Thank You Dr. Ali for Answering Nabeel
Two days ago, an opinion piece by Nabeel Al-Awadi ran in the Al-Watan Daily entitled "The Government's Questionable Intentions". The article criticizes the liberal MP Doshti for suddenly focusing on social issues when she had run on a platform of prioritization for economic reform. Fine. However, in the third paragraph the author puts his foot in his mouth when it becomes clear that economic reform is not any of his top priorities either.
Rather, it is a disguised cry of fear that a liberal might dare get access to the National Assembly's Negative Phenomena Committee. This, according to this simple-minded critical thinker, would in effect open up a catastrophic wormhole from whence would emerge a topsy turvy society where "the existence of swimming pools for young men and women in public places", "the spread of homosexuality and lesbianism among young men and women" and "the existence of satanic groups" are not considered negative phenomena and condoned....probably even encouraged by these liberal MPs who have their moral compass a dizzy! In short, liberals are not qualified, do not have that certain panache, at knowing right from wrong, moral from immoral, whats good for society and whats not.
More than anything, it is patronizingly reductionist of liberal's social agenda assuming that the main issues revolve around sexuality, segregation and unraveling religious fiber. In my mind, when I think of "negative phenomena" that I REALLY see on a daily basis I begin to look at the number of driving accidents caused by reckless youth, lack of active engagement on recycling, civic duty and volunteering, etc.
Perhaps the biggest chestnut of an insight can be seen in the author's strange stream-of-consciousness listing of potential threats that liberals would not perceive (swimming pools, homosexuality, satanists) which ultimately reveal more about the writer's own obsessions than those of anyone else.
Well I was considering posting a response to this opinion piece two days ago, but like many things irrational, just let it slide. However, today I read an opinion piece by Dr. Ali Ahmed Al-Tarrah entitled "Addressing the Morals and Ethics of Society" that effectively slaps Nabeel's article across the face with a white satin glove. In his last paragraph he affirms:
"I hope that we in Kuwait will put an end to the issue of limiting freedoms. I hope that the Parliament''s Negative Phenomena Committee will spread the spirit of tolerance among people and at the same time fight against some dangerous phenomena such as reckless driving and absence of values and ethics. We must activate the role of civil society institutions to address the many new challenges, rather than escalate prohibition and intimidation."
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