Kuwait Today is Stronger Than the Past
At the end of this summer holiday in the British capital, London, I visited Hyde Park, where I recalled past memories, especially as we are going through a sensitive phase due to the ongoing Iranian aggression against our beloved Kuwait.
At that moment, I was reminded of the difficult days we experienced 36 years ago, when Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded our country.
Back then, I was a young man in the prime of my youth. Our daily activities as Kuwaitis continued in that part of Hyde Park. So, while listening to what was being said there today, I compared it with what we lived through during the occupation. Regardless of what some people are calling for today in that corner, I returned to those days. The incitement against Kuwait, whether by Arabs or others—some of whom may still hold such views today—reflected a short-sighted perspective, seeing things with one eye, supporting falsehood, while the truth was clear and evident.
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Back then, we defended our identity and our country, arguing with those who supported the invading enemy because of the actions of an Arab ruler whose reckless deed destroyed the Arab nation and national security, and even brought disaster upon Iraq and its people.
Yes, regret consumed us, as we did not know at the time whether we would ever return to our homeland. Nevertheless, hope remained strong, and we believed that Kuwait’s just cause would not be lost.
During my last visit, before returning to Kuwait, these memories kept running through my mind, and I longed to return to the soil of my homeland. Although I had returned before the liberation and had left the country twice, these sad memories lingered, especially when I recalled the faces of some Arabs, mercenaries, and envious individuals who told us that the Arabian Peninsula would return to being a desert, erasing the blessings God had bestowed upon us. Our constant response was: “Just as our ancestors lived, we will live, and we will rebuild our homeland anew.”
Since then, I realized that God had granted us a blessing not given to any other nation, and I began to reflect on how to preserve this blessing. Today, I see how the Gulf people live—in stability and prosperity—and how they safeguard their countries, because they have much that they do not wish to lose. Know that sacrificing for these countries is a duty upon all of us.
In this rational perspective, when you stroll through Hyde Park and hear how people curse you, your country, and your people, despite all that your country has contributed to Palestine and the Arabs, because you believe you are helping a sister Arab state, you realize that you have one main concern: that God has granted us much, and we are expected to preserve these blessings.
Here, the wisdom of our leaders—and indeed, the wisdom of our peoples—becomes evident. I am not speaking only about Kuwait, but about all the Gulf states, which enjoy greater development and stability.
I say that the hardships Kuwait and the Gulf states have endured are far greater than what they are experiencing today, and they are capable of overcoming them with ease. However, woe to those who tie the future of their people to a group of reckless adventurers who have caused corruption on earth. Therefore, when the Ministry of Education today includes Iranian aggression against Kuwait in the school curricula, it is working to document this history for future generations.
Bitter memories, as the saying goes, serve as a motivation for individuals to strengthen their resolve. Thus, emerging from this current crisis is not difficult, for “what does not kill you makes you stronger.” Today, we are much stronger than in the past.
