Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Thank You For F***ing Up

I regularly refrain from writing posts that aren't in the same mood as most of what is written in this blog, but today and tomorrow are different days. They're days that mark significant occasions and happenings which need a moment to be reflected upon and written about.

I do not mean to put such a writing at a higher value than anything and/or anybody. I just mean to write.

This morning, as I was camped in my Hartfordian apartment after the infamous East Coast blizzard, Hezbollah made a strategic assault against Zionist Military targets within occupied Lebanon. This event brought joy to my heart as I was heartened by the liveliness of the Opposition against the Zionist Entity in Occupied Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. Such joy shouldn't overshadow my own opposition to the presence of Hezbollah on Syrian grounds, if by any chance Syrian civilians are affected.

It's just that any assault to Zionist enterprises is, to me, a valid, legitimate effort in the march against Zionist aggression in Arabian territories.

Overlapping this event was the Kuwaiti delegation's turn at the Human Rights Council to answer to the 21st Universal Periodic Review. It's a means to review the Human Rights situation by the international community in each of the United Nations member states. The review, to say the least, was quite frustrating. Here were Kuwaiti government officials, led by a minister, heaping praise to the role of Kuwait in Human Rights and creating this angelic picture of a country where everyone is happy and no violations occur. "Children are in schools," whereas in reality, at least 600 children are without education whatsoever, and "there are no freedom of speech violations," whereas it is almost unheard of in Kuwait for a day to go by without a popular hashtag being created demanding the freedom of a Twitter user, amongst many other governmental allegations, which can be easily refuted.

Oh, and I almost forgot, a Kuwaiti official stated to the international community that the illegal aliens community in Kuwait, according to her, and better known, the Stateless (Bedoons), are better treated by Kuwait than any other country. Her evidence probably didn't include pictures of children selling roses at traffic lights and watermelons at roundabouts in broad daylight, instead of probably being in school.

Countries with respectable human rights records quickly came to refute such statements and asking for much more work in Kuwait, thanks greatly to the shadow reports presented by the Kuwaiti civil society. I only remember Saudi Arabia and Swaziland praising the human rights efforts in Kuwait. Surprise surprise.

One would think that maybe Kuwait would want to portray some sort of respect to what it says, at least until the review ends, but no. Kuwait continues to become a human rights joke by kidnapping a famous Twitter user from his house, at night, for stating an opinion. (No one really knows his location nor the alleged indictment until now).

Mohammad Al-Ajmy, better known as Bu 3asam, is held in forcible custody without being granted any rightful insurances which he should enjoy per the Kuwaiti constitution and THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. Yes, the same declaration that falls under the Human Rights Council, the same declaration which Kuwait was trying to prove its adherence to just hours earlier.

Al-Ajmy, a member of the National Committee for Monitoring Violations, is under arrest for stating an opinion. The same thing I'm doing right this moment and the same thing Kuwaitis were, for the last 50+ years, doing without fearing arrest or retaliation by government forces. Al-Ajmy, a person I don't even follow on Twitter and a member of a tribe for which I have no connection to whatsoever. Al-Ajmy, a person whom I personally saw in a humble gathering protesting the arrest of other political detainees and was joyfully recounting accounts of his other escapades with police forces. Al-Ajmy, a person I'm sure won't be effected by the scare tactics of our police forces is a blatant example of the lack of certain human rights standards in Kuwait and the multiple violations of the police and the government.

What makes Al-Ajmy special to me, personally, is the principles he held and continues to hold. He is the embodiment of what I see as a perfect Kuwaiti who suffers for the cause of opposing the government without ever changing stances or settling for compromises. And many others are suffering as well in Kuwaiti prisons as the Kuwaiti delegation enjoys the weather of Geneva and cites lie after lie in a whimsical propagandist effort.

To whom it may concern, 
WE HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. Kuwait is not angelic in any way possible. Our constitution, which offers minimum human rights standards, is not even being minutely implemented. We, as Kuwaitis, are heading into a new era. An era of fear and political crackdowns. An era where the country fails in all development fronts yet excels in the tactics of breaking up demonstrations and how to raid houses and arrest political targets. 

And this is amongst many many other failures and violations. 

Yours,
Ali

And finally, tomorrow marks a very interesting day in recent history. A day I won't celebrate. One of my favorite books "Thank You For Smoking" was released as a movie :(. It should've been named "Thank You For Fucking Up!"

#FreeBu3asam!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

And It Starts

A new city, a new way of life, a new year. A new everything. 

The desperation seen on his eyes was obvious. The puffed, darkened bubbles of skin underneath fainting the emergence of the wrinkles bordering them. He hadn't slept for a while. He wanted to know the answer but nothing is to be let on. He had no way of knowing anything for certain.

The setting wasn't set for such a sad appearance. He was in the best of dishdashas, dashing out Armani cufflinks on a stylish light blue shirt contrasting the navy blue of his attire. An ironed chma'3 shaping to a perfect nasfa. Winter was always his fashionable season.

The years of play were to be forgotten, but how is he to convince an angelic woman of his repentance? She was the embodiment of everything he had no taste for a few months ago, but. There is always a but.

But she now owned him and her decision was the defining point of the newly acquired start, the clean slate he is to build everything on top, everything pure and magnificent. The yes or no are which would elate or devastate him.

Till the day this doesn't become new, I'll stop.