August 2, 1990.. When the familiar turned into pain
There are nations that triumph through force, and others that prevail through compassion. Kuwait belongs to the latter. Before the invasion, Kuwait was an open hospital for Arabs. An Iraqi who could not find treatment would come to Kuwait; an Iraqi student would study at Kuwait University; and an Iraqi merchant would find facilitations there. We gave priority to the distant before the near, and to the stranger before the kin. This was not weakness, but rather our belief that “neighborhood comes before home.”
The invasion was not about oil, but about the heart. On August 2, 1990, they attempted to erase the memory of a country that had never said “no” to a needy Arab. They bombed the hospitals that treated their wounded, occupied the schools that educated their children, and looted the homes that had opened their doors to them. They sought to punish Kuwait for its kindness.
It was the wisdom of successive governments that restored Kuwait. After liberation, there was no time for weeping; there was a nation that needed to rise. The wisdom of successive governments took charge of this mission.
During the reign of the late, may God have mercy on him, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad, may God have mercy on him:
- Compensation Fund: Committees were established to compensate citizens and companies for damages and losses, and millions of dinars were disbursed to help people return to their homes.
- Committee for Prisoners, Missing Persons, and Martyrs’ Affairs: It followed up on cases of martyrs and prisoners, supported their families, and did not forget anyone.
- Reconstruction: Oil production resumed within months, an administrative achievement led by the government under his guidance.
During the reign of the late, may God have mercy on him, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, may God have mercy on him, the “Amir of Humanity,” this approach continued:
- Building Model Villages: He ordered the construction of housing for those affected, equipped with electricity, water, schools, and health centers, and ensured that no martyr’s family was left without dignified housing.
- Diplomacy of Giving: Under his patronage, Kuwait became one of the largest donor countries in the world for humanitarian aid, and hosted donor conferences for Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
- External Aid: He continued the policy of assisting peoples, even countries that had been on the opposing side in 1990.
Governments thereafter continued on the same path: compensation, reconstruction, and investment in human capital.
The lesson we learned was that the most difficult question was: “Mother, why the guest? Our neighbor, to whom we gave our home, broke our home?” At that time, we understood that generosity without wisdom may lead some to view it as an acquired right.
But Kuwait did not change. After 2003, Kuwait provided Iraq with aid amounting to billions of dollars, and built housing, hospitals, and schools. Because the Kuwaiti, even if wounded a hundred times, will extend his hand on the hundredth and first occasion. This is not naivety, but the ethics of a nation nurtured by the sea and patience.
Conclusion: History will record the invasion in black, and will remember Kuwait for the compensation signed by Sheikh Jaber, the homes built by Sheikh Sabah, the hospitals whose doors never closed, and the billions spent to reconstruct others. Kuwait did not break, because its government was a pillar, and its people were a backbone. Kuwait remains, generous, and held high by the wisdom of its sheikhs. May God have mercy on those of our honorable sheikhs who have passed, and may God protect Kuwait, its Amir, and its people from all harm and evil.
