Established 1961 Friday ISSUE NO: 173407 RABI ALAWWAL 27, 1439 AH FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017 Darwaza Al-Abdul Razzaq A different Gitmo: Detainee Thunder defeat Pacers in 4 a heritage and cultural site 23 art on display in New York 43 George’s return to Indiana Fishing in Kuwait See Page 6 2 Friday Local Friday, December 15, 2017 Do what you can Kuwait: Haven for expatriates selves off and waiting for better times. This is a natural tendency Scribbler’s Notebook and makes sense but it will not help a society or a country to thrive. Moreover, in times of uncertainty, it feels like the individ- By Jamie Etheridge ual is powerless to bring about positive change. Yet there are still things one can do, even if they seem small or unimportant, [email protected] that can have a huge and constructive impact on society. Volunteering helps not only those in need but also everyone Local Spotlight here has been an enormous amount of negativity in else in a society. It alleviates the suffering and difficulties faced by Kuwait of late. From the regional political situation to the those in need and at the same time, helps the rest of us gain an Tstagnant economy, everyone seems stressed, worried and understanding of the different challenges people can face in life. more than a little insecure about what the future will hold. We become more empathetic and more grateful for our own cir- By Muna Al-Fuzai In uncertain times, people often hunker down, closing them- cumstances, no matter how difficult or challenging they may seem. [email protected] Abeer2 uwait is a haven for all expats. I know saying such Abeer2 works with people mental disabilities in collabora- a thing may not please everyone, including some tion with parents under the umbrella of the Voluntary KKuwaitis, but let me tell you why I believe so. Work Center in Kuwait. There are main five reasons for this. Firstly, Kuwait has a http://www.abeer2.com/index.php/en/ct-menu-item-13 tax-free environment. Where would you find a place today that doesn’t levy taxes if you are not a citizen but merely an expat who doesn’t even have a permanent Abolish153 house or a guarantee not to be fired or deported for any reason? There are none - at least not in the Arab world. Local human rights and women’s right activist group advo- Not to mention the West, many of whose citizens flee cating for women’s equality before the law. to other countries, including the Arab Gulf countries to http://abolish153.org/ avoid taxes. But they find themselves trapped with the same problem, with the high rate of value-added tax (5 AlKout Youth Group percent). I am not opposed to paying a tax for a service, but in the Arab world, a person may pay a tax without A youth volunteer group that believe in doing good and getting any worthwhile service. The problem is that the serving society and the country. only victim here is the citizen and the expatriate, because +965 66878712 merchants raise prices only to keep their financial status safe and secure, and the consumer suffers. But Kuwait has BAACH not imposed VAT yet and may not do so until 2019. The second reason is that Kuwait is a family-oriented Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice provides care and support society. Here you can raise your family or start one. There to children with life limiting or life threatening illnesses. is not much to do outside of work, so being alone leads http://www.bacch.org/volunteering/ Kharafi Activity Kids Center many to consider having a partner. Because cohabiting Provides play-based learning environment for children with without marriage is not permitted in Kuwait - as a Muslim Basta Kuwait disabilities and special needs. country - many single women and men tend to find love http://www.kharafi-akc.org.kw/en/ and marry in Kuwait. A local and sustainable non profit organization that focus- The third reason Kuwait is wonderful is due to Internet es on buying, selling and donating clothing, home goods prices and being widely open to all Internet apps. You can Kuwait Cancer Control Center and books. download any app you wish and enjoy long-distance calls and videos without any interruption or being blocked by [email protected] Provides care and support for people with cancer. greedy communication companies, or pay for it. It’s free! Contact the KCCC Social Work department at 2484-9100 Don’t say this is not good! ext. 5097/5092/5132. Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah The fourth reason is that medical services are accessi- http://www.kuwaitcancercenter.com/index.php ble to all. In the UAE, you cannot be admitted to a hospital Local cultural organization and museum that provides educa- or get a consultation without insurance or paying a large tional opportunities for children, cultural programs and view- cash amount in advance, and this applies to all, including ing of the Al-Sabah collection. Kuwait Red Crescent Society GCC citizens. In Kuwait, for many years expats used to http://darmuseum.org.kw/learning/docents/ Provides aid and relief for communities in need. Training for enjoy all medical services for free, until recently when the volunteers available. government started to put limits due to their excessive use Injaz-Kuwait krcs.org.kw and overcrowding, because some expats began to bring their visiting relatives to the hospital too. Works with students ages 11-24 years through implement- Loyac Finally, Kuwait is safe. Yes, you hear and read about ing programs in middle schools, high schools, vocational sporadic incidents of fights and beatings. But is there any colleges and universities to prepare them for the future. Organizes a variety of social and community based pro- country in the world today that doesn’t have such inci- http://www.injaz-kuwait.org/ grams for the enrichment of Kuwait. dents - even killings - every day? https://www.loyac.org/Local/Community/VolunteeringPr I know that some criticize Kuwait because it has no ograms_EN.aspx development projects or a pleasant nightlife and the avail- KAACH ability of alcohol in public places, but this has not Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital helps chil- ReFood deterred the arrival of scores of expatriates. We are not a dren and their families cope with the stresses of hospitalization. tourist spot or an industrialized country, but a desert http://www.kacch.org/volunteering.html Local food back that provides food for those in need. country where life is not easy. There is no state in the http://www.refoodkuwait.org/volunteer world that is free of discrimination on the basis of color, Kareq8 race and religion - not these days. Spread Passion Life in countries outside home is no longer as easy or A local animal protection organization that adopts or feasible as it was in the past. Yet more and more expatri- helps rescue abandoned animals. Local volunteering organization focused on charitable works. ates come to Kuwait, as it is still a good location despite http://www.kareq8.com/volunteer/ http://spreadthepassion.org/volunteer-lounge/ all the difficult circumstances and political uncertainties in the GCC and the world. 4 Friday Local Friday, December 15, 2017 Story and photos by Athoob Al-Shuaibi The pedestrian underpass under the intersection has four exits - the first leads to Souq Mubarakiya, Souq Bin hen you reach the intersection of Abdul Razzaq Duaij and Souq Kuwait. The second exit takes you to the Square in Kuwait City, you arrive at one of the stock exchange, Sharq and Abdul Razzaq Mosque. Wmost important historical spots in the country. The third leads to Sharq and Sawaber, while the fourth This used to be the site of Darwaza Abdul Razzaq, the exit will take you to the ninth commercial area and the gate to the second Kuwaiti wall called Al-Medfa’a (cannon). joint bank center. Friday 5 Local Friday, December 15, 2017 Darwaza Abdul Razzaq used to be a horse stable and camel passageway, where water and food were sold. In addition, it was the spot where the late Sheikh Hamad Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah loved to have his coffee. The place thrived during the holidays, with horse and donkey carts and swings. Today, it is a circular underpass under the intersection with wide vestibules. However, small business owners are aware of the verve of this area and the possibility of developing it commercially. The center of the underpass has a column covered with blue porcelain tiles, like water towers, topped with beautiful geometrical lines. Adding to the aesthetic touch are old- fashioned fans. The underpass has a clement tempera- ture, even during the summer, which is likely to be a success if cafes are opened here, un- like the area of Mubarakiya, where life dies during the summer due to extremely high temperatures. Some cafes have opened at the Safat Square underpass, but they lack pri- vacy and coziness, in contrast to Darwaza- Abdul Razzaq. It’s worth noting the cautious comeback of posters as marketing gimmicks for small businesses, but these efforts are still in their infancy. However, we can suppose that this is an attempt to revive commercein this area and make Darwaza a vital place for social gatherings for young people. 6 Friday Local Friday, December 15, 2017 By Ben Garcia living on land. If we encounter bad weather, we tend to stay put. We are used to the waves, and if there ish are abundant in Kuwaiti waters, but ac- is no reason to give up, we do not give up that easily.