Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Violent Crimes Rising in Kuwait

This story was in the Arab Times today. I had a conversation with a new Kuwaiti friend just last night in which he insisted that violent crimes are few and far between in Kuwait. "It is so much safer here than (wherever)...."

I beg to differ.

I read these stories every single day. How can people make a conscious choice to overlook them? Violent crimes in Kuwait definately ARE rising. Even 10 years ago, it wasn't like this.

Let's look at it this way, the monster mentioned in this story is in his 30's. That would have made him around 13 + (a teenager) in 1991. He might have been one of the residents who stayed in Kuwait during the occupation - witness to the autrocities - perhaps against women? How many walking timebombs are out there living amongst us? Did they get psychological help? Will they ever? How many more violent crimes will take (or are taking) place? Well gee, we don't have any statistics in Kuwait because that's not what's done, is it?

This story makes me physically sick. How soon before this guy gets out of jail on wastah? Is he out already? Maybe he went home to beat his wife or his daughters. Statistically, someone this violent will undoubtedly strike again.

Gee, what would happen if a Kuwaiti woman refused to have sex with a man? It could potentially happen, and if the same thing happened and she was lit on fire and burnt alive - you can be damn sure that everyone from the top seat in government all the way down would take notice. Families would retaliate. It would be covered everywhere on the front page - not just a tiny excerpt like this one on page 8 of the newspaper!

Is it just me, or is anyone else out there outraged by this? What if this happened to your sister or mother or wife?

Wake up, Kuwait!!!!

9 comments:

Jewaira said...

You're absolutely right.

Violent crime seems to be on the rise . It is frightening what we read in the papers and that is what gets in the papers. What about stuff that is hush hush or stuff that never gets reported to the media?

We were discussing the rape of a young Kuwaiti girl last week by some cops and I asked if there was anywhere rape victims could get remedial help and therapy (female or male victims) and the answer was no.

Mario Lewis said...

DG, I used to live in Kuwait a long time ago, and your article suggests to me that some things just haven't changed there. Your outrage stems from your having a different point of view than a lot of people out there, ie, you believe that a crime is a crime no matter who the victim is. Well, as far as I could tell while I was there it never did work like that. A crime was taken seriously only if the victim was a Kuwaiti and the perpetuator a non-white foreigner, and in all other cases, well, it was just the natural social order that was the locals thought was meant to be. It also seemed to me that what got reported in the press were mostly only those cases where the victim ends up dead, coz if you wanted to hear about everything that happened on a daily basis you'd probably need a whole separate paper dedicated to crimes of the social variety.

Intlxpatr said...

How about the domestics who are called suicides because they jump from the balcony or the roof - except that the ones who survive say that madame tossed them or pushed them because she was angry?

I think it is a spiral - the domestics are mistreated and guess who is raising the Kuwaiti children?

An attitude of entitlement, a perception that some nationalities are inferior, laws that are not equally enforced . . . all contributing factors.

Carly said...

I have noticed, to my horror, that some of this attitude is starting to affect my children. I hate to see them unconsciously and immediately categorize people. It is a daily effort to combat this societal malady.
What is truly most galling is the absolute negation of this in Islam. I mean the Prophet specifically said that an Arab is no better than a non-Arab, a white no better than a black,...etc.
I guess it is just much easier to follow the sunnah of dishdasha and beard length than it is to study and apply the habits of the heart.
It is very disturbing!

Baroon said...

I absolutely agree that crimes rate is much higher in Kuwait rather than 80z and 90z , but maybe whole world is going crazy and more violent including violence toward women and children .
But you have point here , if subject of this particular crime was a Kuwaiti woman the news was all over the front pages .

Desert Girl said...

Thanks to all of you for commenting. I wish Kuwait took a closer look at maintaining statistics on crime. I know that there are weekly reports, but you are right, Jewaira, a lot don't get reported. There are also no women's shelters in Kuwait (like the States years ago). Maybe it will change, but perhaps faster if women would ever get voted into parliament.

If I was an abused domestic servant here, I would use a number of really mean (criminal) tactics against my employers - but that's just me (I'm vindictive). Starting with eye drops in the morning tea... scorpions under the sheets... sand viper in the car... cut brake lines... Shit, there is an endless list....

Baba want a BJ..... LORENA BOBBITT!!!!!!

abolesanzalef said...

ASalam alikom dear friends
how are you all? i hope all ok.
According to what DG wrote, i can say that all over the world now witnesses violence and terrible mattres, not only in Kuwait ..I found most of views here injustice with kuwaiti people even man or woman. but if we find other crimes here in kuwait we will find their heroes are forigners specially Asians. But anyway violences fears me too much.

Anonymous said...

Its True Some Happend In Here In Kuwait Also i Read On News Paper An Also i Am in Kuwait And i Have Experiance For Many Thing First Thing Is Here No Recpect For Humanty If u Or Non Kuwait And u Want To Report A File in Police Station No One Will Help u And No One Will Listen Ur Complan But if u Have Any Person Your Friend In Police Station Or Then They Will File Ur Report Other Wise They Will Ignore u And Also They Can Say u Get out From Here Its My Experiance And There Is One popular Sentance That I Am Kuwaiti Mean i am Kuwaiti And u Cant Do Any Thing Againt Me in Kuwait And That True

Anonymous said...

I was attacked and slashed a few days ago i cant do anything but move on and i am a kuwaiti and yes kuwait has gotten worse