Defaming the country is a crime

A Useful Summary

This is a message to some Kuwaitis who have chosen to reside outside their country and criticize their government on social media. We say to these individuals: You do not read about what is happening in other countries. In most of them, poverty, poor living conditions, high taxes, and populations suffering from hardship, deprivation, and disasters prevail. Meanwhile, citizens and residents in our country enjoy security and a comfortable life for themselves and their families.

Many countries impose taxes that burden individuals, alongside the spread of weapons, high crime rates, and exorbitant medical costs. Here in Kuwait, citizens and residents receive good medical care, with food and medication provided free of charge.

Even during times of hardship and poverty, and before the discovery of oil, Kuwait was a land of safety, offering refuge to those persecuted in their own countries. Here is a story illustrating the justice practiced by Kuwait’s rulers in the past:

News Videos

Advertising Services

Multilateral Organizations

One man told his neighbor, “I left my homeland, Al-Hasa, fleeing Turkish oppression, and came to this safe country, secure for my family and children. I worked as a blacksmith. A man came to me and bought nails from me to build a ship, claiming he was so-and-so, one of the sheikhs. I waited for him to pay, but he did not. My neighbor said, ‘File a complaint with the Amir of the country.’ The blacksmith asked in astonishment, ‘Does the Amir listen to a common person’s complaint against another?’

The neighbor replied, ‘Yes. Our Amir, thank God, is just and abhors injustice.’ The blacksmith stood before the Amir, trembling with fear. However, the Amir smiled at him and ordered him to sit. After learning his story, the Amir said, ‘Come tomorrow to collect your payment.’

The Amir then met with the relative (the debtor) and said, ‘Brother, these people were displaced from their lands by injustice and came to you, where they found comfort and safety from fear. Do you not know that the consequence of injustice is severe? Go now to the man and fulfill his rights. Otherwise, I will make you stand in his place as the defendant today.’

This story took place during the reign of Amir Abdullah bin Sabah Al-Jaber, who ruled the country between 1866 and 1892. Yet, some Kuwaitis, who are unjust to their country and ungrateful for its blessings, criticize the government’s conduct. If they dislike the revocation of citizenship for forgers or those who tarnish Kuwait’s reputation, consider that the United States relied on a figure to reform its internal affairs. New York City was once teeming with crime, corruption, and unemployment. About 80 years ago, Fiorello La Guardia (whose name means “Guardian” or “Protector” in Spanish) assumed the mayoralty there. Through his measures and with the help of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he defeated corruption, improved the conditions of poor farmers and unemployed workers, and successfully revitalized New York’s economy. He ordered the construction of low-cost housing, public playgrounds, parks, and airports, reorganized the police force, and oversaw the building of highways, bridges, and tunnels, thereby transforming the city for the better.

La Guardia exercised his duties strictly as a seasoned, tough mayor. He dismantled the machinery of corruption, and thanks to him, calm prevailed on New York’s streets in the following years. People could walk safely in the streets, as crime of all kinds had disappeared.

There is also Tanzanian President Magufuli, who dismissed officials, reduced the number of ministers from 30 to 19, and mandated that all ministers disclose their bank accounts and assets. He repaired a government hospital and cut the budget for the inauguration of the new parliament from $100,000 to $7,000. He ordered the sale of luxurious state vehicles and replaced them with modest Toyota cars for officials. Would we say that Magufuli was a tyrannical president, or that he reformed the country?

Nearly eight years ago, in my article titled “Where Are You, Al-Laguardia?” published on June 22, 2018, I wrote the following: “We are in dire need of a Kuwaiti official who will take action to enforce the law with firmness. Trust has eroded across the country, violence and corruption have spread, some members of parliament are ignorant, and tribal and sectarian sentiments have surfaced, threatening national unity. The regional situation is perilous. Is there among us a senior official who can rescue us from our current predicament?”