Kuwait does not betray, and he who betrays it will not escape

Kuwait is not merely land and borders, nor is it a transient state in the region’s memory. It is a homeland, honor, and dignity; a house of security and a land of generosity that has extended its hand of benevolence to the needy across the globe. It has built its relations on dialogue, mediation, peace, and humanitarian action, thereby elevating its stature beyond its geographical size. Consequently, anyone who betrays Kuwait does not commit a minor error that time will erase, but rather places himself in confrontation with history. Betrayal of the homeland is not a political stance or a difference of opinion; it is a crossing of a red line named national security, sovereignty, and stability.

For those who wish to understand why Kuwait cannot be taken lightly, they must read its history since independence in 1961. Immediately after Kuwait’s independence, Abdul Karim Qasim issued his demands regarding Kuwait and cast doubt on its sovereignty. Yet, Kuwait remained an independent state, gained recognition from the international community, and saw that attempt fail, while Kuwait endured. Then came 1990, when Saddam Hussein’s regime invaded Kuwait and occupied its territory in one of the most severe crises the region has faced. However, the occupation did not end the state nor destroy the homeland. A few months later, in February 1991, Kuwait was liberated, and its flag was raised once again over its soil, while Saddam Hussein’s regime subsequently entered a series of crises that ended with its downfall. This is not a call for schadenfreude, but a reading of history. States may endure hardships, face invasion, pressure, and threats, but a nation whose people cling to their homeland and whose institutions protect its sovereignty can emerge from crises stronger and more resilient. Kuwait has never been a state seeking enmity with anyone; rather, it has been known for dialogue, mediation, assistance, and humanitarian work, thereby earning widespread respect that transcends its geographical boundaries.

However, history also holds painful paradoxes. Kuwait, which stood by the Palestinian cause and provided political, financial, and humanitarian support to the Palestinian people at various stages, found itself in a painful political position during the 1990 Kuwait invasion crisis when the Palestine Liberation Organization leadership endorsed Iraq’s stance. It is only fair here to distinguish between peoples and the positions of their leaders. The Palestinian people are not responsible for every political position taken by their leadership. Moreover, some Palestinians stood against the Iraqi occupation and contributed to aiding the Kuwaiti resistance. Nevertheless, political stances remain part of history, and history cannot be erased by courtesy.

Challenges did not stop there. From Abdul Karim Qasim to Saddam Hussein, and up to Iran, whose relations with Kuwait and Gulf states have experienced tensions and accusations related to threatening security, destabilizing the region, interfering in the affairs of regional states, and endangering navigation and ships in the Gulf and the wider region, Kuwait has remained present and steadfast in its position as an independent, sovereign state that knows how to protect its security, safeguard its interests, and maintain its international relations. Here lies a paradox worthy of contemplation: systems have changed, governments have fallen, and countries have entered conflicts and crises, yet Kuwait has endured—free, independent, proud, and towering. This is not a call for enmity or schadenfreude, but a message from history affirming that while Kuwait may be small in area, it is great in will, resilience, and ability to overcome hardships. Kuwait has proven that its true strength is not measured solely by its size or population, but by the cohesion of its people, the legitimacy of its state, the wisdom of its policies, its international relations, and its capacity to turn crises into new lessons in protecting the homeland.

Thus, today’s message is not only directed outward but also to everyone living on Kuwaiti soil. Difference of opinion is a right, opposition is a right, and criticism is a right, but all of this must remain within the boundaries of patriotism, respect for the state, its sovereignty, and its security. As for one who sells his homeland, conspires against it, or seeks strength against it from abroad, he is not merely differing with his country but stabbing it in the back. The traitor is more dangerous than an open adversary, for one knows the enemy, whereas the traitor wears the mask of a friend until he reveals himself. Kuwait does not ask anyone to love it by force, but it deserves respect from those who live on its land, honorable disagreement from those who differ with it, and accountability for enmity from those who oppose it. Kuwait is not an easy prey, nor a temporary homeland, nor a state without memory. It is a state that has known crises and emerged from them, known invasion and returned, known threats and endured, known those who stood with it and those who stood against it, without abandoning its path of peace, mediation, and humanitarian action. Faces have changed, systems have shifted, and alliances have altered, but Kuwait remains. This is the Kuwait we know: a state that does not seek war but does not fear it; a state that does not aggress against anyone but does not allow aggression against it; a state that extends its hand for peace but knows precisely how to protect its security and sovereignty.

Therefore, we state clearly: whoever loves Kuwait should preserve it; whoever differs with it should do so honorably; whoever opposes it should read history; and whoever betrays it should know that the homeland may forgive much, but it does not forget betrayal. Kuwait is a homeland with a memory. One who betrays his homeland may escape from people, but he cannot escape from history. May God protect Kuwait, its people, and its leadership, perpetuate its security, stability, and honor, and always make it a land of goodness, generosity, and peace. Thus, Kuwait will remain free, independent, proud, and towering. In the end, the traitor can only discover that the homeland he betrayed was greater than his betrayal.