Bedoon: Kuwait's Dirty Little Secret
Kuwait, a strategic US ally, harbors a startling little-known civil rights secret: its stateless people, the Bedoon.
Bedoon means "without" in Arabic (Bedoon is different than "Bedouin" meaning nomadic/formerly nomadic tribes.) Bedoon refers to people with no nationality.
Kuwait is one of the only few countries in the world where there are citizens within the country who have no nationality. In Kuwait, Bedoon must pay to obtain any official documentation (if they are lucky enough to get that far) including: permission to marry, birth and death certificates, drivers licenses, identification, etc. They have to go to the official Kuwaiti office called the "Bedoon Council" and beg to get any rights at all. Many are not allowed to work. They can not own property. Many can't obtain travel papers. Recently, the Kuwaiti authorities agreed to issue travel documents for the religious journey, Haj, to Bedoon – on the condition that they "solve their identity problem" before returning to Kuwait (therefore not being allowed back into their country).
If a Bedoon man marries a Kuwaiti woman, their children are Bedoon (it is the opposite if a Kuwaiti man marries a Bedoon woman – both she and her children can obtain Kuwaiti citizenship). If the Bedoon man has any difficulties and wants a divorce, the Kuwaiti x-wife can not only be granted full custody of their children, but ask for alimony and child support in almost the full amount of the husband's salary, leaving him destitute. Therefore, Bedoon men are at the mercy of their Kuwaiti wives.
If you drive by Sulaybia, Kuwait, North on 5th Ring Road towards the area of Jahra, you will notice a tin shanty town which is inhabited mainly by Bedoon. Depending on the whims of the Kuwaiti government, there have been several attempts to destroy this area and "relocate" the Bedoon living there. To where? It is often said that they can "go back to their countries". Where are their countries if several generations (some going back to the 1964 census) have been born and raised in Kuwait? If a Bedoon person speaks out, he/she is ostracized and may face legal action including deportation (again – to where?).
Many Bedoon fought for Kuwait; many were in the Kuwaiti military and stayed in Kuwait, fighting as resistance. In a radio address while in exile in Saudi Arabia during the occupation of Kuwait by Iraq, the late Emir, Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, stated that those Bedoon who fought for their country would be granted their Kuwaiti citizenship. Like the promise of women's suffrage, perhaps it is just a long time in coming, but it isn't being discussed at the top levels YET. Kuwait is openly pleased about its ties with the US and foray into world democracy, and yet the Kuwaiti Government is doing nothing to solve the inhumane Bedoon issue.
Often, you can't tell who is Bedoon and who isn't within the same tribes or families; sometimes cousins have Kuwaiti citizenship and others don't. Familial links can be easily established by DNA tests, and yet when they are conducted by the Kuwaiti Government (at the 80 KD expense per person of the Bedoon) the results are locked away and kept from the families.
The older generations of Bedoon were/are mostly proud people who blended into society without discussion of suffering or hardships. As younger generations of Bedoon are coming up, they are learning more about democracy and civil rights. They are an intensely angry group. When people face oppression, stress and psychological abuse take tolls: Petty crimes have been growing (and are likely to continue to grow) in this small country. If people feel that they have no hope, no future, no care – they become desperate. It is a tremendous security risk to an already security-strained nation.
If Kuwait strives to be a pillar of democracy in the Middle East, why not put an end to the suffering of so many of its inhabitants.
we need help from UN
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL
Posted by: jameel at October 14, 2007 12:25 AM
well..
i lived in kuwait for over than 15 years.
i know their country more than they do them selves.
and all i learned from this country is that Labor work and discrimination is up to the roof !
i knew alot of bedoons in kuwait and all i remember from them, is that they all are people with clean hearts and so simple that makes you think: what on earth did they do to deserve what they are doin to them !!!
I suggest that the Bedoon in Kuwat be tough and strong strivers againest the Kuwaiti goverment or Al Sabah family( its hard to be a lamb among the wolves, you have to be a lion to gain your rights and the respect you deserve)
No body will care about Bedoon case unless they wake up, and start to do more strong effort to let the officials in Kuwait respect their abilities.
I have lived for many years in Kuwat and it was only fairly recently that I came to know about the plight of the Bedouns. The more I hear about their lives the more disgusted I am. My fellow countrymen and women gave their lives and their health to help to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion. At the time I gave my government my full support to go to war with Iraq even to the extent of marching and attending a rally. I did not support my government to enable Kuwait to oppress another section of their society. When will they give back the freedom to the Bedouns exist and be part of a society which my fellow countrymen help liberate. Let me know what I can do to help right this wrong.
Posted by: Joy Hogg at March 21, 2007 7:50 AMThe Bedoun; do they have a place in Kuwait?
The Daily Star (Kuwait Edition of the International Herald Tribune, NY/London), Kuwait Today Section, Wedn4esday, February 7, 2007
Kuwait: “Bedoun” is a word used by Kuwaitis, to describe an individual that lives in Kuwait but does not have citizenship of any kind. This societal problem is one that resides far beyond Kuwait’s borders. Over 120 countries in the world experience the same issue but the extent and the root of the problem varies. In Kuwait, the problem is distinguished by the strength of the laws behind it and how individuals in this society view this vital concern.
Kuwait has addressed this issue further through politics, society, and the media. The Parliament has discussed this problem extensively.
Moreover, the Council of Ministers has been present in numerous decision making processes but the question remains the same – who are the Bedoun, how can we address the problems they face and why has this problem reached such critical human, social and political levels? Can we understand how the problem fits in through legal changes or is it simply a political problem?
Dr. Shafeeq Ghabra, through the “Weekly Diwaniya,” seeks to answer these questions with leading thinkers, aired Monday night at 10:30 pm Kuwait time and again on Tuesday at 1:30 pm. Appearing on this episode was Human Rights Activists on behalf of the Bedoun, Sheikha Awrad Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, MP Dr. Jamaan Al-Harbash, MP Faisal Al-Shaya, Human and Legal Rights Expert Dr. Ghanim Al- Najjar and Board member and Founder of the Al-Bedou Society, Sheikha Fouzia Al-Sabah.
Dr. Al Najjar stated, “It started in 1959, when Kuwait was being formed in terms of its governance and its politics. In 1986, the situation changed drastically when the government decided to undergo more confined enforcement on the Bedoun. Moreover, even more security enforcements were directed at the Bedoun after the Iraq-Iran war.”
Dr. Ghabra replied, “So what were the rights that the Bedoun had before 1986?”
“They had residencies and were granted educational scholarships as if they were Kuwaitis but without the nationality,” said Dr. Al-Najjar.
“And what happened to them after the 1990-91 Gulf War?” asked Dr. Ghabra.
Al-Najjar said, “After 1990, a lot lost the chance of ever obtaining a Kuwaiti citizenship. They were interrogated and were asked to even show proof of having citizenship of other countries. In a nutshell, what happened was inhumane.”
On another note, Dr. Ghabra then proceeded to ask parliament member Dr. Jamaaan Al-Harbash to describe the current situation of the Bedoun today and the number of Bedoun residing in Kuwait.
Al-Harbash said, “The number of Bedoun used to be about a quarter of a million until 1990, where it dropped to 100,000. The problem began when certain people were excluded from obtaining a nationality in 1959. There were many people that came into and out of Kuwait easily without any identification. These are people that also fought in the Israeli/Arab wars as soldiers in the Kuwaiti army on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. After the Gulf War, many Bedoun were asked to provide identification as a way in which to pressure them. We now live the problem of the second and third generations who have no connection to what happened in the past. It is our job to provide a balance for everyone living in Kuwait so that everyone is satisfied and this is something that all sides of the society and government should be involved in.
Dr. Ghabra shifted the conversation to another level, when asking Sheikha Awrad Al-Saba, daughter of the late Emir of Kuwait, about her stance and to why she has become so involved in the issue.
Sheikha Awrad said, “I first got involved when I participated in an educational summer program aimed at the Bedoun with Fawzia Al-Maajal. This is a first-class human rights issue and we should not allow this to happen in Kuwait. What I discovered about the life-styles of the Bedoun shocked me, but also motivated me to take action. I tried to escalate the issue to top decision makers in Kuwait because I felt that this was my obligation as a Muslim. I also went around to various organizations, political/economic/social societies and the parliament. What I discovered was that on the political side, it was not taken as a human right issue but looked at as a fundamental political problem. However, aren’t societal rights a fundamental issue?”
Ghabra then shifted to MP Faisal Al-Shaya, who was also on the human rights legislation in the Parliament, in order to gain a political perspective on the topic.
Al-Shaya commented, “I agreed that this is a human rights issue and that we would never de-value their rights. However, on the other hand, many of them work in the Ministry Of Internal Affairs and the Defense and get salaries and free education. In the 50’s, the Bedoun were abut 800 and then rose to 33,000 in 1965, and this is an indicator that people were holders of other passports. Then the number increased to 250,000 and when the executive committee was formed in 1996, to deal with the Bedoun issues, there were 130,000 individuals and a huge number were denied citizenship. However, they should come forward with their original citizenships and then we can deal with this problem.”
Dr. Ghabra said, “And the solution for the way in which they are treated today?”
Al-Shaya said, “In the 70’s, the Bedon were allowed to go to university without having a certain percentage (the opposite of a Kuwaiti citizen). We are for citizensh8ip, but only for those who deserve it.”
In conclusion, there are ninety thousand Bedoun who don’t even have the right to birth/death certificates or even a marriage certificate. These are simple laws that should be revised and should be given to every individual that lives in our country. Likewise, there are a number of Bedoun who have contributed to the country’s well-being. Some fought in the Army, some fought in the Gulf War. In addition, many have Kuwaiti mothers/relatives who are first class citizens. The consensus reached from this diwaniya discussion is that the Bedoun problem is a first class human rights problem that must be addressed, with our without a citizenship First priority should be to the way the Bedoun are living and residing in Kuwait. The political will to deal with the problem seems to be arising in favor of solving it.
Moreover, the consensus reached in this program was that the Bedoun files should be evaluated with transparency and honesty and those that deserve the citizenship should be granted it.
my name is ahmed al shamri and im currently living outside kuwait in britain i used to be kuwati bedoon,and i would like to say that some bedoon are not kuwatis bu from other nationalties.my grandad came to kuwait in the year 35 before oil was founded and in the 50s worked in oil companys he also had a lot of papers that prove he was in kuwait before 1960s but we still dont get the kuwati passport while alot of peopel who are mostly bedouin came from saudi in 1970.80,90 and even the 2000s get the kuwati passport by fraud.this is not right there is over 200.000 peopel who are fake kuwatis this should be solved the real sons of kuwait who stayed in kuwait after bthe invasion of iraq should be granted their rights such as my family.
Posted by: ahmad al shamri at February 4, 2007 4:57 AMIf you would like to discuss "issues at hand" in further detail, there are any number of stories on the Bedoons in local news in Kuwait including the following. Do YOUR homework, Mr. Sattam - and of course, it is an emotional issue for all those involved.
Bedouns
Abdullah Al-Najjar
Reprint from The Daily Star (Kuwait Local Section of the International Herald Tribune)
Thursday, January 4, 2007
In the name of all Bedoun in Kuwait, I would like to bring a very sad fact to the attention of the Minister of Interior and Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.
The issue that I want to talk about is very specific in nature and has to do with vehicle ownership by Bedouns.
Dear Minister, are you aware that the Bedoun in Kuwait are not permitted to register their own vehicles under their names? In many cases the Bedoun are forced to register their vehicles under the names of their family and friends, and in some tragic cases we find them registering their vehicles under the names of their maids.
Just imagine the embarrassment of having your very own vehicle that you have paid for with your hard earned money being registered under the name of your maid. If this maid is involved in any kind of illegal activity, the vehicle is impounded and the Bedoun loses all his rights.
One Bedoun told me the story of how he came to lose his vehicle. The person that he registered his car under had some heavy debts, so one day he decided to take the car from the Bedoun under the guidance of the law and sell it to pay off his debts. If this is not injustice, then I don't know what is.
The one question that I find mind boggling is why do we allow some Bedoun to register their vehicles under their names and forbid others? Where is the logic in that?
I have dared to bring this tragedy of the Bedoun to your attention knowing very well that with your kindness and wisdom you will work tirelessly to bring their suffering to an end.
Sattam, I believe you are from the ruling Sabah family and have lived outside of Kuwait for the majority of your life. The reporter has done his homework and you, as a political science major, should know more about your own country than outside politics.
Posted by: amerab at January 5, 2007 11:34 PMYou say "If Kuwait strives to be a pillar of democracy in the Middle East, why not put an end to the suffering of so many of its inhabitants."
Let me give you a little secret as well, Most of those "inhabitants" have other nationalities!!
Do your home work in any world map and it will take you less than a minute to see that Kuwait is sandwiched between three larger countries (Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia) and if all who say that they are Stateless get the Kuwaiti Citizenship then Kuwait should be part to one of the three larger countries.
Enough emotions, lets work on the real issues.
منذ 40 سنة ونحن ننتظر حل قضيتنا او الحصول على الاقل على ابسط حقوق الإنسان من
شهادات زواج
شهادات طلاق
شهادات الوفاة
شهادات الميلاد
رخصة قيادة
العلاج
العمل
التعليم
التملك
السفر والتنقل
لاحول ولا قوة إلا بالله
All men are created equally and that is why our fundamental rights are equal. So, Bedoon must be treated like other kuwaitees.
Posted by: Paul Onwude at June 15, 2006 6:50 AM