Say, "How Beautiful Is Our Heritage"

This refers to three brief events that took place over the past few days: the first at a school, the second at a bank, and the third at the Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyah (Institute of Islamic Antiquities). Despite their different locations, all of them converge on a single objective: contributing to the building of the Kuwaiti identity through cultural and heritage-based methods worthy of reflection.

In my previous article, “Shaqardi in Our School,” I conducted a brief intellectual excavation to search for the term “Shaqardi” within our rich educational heritage. I began the article by praising Amr ibn al-As School (for boys), as it activated this term using a modern approach that allows the new generation to connect with its ancestors, emulate their noble morals, and add to their heritage of pursuing good deeds, each according to their abilities and capacities. I felt great joy when I received a certificate of appreciation and gratitude from the school, signed by the esteemed educator, Ms. Azizah Al Jafar. The text read: “Thank you, our dear Doctor, for your kind praise of the Shaqardi project in the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas, and for your strong support in preserving authentic Kuwaiti vocabulary... Your certificate is a badge on our chests; it trains students in cooperation, good work, helping others, and adhering to authentic Kuwaiti heritage.”

In this national heritage context, and within the framework of social responsibility, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait concluded its annual campaign “Ya Zeen Turathna” (How Beautiful is Our Heritage) in its fifteenth edition, under the slogan “From the Kut to Kuwait.” The events, in their attractive format, attracted youth in schools, universities, and diwaniyas, which is a highly successful choice. As Ms. Amani Yousef Al-War’ – Deputy General Manager for Corporate Communications at the bank – stated, one of the objectives of this campaign is: “Preserving national heritage is a responsibility that requires concerted efforts to transmit authentic customs and traditions to future generations, and to reinforce pride in Kuwaiti identity, ensuring that this legacy remains present in the collective consciousness of society.”

It is certain that such activities and events have a significant impact on spreading and consolidating awareness of Kuwaiti identity by motivating targeted groups to engage in beneficial work and connect with productive values linked to historical professions and markets, while explaining how they contributed to shaping our present.

Also in this illuminating cultural sphere, the Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyah held a lecture a few days ago titled: “The Piastre: A Coin That Tells the Story of a Nation,” presented by Dr. Mohammed Ali Al-Banna at the Yarmouk Cultural Center. The lecture reviewed the piastre as a currency and its role in daily commercial life locally and internationally in the late nineteenth century.

The outcomes of these activities, which examine our material and intangible heritage, deserve to flow continuously through the halls of our schools, universities, and forums, as well as through social media platforms, as they are excellent examples and valuable information for raising the cultural level of society throughout the year.

Heritage wealth is an unparalleled educational force if we handle it with wisdom. It is also a pillar of national belonging. No matter how time advances, we remain connected to “our heritage,” learning from it and drawing from its light the will to advance society toward greater achievements. As the ancients said: “He who has no beginning will have no continuation.” And the poet was right: “The young grow up on what their fathers were... For trees grow upon their roots.”

A. Prof. Latifa Hussein Al-Kandari