The Silent Majority: The Blue
What is Al-Qurha? It is the official gazette, known for its blue cover and consistent layout since its issue dated December 11, 1954. I have long engaged, and continue to engage, in a unique reading experience with its contents. Although I have no direct personal interest in its publications, I find value in its distinctive phrasings, refined by experience, which have helped enrich my linguistic knowledge.
For many years, a copy arrived at my workplace every Sunday. My colleagues would repeatedly ask the same question: “What do you need it for?” They were annoyed by the growing piles of the gazette, which had taken over the space for coffee cups and tea glasses on my desk. My answer was always: “One day, you will need it.” Time passed, and eventually, one of them came to me eagerly asking, “Where is the gazette?” He was looking for a page that had published a trademark belonging to a shop owned by his brother. I refused to answer immediately, wanting him to learn to respect “Al-Qurha.” I told him, “Look for it yourself.” After an hour of searching, I guided him to the correct issue.
Given its distinctive blue color, reminiscent of the sea, and drawing on lessons from life and journalism, I have reserved a fixed place for “Al-Qurha” in my discussions regarding any major decision. As we know, Kuwaiti government offices (whose roots are nourished by water) are teeming with dozens of analysts. During the era of print journalism, these analysts broadcast countless predictions about upcoming important decisions, only for their nighttime talk to evaporate by morning.
What matters most from the above is the suffocating moment when those analysts discover that I am a journalist. At that point, a barrage of questions begins, escalating until it reaches the stage of intense interrogation, with everyone seeking an answer that satisfies them.
It was an exhausting yet entertaining time. During it, I learned a rule that ended every heated discussion: “Was a decree on this published in the Official Gazette?” This rule spared me the hassle of engaging in lengthy debates over decisions that had not yet been issued, as well as the burden of correction and apology. That slow-paced news era has ended, replaced by the internet revolution and instant communication media.
Government and parliamentary news, and everything else, are now published the moment they occur, even before newspapers and some officials. Despite this news frenzy, I have remained committed to the “Al-Qurha” rule and other principles emphasizing the need to verify the accuracy of news and images, especially with the proliferation of AI-generated content and the involvement of experienced individuals in believing it!
In conclusion, for some time now, I have been trapped by a new question, different from “What do you need Al-Qurha for?” to: “Where is Al-Qurha?”
