White umbrellas?
On my way to work today there was a demonstration in front of the House of Parliament. I didn’t have my camera with me so I couldn’t take pictures but the demonstrators where of both sexes and I would say young and aged around 18-28. They were all wearing white t-shirts and a lot of them were holding white umbrellas. Unlike most of the demonstrations I see every so often on my way to work, this one was getting a lot of coverage by journalists. Some of the signs they were holding were in Arabic while others in English (for international media?) and I think they were talking about their voices being heard and their constitution rights… My memory is really bad so I couldn’t memorize any of the banners. Anyone know what its all about and why the white umbrellas?
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39 Comments, add your own...
1. moose | June 24th, 2008 at 10:13 am
FIRST!
dunno what it is :(
2. Kuwait | June 24th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Maybe they want more rain :)
3. F4P | June 24th, 2008 at 10:34 am
yeah i saw them too ….think they are representing the National Democratic Association something like that…the umbrella’s probably protection from the sun
4. attrogg | June 24th, 2008 at 10:54 am
it’s a demonstration concerning our rights, a protest for a more liberal parliament. against the establishment of a moral police in kuwait.
5. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Basically they’re demonstrating against the creation of a Moral Police and other infringements on our rights.
6. liliuokalani | June 24th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Damn those long bearded short dishda wearing coppers!
7. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 11:00 am
probably they want more then 50 KD raise BTW why is it always about only Kuwaities get raise, economically it’s wrong, and iternationally it’s racism which is why kuwait is still in the black list (you can check it http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=17955&ccid=9 ) oh and not to mansion how high this country is becoming prices are going crazy either house rental or shopping.. very soon we might be shopping food from site and getting them delivered online :P
anyway I hope someone would realize it and make these governmental decisions wide not to a certain parity..
8. Salbader | June 24th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Moe..
Sadly, it is the barking minority that want the extra 50KD
The people making the economic decisions know how bad this extra is to Kuwait, and wont agree on it (unless political compliments interfere)
9. Sunshine | June 24th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Someone rocked the stage last night :P
10. K.theKuwaiti | June 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Moe:
Racism? Non-US citizens can not qualify for welfare .. how is that any different?
11. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
K.theKuwait :
I know! but let’s say the smallest issue ok.. unless your license is not a GCC you have to apply for one..why! also let’s go for other issues that we are having such as capitals and finance taxes (so high) you knwo i wanted to pay a loan yesterday to some well known finance Company.. i went there and told them i don’t want to pay my monthly installment i’ll pay the hall amount now.. instead of removing some of the tax they added 25 KD and when i went to the other department to get a certificate they also took 25 KD! WTF is wrong here.. I asked and they said procedure to finish up your papers because u canceled and paid the hall amount.. man the country is having a very difficult time in controlling the economy.. I love Kuwait alot.. sadly qatar is now becoming more superior and more and more like dubai but us : ( where are we now?
12. q8dizer | June 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
why the 50kd-raise is a bad thing?
what else to do when prices go up?
13. Mark | June 24th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
prices will go up with a 50KD raise
14. sfsa78 | June 24th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Moe,
We’re too busy with religious and other superstitious issues, like not allowing women have their full civil and human rights.
Our oil will run out in the next 40 years, do u honestly think things are gonna change??? at iran, saudi and taliban run afganistan.. the only reason afganistan changed is when they were forced out by way of military.
Things have to get worse in kuwait before people start to get fed up of the religious extremists.. as is happening in saudi and iran etc.
15. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
q8dizer,
instead of raising the prices set a pricing control agenda which will stop these crazy unstudied price raising.. make the consumer feel safe in this country.. this is what’s bad instead of solving the problem they gave you money and let the bad man go on!!!
16. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
hey mark you should make a voting for this issue!
50 KD should be for:
1 - Everyone
2 - Kuwaitis only
3 - No One and forget about it
4 - No One and make price control
17. sfsa78 | June 24th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
They should go after the monopolies that are the real culprits. It’s the governments fault for allowing them to have free reign for so long.. its time to pull in the reigns.
In the free world monopolies are evil and illegal. not here though.
18. Babycakes | June 24th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
yeah I saw that protest earlier today on the way to work. But when I saw it there were only 5 people holding arabic and english signs talking about freedom to choose or something like that.
19. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
they are the monopolies man.. and when people get angry or fed up they either make a raise or tell them we will remove the loans :S to shut them up. this procedure is working for a century now…
20. RaZ | June 24th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Moe: dont forget non-kuwaitis are here by their own free will, also dont mix up government with the private sector, if you took the loan of a private company then you signed a contract with them agreeing to pay such fees of you paid early. Also it is not racism as the kuwaiti goverment gives a lot of money (graduate +wife+ 2 kids ~ 500kd a month) to its citizens in the private sector, so lets not make the 50k increment an issue. Yes inflation is a major issue that needs to be fixed, but there is a lot more behind it than 50kd, or even the 120 for that matter.
21. KuwaitQ | June 24th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
This is what Kuwait will become if this law is put into action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc8IkfqoUik&NR=1
22. Salbader | June 24th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
TO ALL;
We have become a community that has got used demanding, and a community that want as much as it can get and always asking… No ..insisting for more, yet not relising they are living in what many consider Paradise.
Kuwait now needs its peolpe to know their Duties towards their country.
A wise Professor in KU, once told us that “Kuwait is now enjoying the last years of Budget surplus, it is how they invest this surplus that determines whether we go back to fishing or not”
Specify your duties, then implement them
Sulaiman Al-Bader
23. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Salbader:
man exactly and that’s why I sad the word “sadly” we know th potentials for this country but the restrictions are making it fall in a trap which will make her back to the stone age..
24. sfsa78 | June 24th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
KuwaitQ..
The Islamist extremist apologists amongst us that voted for these idiots in the first place are to blame… they think anything with a beard is “moqadas” and you will be given islamic credits (7asanaat) if u vote for them… these extremist have already connected the way you vote with the afterlife.. they have claimed that you will be damned if you vote for anyone but the islamists.. its crazy, people’s eyes are shut, its blind faith.. as one once put it ; “faith is the process of nonthinking” which is unarguable since you are taught to accept without question… any question is the devil whispering in your ear… you know the mentality that i speak of.
25. sfsa78 | June 24th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
UAE leader has the right vision in dealing with the Islamist extremist phenomenon which is foreign to our traditions:
“Last week, the Emirati minister of education made a courageous decision when he reassigned some Islamist Emirati teachers from the Emirates Reform Society to other ministries where they do not have contact with children.
This crucial decision has proved that the political leaders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are eager to prevent their young generations, which represent 60% of the population, from being misinformed or targeted by certain propaganda.”
http://alwatan.com.kw/Default.aspx?MgDid=643668&pageId=482
its a shame they haven’t the balls to do it in kuwait. :(
26. KuwaitQ | June 24th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
sfsa78..
I know the mentality your talking about!
a person from th campaign of one of the ‘Morashi7een’ fee il da2era il thanya (2nd) called my friend the night before the election, we were in the diwaniya he so turned on the loudspeaker for us all to hear , thats when we heard him say exactly what you wrote above (how god is waiting for him to make the right decision) …ofcourse we didnt hang up the phone unil we all had a go at him!!
This type of convincing will not work with thinkers, but followers..
27. sfsa78 | June 24th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
KuwaitQ…
He’s lucky he didn’t call me.. i would’ve told him where to stick his vote. This just shows u that people are brainwashed, thanks to the ministry of non-education and mis-information.
By the way.. isn’t this new formed “mufti style” committee against the very nature of democracy, and against the very basic articles of our constitution???
28. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Imagine Kuwait as a free country with freedom of speech, VAT, work hard to gain luxury, clubbing is aloud.. concerts and festivals, girls may walk without hearing the word “ya gat3a” or “arou7lesh fadwa”
hard to imagine.. !
29. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
you know what’s the problem there is no real mou3arada they all make deals under the table… the people should make a stand and tell them stop we want to be like Dubai and Qatar and Bahrain.. i know that we can be much better 2 coz we are better by location in every term
30. KuwaitQ | June 24th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
To be honest Moe
i wouldnt want Kuwait to be like either Dubai, Bahrain nor Qatar!
In fact it doesnt have t be like any other country..
Kuwait has a great taste to it that youll never find in any of these countries
All it needs is improvement
32. momo | June 24th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Hey moe, if you dont like it here then why not go to qatar, bahrain, dubai…….if the country isnt good enough anymore?
I don’t want to see clubs allowed in this country, nor do I want to see girls turning bitchy and walking the streets, nor gays or guys with hair longer than girls …etc….we got enough of that shit already
fact is, i am against segregation, i hate islamist taking over and dont want any new laws that come from them, but that doesn’t mean that id prefer to see my country turn into an alcohol-driven, dubai-bahrain-like prostitute crawling whorehouse attracting trash to come from all over to spend their weekends here
just keeping things as is with a few improvements is perfect in my book
33. Moe | June 24th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
guys u miss understood what I ment.. I ment as freedom for people to take their own dicision instead of being just being followers.. the clubs term ment the free well.. as any country has it now.. as for alcohol well no comment.. I diid not mean prostitutes at allllllllllllll this is not what i ment lo0o0o0ol this is the last thing I want.. shit I really wrote fast and with no explaning at all.. anyways sorry for the misswritten
34. moayad | June 25th, 2008 at 2:41 am
Just in case somebody still interested..
The White Umbrella demonstration was to support more freedoms and constitutional rights.
http://alwatan.com.kw/Default.aspx?MgDid=644029&pageId=26
35. moayad | June 25th, 2008 at 2:44 am
and here:
http://alwatan.com.kw/Default.aspx?MgDid=643745&pageId=71
36. RaZ | June 25th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Moe:
What ever you meant, the bottom line is, the free will of the people is reflected through the members of parliment they chose. Now as much as individually one might agree or disagree with the laws to be drafted, the bottom line is the people voted those law makers to power !
37. Maz | June 25th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I was with them yesterday. We’re protesting for a more liberal parliament. We have rights as humans, and *those* people are denying us just that. Where’s the democracy? Where’s the freedom of speech, freedom of choice?
By the way. If anyone is concerned about this issue as well as segregation, etc. Go to http://www.soutalkuwait.com.
Let people hear what you have to say! Kuwait shouldn’t go downhill! We should retrieve what little dignity Kuwait has left and build on it!
38. rampurple | June 25th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Moe: I am going to have to disagree with you on this one.
Kuwait isn’t supposed to provide expats with raises or distribute money amongst them. There isn’t a country in the world who does that.
The reason you can get a Kuwaiti license if you already have a GCC license is because their traffic laws are extremely similar. It’s only natural for you to get tested if you have the Lebanese or Jordanian or Syrian drivers license since they drive a LOT differently than people do here (now how you get your license is a different story altogether).
As for the finance companies, i blame that on you. It’s not a Kuwaiti thing, it’s regulations of the company itself. What you’re talking about is interest and not taxes. There are some companies who would deduct the interests when you pay the full amount and you don’t have to pay anything for paperwork. When you make a commitment to any company you have to do your homework on the different policies the companies have.
Kuwait’s economy is booming in a more healthier way than Qatar by the way. As for lifestyle, you can’t add that into a discussion of economy.
39. Bo-Bader | June 26th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Moe:
Do you know what the average pay for Kuwaiti who work in the public/government sector?! The basic salaries are ridiculous and even with social increments it is still ridiculous. My friends who hold Bachelor degrees and work in the ministries get paid about half what expats who work in the private sector. Government salaries did not have significant increase for many and many years. Furthermore, citizens are treated different everywhere in the world not just in Kuwait. I think before we start to open our economy, the government should start cleaning up the mess and start deporting some of the 2 mil. expats and only allow who is really needed.
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