over the past two decades, or even over the past fifty years, kuwait has gone through a phase that is unparalleled in its strangeness by all measures.
multiple parties played roles in actions and decisions that turned out to be disastrous for all of us. many years of hard work lie ahead to undo the damage caused by that phase, with its fl awed actions, decisions and the dozens of decrees granting citizenship to countless individuals who were never worthy of the honor of belonging to this country.
for many decades, kuwait was a haven for wealth creation for those who claimed virtue, piety, righteousness and a desire for reform.
instead, they spread corruption across the nation, degraded moral values, harmed the faith and amassed vast sums of money for themselves, often to fund strange and misguided objectives.
through my professional banking work, i encountered some individuals who managed to deceive tens of thousands of naive people.
they claimed to possess unconventional healing methods that others were unaware of. they wore long beards, kept their clothes short, frequently uttered religious phrases like “bismillah” and “hawqala,” and carried prayer beads, among other outward signs.
one such individual was born in kuwait to a kuwaiti mother and was later granted citizenship under the “noble deeds” clause, often with the support of his group.
he understood from the very start that a regular job wouldn’t make him rich and that a salary alone wasn’t enough.
so, he turned to the practice of exorcism and quranic healing. unfortunately, during one of his sessions, a mentally ill citizen died under his care while he attempted to force out a “genie” from the person’s body. he was sentenced to prison but, thanks to the influence of his powerful allies, he was pardoned.
following this, he decided to reinvent himself as a cleric, despite having no formal education or training in the field, which highlights a flaw in government administration.
he quickly became a wellknown preacher and religious leader, working under the banner of charitable organizations, sharing a generous portion of the proceeds with those in charge of these institutions.
his fame grew after a controversial tv channel adopted him, crafting him into a “religious star.” subsequently, several so-called charitable organizations sought to exploit his fame to raise funds.
it’s naive to believe that the millions he collected over the past three decades were used for their intended purpose. he wasn’t foolish and easy, unmonitored money is an irresistible temptation, encouraging even the most dishonest individuals to take advantage of it.
during the arab spring, he became deeply involved in the political and social movements, contributing financially and militarily to fighters in syria.
he aligned himself with the movement and insulted the minister of the interior at the time, growing increasingly brazen.
his citizenship was eventually revoked, but he sought refuge in a gulf state and later in turkey, where his investments in both turkey and bosnia allowed him to enjoy a luxurious life.
for the tenth time, luck intervened in his favor. with the help of his influential group, his citizenship was reinstated and he returned to his familiar game of collecting donations.
finally, through various agencies and a small army of helpers, he offered to perform umrah or hajj on behalf of people unable to go, for a generous fee.
despite being fully immersed in his “charitable” endeavors, he somehow manages to juggle a government job for which he receives a generous salary.
it’s unclear how he manages to reconcile collecting donations through various associations with his roles as a therapist, preacher, imam, faculty member, director of dawah (islamic outreach), trainer, family expert, journalist and supervisor of guidance centers across multiple countries.
this is just one example of the lowest point we’ve reached, but there are many others like him.