The statement issued by Kuwait’s Amiri Diwan was “extraordinary” for putting a stop to the allegations and fabrications of a former lawmaker who is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
The strong response, the first of its kind to be issued outside of the foreign ministry or National Assembly, forced those making such false claims to confront their legal responsibilities.
The statement was prompted after former Kuwaiti MP Mubarak Al-Duwailah made allegations against Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah about a meeting he held with former Libyan leader Moammar al-Gaddafi. The Emir sought the services of tribes in order to spread chaos in the Gulf region, claimed Al-Duwailah.
Al-Duwailah made the allegations during a television show with Mohammad Talal Al-Saeed, aired on June 23, 2020, as well as in a tweet on June 25, 2020.
His remarks prompted the Amiri Diwan to issue its statement. No one could attribute anything to the Emir without "an official approval by the Amiri Diwan," adding that violations would entail legal action.
Through this statement, Kuwait, led by its Emir, sought to put an end to such petty attempts to drag the country towards Islamist-driven chaos.
Al-Duwailah is a member of the Islamic Constitutional Movement, a political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait.
Political parties are banned in Kuwait, but these groups have tried to promote Muslim Brotherhood rhetoric. They succeeded in winning a seat at the National Assembly for the first time in 1981.
Al-Duwailah himself had served in the National Assembly from 1985 and in four more terms. Throughout this time, the Islamists could muster no more than six seats at the assembly.
The former MP had previously found himself at odds with the law and state in 2014. The foreign ministry had submitted a complaint against him before the public prosecution over statements deemed dangerous to Kuwait’s national interests and security.
His remarks were met with a wave of local outrage and a rebuke from National Assembly Speaker Marzouk al-Ghanim, who expressed his complete rejection of any criticism against the United Arab Emirates.
