You have spoken with your vote, I commend you all for voting. Your overwhelming choice for the Islamists is your choice.
What if they ask for segregation in schools, get it and your daughters can't study vocational studies of their choice because they are not available in the girl's school like engineering, political science, and any of the more traditionally masculine domains. Already in government schools there is no PE (a proven essential for educational development), music and drama (both increase creativeness and confidence).
And let's see what else they might address.. Maybe banning women from driving; as in Saudi? Maybe travelling in a car or being out with someone who is not your brother or father? Maybe working in a workplace with men? Not wearing hijab? They have the power now to make these decisions on your life. Capiche?
Pity there are no female MPs they could have come in handy defending your rights..
Am I angry? Yes I am...
What if they ask for segregation in schools, get it and your daughters can't study vocational studies of their choice because they are not available in the girl's school like engineering, political science, and any of the more traditionally masculine domains. Already in government schools there is no PE (a proven essential for educational development), music and drama (both increase creativeness and confidence).
And let's see what else they might address.. Maybe banning women from driving; as in Saudi? Maybe travelling in a car or being out with someone who is not your brother or father? Maybe working in a workplace with men? Not wearing hijab? They have the power now to make these decisions on your life. Capiche?
Pity there are no female MPs they could have come in handy defending your rights..
Am I angry? Yes I am...
You are trying to force western ideals and ideas down the throat of Muslims. Are you Muslim, or sitting on the fence?
ReplyDeleteJust becasue you don't like Islam, doesn't mean no one else should. Stop trying to spread the false ideas and fear of 'rights' being taken as a means to have a society that you want.
These are not western ideals but a way of life here already in place. Kuwaiti women seem to enjoy having the freedom to choose. Segregation has been proposed a few times before. My hope is females here will always have these choices.
DeleteWhere do you get the idea that I'm against Islam? I have great respect for Islam. I am not forcing my views on anyone. This particular post is a concerned opinion that I believe I have the right to express.
I googled 'gender segregation in Islam' on Wiki and it makes an interesting read BTW.
The whole point of the blog was to help people enjoy Kuwait more, experience its culture and have Kuwait leave a good impression on people by enjoying all that it has to offer. Not to denigrate Islam or Muslims.
If a woman having an opinion that differs to yours, is a problem, then instead of getting extremely defensive and throwing accusations you should just try to improve your arguement.
I'm a Kuwaiti... and I believe the MPs chosen are hypocrites. They call for banning of segregated schools and yet one of them (Tebtabaei) was found in a beach in Cancun... also found dancing (when he called for banning Hala February concerts).
DeleteSo excuse my French, religious my ass.
Also, you want the Sharia Law to be applied... go to Saudi and leave us be. It's people like you who are ruining Kuwait.
Even Saudi is trying to move away from what it currently is, and we're headed the opposite way because of mentalities like yours. If I had my way I'd throw you all in the rob3 alkhali without any "moghrayat" and make you live in a hell of your creation.
It's people with this mentality, from my experience, who ask for bans and scream bloody hell on tiny little things that don't directly affect their life, are the ones who do everything they preach against. If they didn't, they wouldn't be the type that fusses over everything.
Removing my right of choice on where and how and what I would like to study,is a removal of my choices and civil liberties, and I will not accept! Nor should any person with half a brain
I am a woman with a Muslim Kuwaiti child so I have a vested interest. As I say the ladies have spoken and it is their choice. My choice is to get my child to university and we all leave the country, if we wish. But that would be heartbreaking. We all love this country.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you think I'm against Islam or Muslims? Why can't anyone have an opinion? What happened to the more tolerant, progressive Kuwait of the 60's?
I am against segregation in any way or form. It has already been proposed by former Islamist MPs. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that it will be proposed again and passed.
I must agree that it does seem such a backward step at this point in history. Kuwait doesn't need to be dragged back into the 'dark ages' as Egypt presently is spiralling towards. It is extremely disappointing that some of those fine women candidates for election did not succeed, as well as the more liberal ones too. However, this must be want the majority of the people want otherwise why would they have voted for it. It will be interesting to see how legislate to change the society. But we will all truly hope that they do not damage the open, modern society that Kuwait has evolved into.
DeleteI am so surprised that more hasn't been made of this election result in the press - considering the black abyss that the rest of the middle east is falling into. I hope it is not the start of a religious regime!! God knows, enough people are being killed at the minute in the name of religion!!!!!!!
DeleteThank you Anons for your comments. Yes, the majority has spoken, I guess we shall just have to wait and see. I'm hoping that the order of the day will be to deal with the lawlessness, failing education system, inadequate health system, Bedoon issue, human rights issues and unemployment. If 'anyone' can sort out these problems first - I'll be a happy lady.
DeleteSadly, the bribe rumours that were circulating about the two previous female MPs probably doomed them all. And secondly, their term in parliament was an extremely difficult time for them it was hard to see how much effort they were putting in due to all the in-fighting that was going on.
I'm a muslim woman, I chose to wear hijab, nobody forced me to wear it. I want my daughters to have the same choice. One of my daughters went to an all girl university and the other went to a mixed university, again choices THEY made. I am disappointed that not one woman was elected, however, I am more disappointed to see the outcome in general. I do worry about the 'Islamists' gaining power but I find it hard to accept that this is what Kuwaitis want??? How many of these MP's are actually well educated people with any kind of political or economic background??
ReplyDeleteLets just hope they all resign before any real damage is done!!!
Dear Anon, thank you for your comment it means a lot to me. Your daughters are lucky girls to have a mum like you.
DeleteI, too, find it difficult to grasp. Although I am reading in newspapers that maybe this is a message to the government that people here are fed up with them and therefore have voted in the opposition. But at what price? Personally, I'd prefer a monachy - without democracy - and let the Amir get on with sorting the country out.
A translation of - rob3 alkhali without any "moghrayat" - would be the empty quarter in Saudi without any "temptations." You would think it would be a top holiday destination instead of Bangkok, Marbella and the decadent west.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous I'm a Kuwaiti,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. Women's choices are at stake here and the proposals are getting even more radical by the day (Arab Times today says Islamist bloc favours a law for women to wear hijab).
I have also heard talk of re-implementing a law that forbids a women from being in a car with a man who isn't her father, husband or brother. So husbands, brothers and fathers are going to love having to drop the females to work/university/school everyday.