TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2014 LOCAL

kuwait digest in my view Mortal sins of Why Arabs go Twitter bats! backwards

By Ali Al-Randy By Dr Shamlan Y Al-Essa hoever said that Twitter can be a blessing or a ew York Times, the well known American curse is absolutely right, because in the for- newspaper, published on April 9 a long Wmer, it is used as a means to create a civilized, Nreport on its front page about the problem humane dialogue through which thoughts, visions and of accepting outstanding students in prestigious information can be exchanged. It can also be curse American universities, to a point that made the when over-flooded with mindless, silly chats that famed Stanford University reject outstanding stu- include no information or deep thoughts; when it’s dents who scored up to 95 percent, as the university merely used to exchange superficial or indecent com- Political ments and accusations. Some comments are so impolite accepted only 5 percent of the outstanding students and violate others’ privacy by libeling and blaspheming activist who attempted to enter this university, as 42,167 them by sick-minded people who have no courage to applied for admission and 2,138 were accepted, but confront and hide behind sobriquets, just like bats that at the end only 1,700 registered. cannot fly during daytime and thus resort to the dark- The question: Why do American universities ness of caves with serpents, scorpions and harmful become strict in the policy of students’ admission, insects. while our universities are the only ones who take it Such practices have recently exposed a number of easy in accepting students with low academic unstable personalities and interest-seekers who falsely Al-Anbaa scores? The difference between them and us is that accuse others simply because they stood as strong bar- Western universities brag about thousands of out- riers against their mean illegitimate desires and wishes. Political faction standing students applying for admission, be them No wonder that such campaigns can sometimes be led Americans or foreigners, because strictness in aca- by reputable high degree holders, politicians, academics demic admission elevates the university’s standards, and media, art and legal figures who use the accounts of misled people or even people hired to practice libel- and the more strict universities are in the policy of ing to the dirtiest levels ever in using such media driven admission, the academic level of the university goes by psychiatric diseases, sense of failure and family in my view higher. grudges and complexes that may make people infected Fierce competition among American and foreign with them accuse others of their own literal or moral Palestinian statehood students from all over the globe gives prestigious flows. They would then portray rivals as possessing all American universities uniqueness, because they do the world’s misdeeds. not differentiate between hardworking and out- We believe that all these vices are committed by ‘bats’ By Abdullah H. Erakat standing students, be them citizens or foreigners, whose family and personal history might have been full ot all Palestinians believe that the joining of ments.” The official says the Palestinians broke-off direct because the grades of the students qualify them for of the mortal sins they have been trying to label others United Nations agencies and international treaty talks in March; said “no” to Kerry’s framework and princi- admittance to the university. The American govern- with, namely highly successful people who know the Norganizations by the Palestinian Authority will ples of final status; and “Abu Mazen said ‘no’ to recogniz- ment is not involved in admission policies, even if nature of these venomous scorpions. bring its people closer to statehood. ing Jewish [character of the] state.” He also argued that it the university is a government one. What American However, historically and logically speaking, all UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has issued accept- was the Palestinians who refused a package deal which universities do is different from what we follow in Twitter bats or chicks can never defame righteous peo- ances of the letters of accession signed by Palestinian would have facilitated the prisoner release. “The ple, and neither can these social media clean the records President Mahmoud Abbas last week, including the Palestinians have to look at their own behavior. In the our universities. Minister Al-Mulaifi insisted last year of those coward scorpions who do not have the honor Hague Convention and the Fourth Geneva Convention past months, they have shown an exclusively rejectionist on accepting 11,000 students despite the fact that nor the ability to act in the open and declare their true infuriating Israel and triggering a round of tit-for-tat with position.” our university has the capacity of 6,500 students identities. Those who resort to such cheap conspiracies the Netanyahu government amid what some are calling Abdelkarim, who has been involved in Palestinian poli- only, and this year the minister is insisting on accept- work in collaboration with psychologically-diseased the collapse of the peace mission overseen by US tics for 47 years, said there are constant Palestinian meet- ing all passing students, not only the outstanding people who suffer from inferiority and lack of integrity, Secretary of State John Kerry. The memberships take ings following up on the joining of UN agencies. He said, ones. effect on May 2, thirty-days after the submission of the “The PLO has always viewed it as its right for the state of creditability and honor. As the Arabic proverb says: ‘The original letters and two-days after the deadline for the ini- Palestine to join all conventions and agencies of the The question: Why do American universities and deprived has nothing to offer”. —Translated by Kuwait tial nine-months agreed to by both the Israelis and United Nations.” He failed to offer details of those plans, others in advanced and industrial countries are strict Times from Al-Anbaa Palestinians for Secretary Kerry to broker a peace deal. but suggested that more action may be needed from the in their admission policies, although most of them “It doesn’t translate into any tangible change on the Palestinians to ensure their membership. are private, and do not pay attention to profits, while ground,” said Nadim Khoury, Assistant Professor of Fatah representative Mohammad Hurani said the we, the backward in the Third World countries, take Political Science at Al-Quds Bard Honors College for move to sign the letters of accession this month was a it easy in the admission policy, to a point where kuwait digest Liberal Arts and Sciences. message saying that “the Palestinians have their options” “It may give the Palestinians more leverage diplomati- and put pressure on Israel to agree to follow-through on Mulaifi called for admitting all students who passed cally, but this is a remote and abstract kind of power,” he its commitments. the secondary school exams. Why does their think- Women market wrote in an email to The Media Line. Following the UN gambit, government officials in Israel Other conventions Abbas signed-on to include the announced it would impose economic sanctions on the loses identity! Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and The Palestinians in response to the move, which Israeli Prime Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Minister Binyamin Netanyahu considered to be a unilater- The days of Kuwaiti pride Degrading Treatment or Punishment. “It won’t protect al one. Hourani, a lawmaker, said the Palestinian side was By Arwa Al-Wagyan Palestinians from settler violence or dismantle check- not surprised since “they have nothing to lose.” and prosperity were in the used to feel very happy wandering around the old points and settlements,” Khoury said. “President [Abbas] and the Palestinians know that the But officials of Gaza-based Hamas disagree that it reactions of the Israelis will be a kind of political and eco- fifties until the middle of women’s market (Souq Al-Hareem) in downtown won’t bring statehood closer. “It’s a great step for the nomic punishment,” said Hourani, adding that “there is sixties, during the reign of IKuwait City as a child, listening to Kuwaiti dialects Palestinians,” Isra Al-Modallal, the Hamas government’s always a price you pay in politics.” He argues that US and watching Kuwaiti salesladies doing business. The first female spokesperson said. She said this could be a Secretary of State John Kerry means well, but that he late Sheikh Abdullah Al- market had a beautiful Kuwaiti flavor and fragrance chance to put Israel before the law. needs to exert pressure on the Israeli side. “We think the then. It symbolized Kuwaiti women’s historic self- Americans should make pressure not only on the Salem Al-Sabah. Kuwait was reliance. However, doing the same trip these days, I Direct talks Palestinian side, but on the Israeli side, too,” he said. the country of Arabs, with feel very sad for how identity-less the market has “This is the only way to call for our rights,” she said in a Despite his remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations telephone interview from the Gaza Strip. Committee last week in which Kerry, in the estimation of the full meaning of the word. become. It is not as Kuwaiti as it used to be. Most Qais Abdelkarim, a member of the Palestinian the Israelis, pointed the finger of blame at the Jewish salesladies are Ethiopians or Indians renting the stalls Legislative Council representing the Democratic Front for state enraging Israel’s supporters both domestic and on sublease contracts. The whole market, that once the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), said the Palestine abroad - earning the praise of Hamas’ Al-Modallal-the ing differ from ours? The answer to this question is was considered a wonderful symbol for Kuwaiti work- Liberation Organization (PLO) could have made the move Israeli official nevertheless denied that it was receiving ing women, has become a trade. to join the United Nations agencies last summer, but any pressure from the Americans, calling the relationship not easy. Western countries are advanced in the field Interviewing the only Kuwaiti saleslady there, Um instead decided to “refrain from using its rights to give US between the two allies “a very intimate one.” of science and technology because of the strength Mohammed, she said many violations are being com- sponsored peace talks a chance to yield results” and only DFLP’s Abdelkarim described the American response of education there. Honest competition between decided to do so after Israel failed to release the fourth to the Palestinian gambit as “balanced.” students is the essence, as they are keen on attract- mitted by the salesladies. “They sell unlicensed slim- group of the 104 prisoners it promised last July to set free “They (the Americans) did not like it. They considered ming concoctions. They even sell ‘Viagra’ and sexual ing the best of “brains” around the world to benefit as a gesture to enable the Kerry mission. it negative. It’s important that they did not move to take from their knowledge and specialty in working in stimulants and all complaints made in this regard Abdelkarim said that other measures were being stud- any retaliatory move to the PA side,” said Abdelkarim. have been ignored,” she said, adding that the stalls ied by Palestinian leadership to make sure the accession He says he does not know what will happen, but the private sector, while keeping in mind the inter- should be rented through a lottery conducted every occurs. “Now that the Israelis have turned their back to knows what needs to happen. “If the negotiations are to national competition in the economic, scientific, cul- two years to avoid the usual favoritism, which is the their own commitments, I think it was a wise move, a nec- be extended after the [April 29] time limit, it will have to tural and other fields. basis of selection nowadays. essary move of the PLO to take this step.” But he says this be based on a completely different formula, taking into The days of Kuwaiti pride and prosperity were in is only the beginning. “I think other measures are neces- consideration the lessons of the obsolete talks that took Um Mohammed also noted that stalls were being the fifties until the middle of sixties, during the reign sary to guarantee the accession of the state of Palestine place for nine months. of late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. Kuwait rented in violation of rules and regulations, but into all conventions and agencies.” “Nothing has changed in the larger sense: the US is not nobody is listening. Um Mohammed was raised in the An Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity an honest broker between two parties; it still acts and was the country of Arabs, with the full meaning of market. Her own mom and grandmother were two of said that “one only needs to look at history to see that it’s thinks very much like Israel’s lawyer,” Khoury said. the word - it was an open country for all Arab and the Palestinians who are not sticking to their commit- — Media Line foreign competent people to work. Schools and edu- cation in Kuwait were outstanding because Palestinian, Egyptian and Iraqi teachers were out- Kuwaiti women never feel kuwait digest standing, and competition between Kuwaiti, Arab ashamed of decent jobs - they and foreign students was very strong. The students like taking part in exhibitions, Peace talks hanging by a thread who were being sent on scholarships abroad were competing with Americans, Britons and the French. Kuwaiti and Arab students were the main reasons for and have done business and By Linda Gradstein got in contact with customers our students’ outstanding performances in the past. rior to last weekend’s fireworks, American officials were Netanyahu did not elaborate, but Israeli media is report- Now education is politicized, and political Islam is since early childhood. reportedly due to make a final effort to broker a deal ing that the government will include sanctions against the involved in the curricula. The learning by rote policy Pthat would allow Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations Palestinian telecom company which is trying to upgrade the continues instead of creativity and innovation and brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry - originally network throughout the West Bank. search for new things. Whoever thinks that the scheduled to finish at the end of April-to continue at least The crisis in the talks has also exposed strains in the oldest salesladies there. She lived her childhood until next January. In return, Israel would free more Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. Netanyahu’s Justice Minister advancement of Western students is because of their around its alleys. She is undoubtedly the ‘daughter of Palestinian prisoners than had originally been agreed upon, Tzipi Livni lashed out at Housing Minister Uri Ariel who governments and ruling parties is wrong. The bitter the market’. One can but notice how passionately she the Palestinians would freeze recent petitions to agencies announced 700 new home starts in the Jerusalem neighbor- truth that citizens do not want to admit is that peo- talks about it. connected with the United Nations, and Jonathan Pollard, a hood of Gilo, which is part of the expanded municipal border ple in the West are the initiators in opening schools I felt so nostalgic on the recent past while talking former US civilian intelligence analysts for the US Navy who of Jerusalem that includes land Israel acquired in the 1967 and attracting competencies. Kuwaiti merchants and was given a life sentence for passing classified documents to war - land that the Palestinians claim for their state-in-wait- to the Kuwaiti woman wearing a burgu (traditional reformists played a major role before the oil era, but Israel, would go free. ing. It is not even clear whether this is an announcement of face mask). I could smell the fragrances of those days. their role stopped as the principle of the welfare She said that they always hear depressing remarks Israeli officials say the deal was on the verge of going new construction or just a reissuing of building that has through when the Palestinians toppled it by attempting to already been approved. Either way, it appears that Ariel country emerged. that Kuwaiti women do not want to sell in the join international conventions, some associated with the intended to make a nationalistic statement. In the West, people alone establish outstanding women’s market. She strongly denied that by giving United Nations. Israel says part of the deal that allowed the “The entire Bayit HaYehudi (“The Jewish Home,” a political schools of all stages, and the state does not interfere proof of the many exhibitions held by Kuwaitis work- Kerry talks to happen at all was that the Palestinians would party on the political right that is part of the Netanyahu coali- in the educational process, and all what it does is set ing dedicatedly. hold off on any unilateral action, especially concerning UN tion government) and Uri Ariel, first and foremost, have only the foundations, principles and special instructions She is absolutely right. Kuwaiti women never feel agencies. been waiting for an opportunity to continue to build, to Palestinian officials said they only made the decision to make more statements, to bring the world down on our for outstanding education. ashamed of decent jobs - they like taking part in exhi- We are fully aware that neither the citizens nor bitions, and have done business and got in contact proceed with unilateral action because a promised Israeli heads and prevent us from reaching an arrangement,” Livni, prisoner release (the last of four) was delayed. That prisoner who while in the coalition is on Israel’s political left-wing, told the government are keen on education independ- with customers since early childhood. They have release was supposed to include Arab citizens of Israel for the Israel Television. “This is the price of having Uri Ariel and Bayit ence at all stages, as MPs, citizens and failed state always been hardworking women. The municipality, first time. HaYehudi in the government. I didn’t want them there and employees interfere in the education process and the ministry of social affairs and labor and the min- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday they are [causing] permanent damage.” all have become educational experts, believing that istry of commerce are jointly to blame for driving warned Israel would respond to the Palestinian moves. Some Israeli analysts said Livni, who came close to being the government schools’ mission is to pass students most Kuwaiti women away from the women’s market. “Unilateral steps by the Palestinians will be answered with elected Prime Minister in 2009, was exaggerating the effect unilateral steps on our part,” Netanyahu was quoted by Israeli of the construction. even if they are weak. What is most important is to They somehow share part of the blame for the viola- get a university degree, even through cheating, for- tions committed in this historic market, which should news site Ynet as saying in his first public comments on the “It’s obvious that nobody, not even Zehava Gal’on (the deterioration of the Kerry process in recent days. leader of the dovish Meretz party) is going to relinquish Gilo,” gery and buying certificates. All that those students be a vanguard image for Kuwait. We strongly urge the “The Palestinians will get a state only though direct nego- Amiel Ungar, a journalist and commentator said. “One of are looking forward to is to become state employ- concerned officials to pay more attention to the mar- tiations, and not through empty declarations, nor through Israel’s biggest mistakes has been accepting the position that ees in the welfare country - then we wonder why ket and make it more Kuwaiti once more! - Translated unilateral actions that will only keep the peace agreement any construction over the so-called Green Line (the pre-1967 the West advances and Arabs go backwards! by Kuwait Times from Al-Jarida further away,” he added during the weekly cabinet meeting. border) is akin to original sin.” —Media Line — Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Watan