Kuwait Times

For those who sent me nasty emails asking if I'm a Kuwaiti or threatening me or questioning my right to criticize Kuwait, I say shut up. Most people emailed me with fake names, nicknames or phony email addresses. Furthermore, no one could disprove the truth of what I had written, even though it was an exaggerated satire.

Today, Local Spotlight will shed some light on those who had thrown stones even though homes are made of glass.

Yes, I'm a Kuwaiti. Yes, I love my country. I'm honored to be writing for Kuwait Times and to be given the chance to make this country better by being honest about both its good and bad points. Because I love my country, I want the best for it. I hate to see injustice; unfairness, laziness and willful ignorance by anyone who wants to destroy this great nation.

I also hate to see guests of my country live in improper ways and think badly about Kuwait, or for people in other countries to disparage Kuwait because of its human rights problems. I believe it is a Kuwaiti citizen's duty towards their country to call for reform for any current conditions that is not in the best interest of Kuwait.

What is the rule of journalism? Is it to print colored pictures of pretty girls, singers and celebrity news? Is this what many people want to read and learn about nowadays? Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword and honest writers don't need a weapon because their pen can talk truly and freely. This is why no matter how we disagree over many issues in Kuwait, we love Kuwait and this is our way of making it a better place for all and not only Kuwaitis.

I believe that real press is the one that focuses on the misfortunes of people in order to draw the attention of officials to the needs of all residents and not only the citizens. A real press is one who encourages many Kuwaitis to work for the betterment of the country and believe in their abilities to make Kuwait better by their own pens with their real names open for every one to see and not hide behind fake names and fake email addresses.

How many local daily Arabic newspapers do we have in Kuwait? They used to be five and now they are eight, so there are eight newspapers for the Kuwaiti people to express their wishes and demands.

Why is it weird to find a group of honest Kuwaiti writers talk about the problems of their own country? Should we sit back and ask someone from the moon to talk on our behalf??? How are we supposed to develop and advance if we ignore our nation's problems and do nothing for our country except hang out in the malls and say, "Wow, how dare he/she talk about Kuwait like that???"

Giving advice to others in order to help them avoid possible risk or commit mistakes is the Islamic way. You can read more in the Islamic Sunna from the life of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) to learn how important it is to give advice and what blessings you can get out of it. This is the mission of the honest press and this is what my column Local Spotlight is all about.

munaalfuzai@kuwaittimes.net