the kuwait national union of students was founded in 1964, and i was an elected founding member.
over time, the union managed to establish itself on the political scene, receiving substantial support from two main groups -- a faction of representatives and the muslim brotherhood.
the union often had young representatives, typically in their twenties, on the university’s supreme council. they played a role in shaping university policies, preventing co-education, influencing the curricula, and advocating for changes in faculty. they were also vital in securing a monthly stipend of 200 dinars for each student, later increasing it to 350 dinars, placing a significant financial burden on the public treasury, costing hundreds of millions of dinars annually.
the union also managed to secure high grades for its members, arguing that their involvement in travel and organizational activities justified it. this made them a source of intimidation for many education ministers, university administrations, and professors, as those who had experienced the union’s influence can attest.
the union also succeeded in holding general conferences under high patronage, with the presence of prominent political figures. additionally, they opened branches in countries such as egypt, lebanon, britain, australia, canada, jordan, and the united states..
the union became a recruitment ground for the muslim brotherhood, whose members became more active due to the financial and moral support from the brotherhood. they facilitated the opening of bank accounts for the union, often violating laws, making it easier for the union to receive checks worth millions..
these funds were used for unspecified activities and to finance election campaigns both in kuwait and abroad.
for over 60 years, no party ever truly knew how the money was spent, due to a lack of transparency. this secrecy stemmed from the union’s illegitimacy, as it lacked any official government recognition and was therefore illegal throughout its existence.
this often led the union to engage in suspicious activities, as later investigations would reveal, including the unclear fate of the millions of dinars it received and the parties who funded it, often in exchange for securing loyalty from its executive members.
these concealed facts, along with the union’s deviation from its original goals and involvement in illegal tribal by-elections, became evident to everyone, despite the risks posed to the state.
eventually, this prompted the authorities to intervene, suspend the union’s activities, and close its headquarters.
after all this, some important persons naively challenge our liberalism and belief in democracy, simply because we refused to remain silent about a constitutional, security, and moral violation.
others, with malice, questioned whether i would have taken the same stance if the union’s direction had been different. this accusation doesn’t even merit a response, as the al-qabas archive holds tens of thousands of articles that clearly reflect my true positions, my independence, and my lack of affiliation with any party.
the illegal union has now been dissolved, its doors closed, and we must focus on finding an alternative as soon as possible. we believe in the importance of student activity, but it must be committed to transparency and free from sectarian and tribal divisions.
one final note: i have been calling for the dissolution of the union for more than 25 years, starting with an article on september 13, 1999, and continuing until my most recent piece on september 9, 2024, all due to the union’s illegitimacy.