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 Kuwait
Cup EN BREF #4 issues
1,2,3
Everything you never knew you needed to know about the
Kuwait Cup |
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BACK TO THE TOP, AGAIN...
It was a great privilege again this year to be granted a
meeting with Her Excellency Sheikha Fadyah Al-Sabah.
OK, I was a bit nervous as you would be, meeting with one of the
Members of a Ruling Family, but exactly like last year, she
immediately made me feel at ease and comfortable.
We chatted a long time, about everything, her Father, The
Late Amir, who was Crown Prince when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
About her education as a young girl. Also about the blessed
relationship between the Family Al-Sabah, ruler of Kuwait since
its founding, and the People of Kuwait.
 One
thing that strikes you when you meet HE Sheikha Fadyah Al-Sabah,
is the simplicity and truth of her smile.
Far from the arrogance of some people convinced of their own
importance, you feel immediately how sensitive, even shy, yet
straight to the point Her Excellency is.
The second thing is her broadness of mind.
 Surrounded
by so many different people of all ages, cultures, languages,
religions. An attitude she attributes to the education she
received abroad.
And the third, and most important probably, the love,
admiration, respect, and intrinsic passion she has for her
Country.
I learned a few things about this amazing country that is
Kuwait. I'm hope you'll learn with me... |
YOUTH
"As children, we were very privileged obviously, and to take us
out of that privileged status,
my Father sent us to do our studies abroad, in Beirut,
Lebanon, where the education was already at an advanced stage.
It was a different environment altogether, and gave us a down to
earth education.
"At the time, Lebanon was already then a very Occidentalised
country, a sort of East meets West, an open society, that gave
all six of us (we were five girls and one boy, now two of my
sisters passed away) a wide perspective on life. My elder sister,
who graduated there, has friends all over the world.
Unfortunately, I was 14 when the war started there, and I had to
leave the country.
"And it’s with the same will of wide perspective and down to
earth education that I’ve now sent my children to the UK, to
London, for them to achieve their education. Which means that
I’ve been dividing my time between here and there."
INDEPENDENCE &
CONSTITUTION
We never were a colony, we were a protectorate, which is
completely different. But in 1961, we became a sovereign state,
and then the following year, our constitution was born.
If you read any of our history for the past 50 years, you’ll
realise how important our Constitution is to us, and how it has
a big say in the decision making.
How it’s actually making sure that each and every citizen is
given the pride, self- esteem and confidence that he is a
full citizen, and that he actually is part of the decision
process in Kuwait.
Kuwait is all about a strong Constitution. I was born
into it, I saw it grow, it’s the backbone of the development of
our country. |
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THE CITIZENS OF KUWAIT
& THE FAMILY
"You know, Kuwait is not just a barrel of oil, it’s the
Individual we care about!!! And we feel that, compared to the
Region, we’ve very much advanced in the human aspect of the
society, and I think we are on the right track.
"For 50 years, a beautiful harmony has reigned between the Family and
the people, and that’s the secret ingredient that can only be
found in Kuwait. We are blessed in Kuwait, and in the Grace of
God, we hope it will continue for ever.
"The most important for us is the quality of life for the
Kuwaiti citizens. Every day, I am telling myself that if I
hadn’t been born a Kuwaiti, I would have prayed to god I actually
was born a Kuwaiti citizen!! Both as a woman, and simply as an
individual, I wouldn’t wish for anything to fundamentally change
in Kuwait, as great consideration is given to the Human aspect
of the development.
 "The
Family is not there to impose their will on the People of
Kuwait. The relationship is built on the understanding between
the Family and the People.
Sometimes, there is a little drop in that relationship, but then
immediately, action is taken to listen and follow the Will of
the People of Kuwait, and calm and normality overtakes
discontentment.
Like it is happening at the moment. If the Citizens of Kuwait
are not happy with their Government, actions are taken
immediately to address the problem.
VOLATILITY IN THE REGION
"After the War against Iraq, came the Liberation and the
rebuilding of our country. The region is extremely volatile,
with the Gulf War number two, the American intervention in Iraq,
the fall of Saddam, and hopefully soon the complete return to
democracy in that country, which reflects on us as we are so
close.
And like I said, we are in a very volatile part of the world,
virtually sitting on the World’s number one natural resource,
and we are very much aware of that. There are a lot of conflicts
of interests, and the only solution for Kuwait resides in the
unity of its People to try and sail the ship forward in these
rough seas.
That’s truly the biggest heritage I got from my father,
that the power of Kuwait comes in the Unity of People. The
advancement of Kuwait comes from the unison and the
synchronicity of the voices and will of the Kuwaiti People.
Whether at a small scale, in the family unit, or at a big scale,
National Unity. That is and always will be the strength of
Kuwait.
Kuwait will always be a haven, an oasis in this rather volatile
region. |
Liberation of KW - Archives CBS
Liberation of KW - Archives BBC |
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You may not be aware of the fact
that exactly 50 years ago, Kuwait declared its independence,
on June 19, 1961.
Of course, this year's tournament couldn't have ignored that
milestone in the History of the country. Just in case, like me,
you have only vague notions about Kuwait's past, here are a few
facts you may find instructive.
The Founding of Kuwait
For a nation that has only come to the modern world’s attention
since the discovery of petroleum, Kuwait has had a rich and
diverse history. Archaeologists have discovered chipped flint
tools from 10,000 years ago, indicating that Stone Age people
ranged through the area.
Centuries later, while the Greeks were using the Gulf as a
highway from Mesopotamia to India, Arab nomads were wandering
the Arabian Peninsula and migrating eastward during the hot
seasons.
As Arab civilization began to thrive, commerce between Yemen in
the south and Baghdad and Damascus in the north began to centre
on the Gulf.
What is now Kuwait City, situated strategically at the tip of
the Gulf and having one of its two natural harbours, began to
play a key role in the trade of frankincense, myrrh, dates,
pearls, gems, spices, and fabrics.
As the centuries passed, goods from as far as India, China, and
Africa were shipped via the port. When Islam swept the Arabian
peninsula and beyond, Kuwait also became important as an east-west
caravan stop on pilgrimages to Mecca.
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The Birth of Modern Kuwait
Kuwait was founded in the early eighteenth century by members of
the Bani Utbah tribe, also known as the Al-Khalifa,
Al-Sabah, Al-Roumi, and Al-Jalahma in the year 1705.
Kuwait was then known as Guraine; the Bani Utbah established the
town and port of Guraine and called it Kuwait ("little fort,"
from kut, "fort").
In 1710, much of the Utub tribe emigrated from Najd in
what is now Saudi Arabia because of a devastating drought.
They moved first to Qatar, and eventually to Qurain with its
deep wells, and lived peacefully under the aegis of the then
strongest sheikh in Eastern Arabia.
In 1756 the long-term residents of Qurain, who spent much
of their time at sea, and the newly arrived immigrants decided
that the instability in the area called for the establishment of
a permanent government.
By consensus and acclamation, they chose the Sabah family to
rule, and modern Kuwait was born. The first Amir was
Sabah ibn Jaber, and all twelve of the succeeding rulers have
been descendants of his.
The system is not a strictly hereditary
one.
Though many Amirs have succeeded their fathers, the ruling family
chooses the most qualified man from each succeeding generation of
Sabahs.
The current crown prince, for example, is a cousin of the current
Amir. |
Under the benevolent rule of the
Sabahs, the town enjoyed relative security and thrived. New
trades developed to serve travellers, merchants, Bedouins, and
the community itself.
European visitors of the day estimated the population at 10,000,
and reported a thin line of houses, coffee shops, and souks
stretching from the current site of the Kuwait Towers to where
the Sheraton Hotel is located.
The harbour was busy with nearly 800 commercial dhows and their
ocean-going cousins, booms. To the south were oyster beds making
the pearl merchants rich. And there was extensive contact and
cooperation with the Bedouins in the summer time.
These dual influences - bedouin nomads in the interior
and merchants at the harbour - were to determine the
national character of Kuwait. |
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Cooperation with Great Britain
When Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah came to power in Kuwait on May
17, 1896, a new phase in the history of Kuwait began.
This phase is characterized by international interest in its
territory, the inauguration of railway projects, such as Berlin-Baghdad
railway, and coal stations.
From the beginning, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah realized the threat
approaching from the Ottoman Empire, the greatest Islamic
government at that time, so he took a decisive step to protect
his country from direct or indirect Ottoman intervention.
Conflict of interests with the Ottoman's Empire slowed the
process down, but in 1898 many elements incited Britain to
reconsider its policy towards Kuwait.
Thus, on the basis of a decision from Lord Curzon, the British
viceroy in India, British Political Resident Mead concluded a
protectorate agreement with the ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh
Mubarak Al-Sabah on January 23, 1899, which defined
Kuwait as:
"An independent Country Under British Protection"
Britain promised to protect Sheikh Mubarak and his heirs, and in
turn the latter agreed to conclude no treaties with other powers,
to admit no foreign agents and to cede no part of Kuwait's
territory without British consent.
This agreement limited the rights of Kuwait to deal conclusively
with its lands without British approval. However, the agreement
did not give Britain the right to intervene in the internal
affairs of Kuwait.
In November 1914, Britain recognized Kuwait as an independent
emirate that enjoyed British protection.
And the
Petrol was found...
In December 1934, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the
ruler of Kuwait at that time, signed an agreement for oil
drilling with the Kuwait Oil Company (Anglo-American
Company).
In 1936-1938, the primary drilling operations proved that
Kuwaiti lands were rich in oil, a matter that dramatically
increased the importance of the country.
In June 1946 the first shipment of Kuwaiti oil was exported.
Simultaneously with this economic, cultural and population
development, Kuwait proceeded towards progress and independence
since the beginning of the fifties.
The economic, intellectual and cultural movement flourished in
Kuwait and the number of the literate people and the schools
increased. In addition, more educational missions were sent to
the universities all over the world.
In this period, Kuwaiti society had to face many internal and
external challenges as Kuwait evolved from a poor country to a
rich one enjoying great financial potentiality. |
Kuwaiti Public Opinion
 National
political awareness was increasing. The activities of Kuwaiti
youth increased and they started to criticize the administrative
conditions.
At that time, the ruler of Kuwait was Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah. He welcomed constructive criticism and was keen to
achieve fully considered steps on the way to independence and
constitutional government. He realized that the protectorate
agreement was no longer appropriate after the changes that had
taken place in the conditions of Kuwait.
The Kuwaiti people no longer accepted the restrictions imposed
by the protectorate agreement, though they realized very well
that this protectorate had many advantages in this period.
Yet, circumstances had changed, which necessitated cancellation
of the agreement. Thus, the ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Abdullah
Al-Salem Al-Sabah, expressed his desire to replace the old
agreement with a new friendship agreement that went along with
the development and changes that had taken place.
Independence, here it is...
The British government accepted the Kuwaiti demand. Diplomatic
notes were exchanged between Sir William Luce, the British
Political Resident in the Arabian Gulf at that time, and Sheikh
Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the ruler of Kuwait, on June 19,
1961.
According to this agreement the following terms were carried
out:
- The agreement of January
23, 1899 was terminated as being inconsistent with the
independence and sovereignty of Kuwait.
- Relations between the two
countries should continue to be governed by a spirit of
close friendship.
- When appropriate the two
governments would consult together on matters which
concerned them both.
- Nothing in these
conclusions would affect the readiness of Her Majesty's
Government to assist the Government of Kuwait if the latter
requested such assistance.
In so doing, Kuwait declared
its independence on June 19, 1961.
A draft constitution was approved on November 11, 1961,
outlining Kuwait's system of governance as a "fully independent
Arab State with a democratic style of government, where
sovereignty rests with the nation, which is the source of
power".
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Thanks to Wikipedia,
kuna.net.kw, da.gov.kw and 1website.com |
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