When Kuwait's History Becomes a Heavy Guest on Its Screens
Ladies and gentlemen, raise your hats in admiration for that bizarre media vision that seems to have discovered that the best way to preserve Kuwaiti heritage is… by hiding it! This refers to the series “Edition 1871,” which addresses one of the greatest tragedies in Kuwait’s maritime history: the sinking of Kuwaiti ships and sailors in the Arabian Sea following the devastating Nujm Al-Ahimer cyclone in 1871. We are not dealing with a fictional story, but with a real and painful page from the nation’s history. Men ventured out to sea seeking sustenance, but the sea reclaimed their ships and their lives, leaving their tragedy etched in the national memory as a testament to the sacrifices of fathers and forefathers.
Yet, this work was removed from the Ramadan 2025 lineup, depriving Kuwaiti viewers of watching it during the season when families gather before their screens, while the schedule was filled with imported works that have no connection to Kuwait’s history or identity. The matter did not stop there; months later, the series was screened out of its natural season, and its presentation was incomplete. The opening credits were missing, and the endings were deleted in most episodes, as if the work were being shown with hesitation, rather than as a production documenting a crucial part of Kuwait’s history. This raises a legitimate question: Where does Kuwait’s history belong on Kuwaiti television?
“Edition 1871” is not merely a series; it is a serious attempt to revive the memory of the sea and recall the lives of men who lived between the waves, livelihood, and danger, carrying their nation’s dreams on the backs of ships before the sea swallowed them in one of the most painful disasters in Kuwait’s history. The writer, Mr. Mishaan Hamoud Al-Omairi, exerted considerable effort in research, documentation, and transforming this historical tragedy into a dramatic work deserving of appreciation and celebration, rather than being treated as a burden on the national screen.
If we speak frequently about national identity, that identity is not forged through slogans or preserved through speeches. It is built when children see their nation’s history alive before them, learn the stories and sacrifices of its men, and feel that their history is present in their consciousness, not absent from their screens. Perhaps the solution has become to relegate heritage to books, celebrate it on occasions, and extol it in speeches, but when its turn comes on the screen, we tell it: not now… perhaps another time! But the truth is that “Edition 1871” is not a heavy guest on Kuwaiti television. It is the history of our sailors, our ships, our people, and our sea. The history that built the nation should not be left in the back rows; it deserves to be at the forefront of the scene.
* Legal Advisor and Lawyer
