a lot. Even I remeber how proud people were at my school when their name would be mentioned after handing back a full 7a9ala. Generation after generation we were taught to GIVE.
And now we here about iraqis accusing Kuwait of being greedy and “want to stir past conflicts”. And we have The Independent writing pieces about a “Stingy Kuwait”. Really? Are we really stingy? Were we ever that bad? Haven’t we done enough good deeds to shut all haters up? Yes we did, but it’s not marketed right. Or at least thats the only reason I could come up with.. Enlighten me if Ive missed something.
But for people to judge us because we still can’t forget that we were invaded (19 years today) and unwilling to give our right for reparation up.. I think it’s just a tad too much.
I’m not gonna read and edit the post coz I know I’m gonna have second thoughts and delete it.. so there.
I agree with u! Even though our good deeds were marketed they will still look at the bad side…why should we care?! The way I think is good deeds should be done becuz it makes us feel better oo ohma bel 6agaag!
And yes we will never forget the war…ppl still bring up vietnam and world war 2 ma7ad gaal shay! Why r we critisized for bringing up aug.2?!
There is nothing to be apologetic for in your statement, you are true in every right. What I find frustrating is how come Kuwait can not get a real marketing behind it to change people’s minds of it, how come they can’t get their act together to push themselves into a better light.
I am happy that Kuwait has helped so many countries, but many of them have turned out to be ungrateful bastards in the end and turning against us, why can’t we align our political agendas correctly we can help some countries but for others we shouldn’t if they aren’t really reliable, we should push that other countries in the UN support our notion clearly and stating that what Iraq did is inexcusable and they should pay what Kuwait is owed for all the damages that was done. I’m sorry seeing our country and our people raped 20 years ago doesn’t change the fact that it happened. The hollocaust happened over 50 years ago now but the Jewish people are still getting financially paid by those who are responsible and that is right, it is a horror which can not be forgotten, is what happened to Kuwait any less, I don’t think so.
Great post… i highly recommend u post it on the article’s link to the Independent…. let the writer see what we think of his opinion, show him our point of view.
i mean come one…. Germany had to pay for WW2 for decades after the war ended…. yet the world expects us to just forget our debt and sweep it under the rug?
elyom thekra el ‘3azo .. 2/8/1990 .. lan nansa
Shay y7ur oo yirfa3 il tha’36.
But you know, I’ve been trying to teach myself not to get annoyed when someone who doesn’t matter in terms of actual strategy and decision-making says something negative about Kuwait. I mean what do you do when a dog barks? Dogs bark. Thats what they do.
chlab.
dont have second thoughts! u said nothing wrong at all !! i support what u said all the way, and i belive every other kuwaiti feels the same.
I agree with what you said. It is infuriating to be labeled in such a negative way.
I do fear the reparations though… I’d rather see us lose money than risk having another Hitler on the border.
I agree with Marzouq! Our voice is not heard… it is not reaching! We should work on that (The Jews example is good)!
Well in general Kuwait’s may be categorised as “Greedy” rather than stingy ! The Kuwait Govt does so much to support its kuwaiti people, wipes their outstanding loans, provides them children allowances, house loans, medical benefits, and the list is endless.. and still the people are unsatisfied and with recent job cuts and lay offs, govt is again providing grnats to those kuwait’s who were victims of this scenario and giving them additional funds… so tell me how are the people greatful or appreciative…on the other hand the expats do not receive anything! n no remands are met nor services are provided unless at expense.
Haters will always be haters…and it is heridatery with the iraqis and their friends…from father to son and from mother to daughter… Dogs of the North…that what I call iraqis. Dogs Barks… but in the end they will bite, never forget that.
I’d rather be known as “Stingy Kuwait” than give up my rights for reperation. “Stingy” “Mean” “Cheap” is better than “Gullible” and get step on all over… don’t you think???
It is time to represente Kuwait correctly in front of the world, to let them know what Kuwait is, who the people of Kuwait are. We are Civilized, intelligent, educated, kind and generous people.
Article is written by Robert Fisk which explains everything. You should read the stuff he writes about Lebanon.
Shannon: just please explain to me why should expats get anything from the Kuwaiti resources and wealth? They don’t like it they can always go back to their country.
In other European countries, they get benefits like we do here, from medical care, to free education and in some cases housing. They only difference are taxes.
And we are the most greatful people in the world when it comes to our country…we always say AlHamdullah…and “Allah Ya7feth AlKuwait Min Kel 7ased” (God Protects Kuwait from the Spitefuls and invidious.)
Cheers.
Web Weaver: i guess its choice vs necessity.. as you say expats can leave kuwait š guess we’d hav locals doing work ! no offense to those who do work š from high office posts to low posts all locals š wonder how it’ll be !!!
Yup tax has saved expats and in return charged for those services !
Kuwait is a great and wonderful, food is quality and quantity as comapred to Europe. Well hope long live kwt govt n its forever big generous hands reserves to locals..
blame the govt, blame the parlimant ( who approved 30 billion $ in loans and grants for saddams regime so he can fight his war against iran, but saddam got bored from fighting the iranians and decided to head south to the express atm( q8) or in other words he used our money to F**k us),
i dont blame the iraqis for not wanting to pay us, we financed a dictator, we should live with the consequences ( although it would be amazing to get that money back, but hopefully it doesnt go to the pockets of our sincere officials, rather it should be spent on projects that improve the well being of q8ties.
shanon: our government isnt being generous when it gives us all these benefits, its whats rightfully ours, and reagarding ur point about expats having to pay for all these services, you have to keep in mind that xpats are only here cuz they cant find a decent job in their own country, so i guess xpats should weigh the pros and cons of being in q8, if the cons outweigh the pros then xpats are stupid if they stay
Yousef .. if u are waiting for appreciative people from iraq or the other envious countries, you are simply not getting it. All I can say is “el ajr 3ala allah” God is our savior from those basterds. help the need and Allah himself will return us the favor inshalla š
Kuwait is far more… to infinity and beyond the OPPOSITE of “Stinginess”… mu mnhum?! mn elwahii elY fyhum!!
Yousef kalmk 3dl!
“shnu nisayna ma kalainaa” ??!!!
excuse my language but those S.O.B’s don’t appreciate our generous, giving hand and will never ever do so!.. and THEY are “Liable” to us in every damn aspect! till DOOMS day!
They dragged our youngsters, blind-folded them and shot them in stadiums.. pulled them out of mosques and tortured them.. they raped our women.. they killed our men in front of their parents!.. they wrecked families and planted bitterness and sorrowness in every home!!!!
AND THEY EXPECT US TO FORGIVE AND FORGET!!! HELL NO!!
SHNU ” ‘3shmarah ” hl 7 months of invasion??!!
WE Kuwaities are forever to be STEADFAST AND LOYAL to our MOTHERLAND no matter what……
WE WILL NEVER FORGET—> 2/8/ PERIOD.
Well Shannon… You don’t have to wonder much Kuwaitis didn’t hesistate doing menial work during the invasion. We buried our martyrs, cleaned the roads, picked garbges, baked, planted you name it we did it. š
When it comes to our country… you don’t have to wonder about us… and if you know us..the Kuwaiti People…for who we really are.. it isn’t only the qaulity of food or the quantity, or shops and malls you’ll appreciate š
As you said… long live Kuwait Goverenment and its generous generous hand to its locals š
Allah wakbar! E7na serna stingy?
Being stingy does not drop our claim, though, does it?
Stingy Kuwait still holds the right to reclaim the minimum that could resemble an undoing of the ugly actions of Saddam Hussein. The fact that he is dead is not in any way a form of compensation to the tremendous losses his stupid actions did to us. We suffered and still suffer to this day the consequences of our neighbors’ hastiness. To disregard all that and look at the issue from the other side of the fence can be described in no better than this term:
BIAS
š
The guy covered the Iraq-Iran war, the 1991 Gulf War (I repeat: WAR and not INVASION; he covered it in Iraq and AFTER the coalition forces intervened) and the 2003 Iraq “liberation”
About the ’91 Gulf War (again, AFTER the intervention) in Iraq, he says:
“I tell you, if you saw what I saw when I go to wars when Iām on the front line with or without soldiers or with civilians or wounded in hospitals, if you saw what I saw, you would never, ever dream of supporting a war again.”
He saw all that in Iraq; no wonder why he’s compassionate with one side more than with the other.
And what does he know again about Kuwait’s history of charitable work? ZILCH!
Seriously; what does he have to support his description of Kuwait as stingy? ZILCH!!!